Going to turbocharge boxster

[boostiality]

Well it's that time of the year again when I get the bug for more power. I've had my 01 Boxster now for a little while and though this car has been great in almost every way, it would be perfect if it just had power to it. There's just something wrong knowing that my porsche has less horsepower then a v6 camry or v6 accord.

While doing some homework, I've realized a few things about these cars. For one, it seems like every fuel component on the boxster and carrera (n/a) of the same years are exactly the same. One could interpret this to mean that the stock fuel system is more then up to the task of handling 325+hp. Also since I'm not shooting for the moon here, I've discovered that we can use the 5bar fuel pressure regulator (from our stock 3.8 bar) to bump up volume just in case.

My main goal for this project is to be around 270+/- rwhp with hopefully boost building late in the 2000rpm range and full boost by 3500rpm. I'm not looking for peak power, but gobs of mid-range response. With help from Gary, I've deduced the fact that I'm too much of a sissy to tap the motor for an oil return line. Because of this, I'll be making a self contained oil feed and return system that I'm going to most likely locate in the trunk. The turbo is going to be placed where the stock muffler would have been and the use of a small muffler on the other side would help quiet it down some.

As I was going to remove the rear 5mph bumper anyway for weight savings before thinking of turbocharging the boxster, this seemed like a good spot for the intercooler. I figure remove the bumperettes and create a small scoop to direct air to the intercooler this way.

Hopefully the wideband o2 meter will tell me that the car isn't leaning out at 5psi but thats in the air till I assemble everything.

Cheers,

Joe

[benspeeder]

That is a way cool mod concept. Only concern is somebody lightly rear ending your car could ring up a big bill by mashing the turbo components. Do you see that as a problem? I have no alternative suggestion for placement being not much of a wrench.

If the risk of mashing isn't too bad you might have a marketable race product.

[boostiality]

That is a way cool mod concept. Only concern is somebody lightly rear ending your car could ring up a big bill by mashing the turbo components. Do you see that as a problem? I have no alternative suggestion for placement being not much of a wrench.

If the risk of mashing isn't too bad you might have a marketable race product.

Thank god for insurance ;)

The turbo components are actually cheap when you start comparing what a lot of tuners charge for the components.

[99boxsterkid]

what do you expect the cost to be on something like this?

I knwo what you mean about power. My 2001 Honda s2000 feels like a rocket compared to my boxster :angry:

[boostiality]

what do you expect the cost to be on something like this?

I knwo what you mean about power. My 2001 Honda s2000 feels like a rocket compared to my boxster :angry:

Well just a quick est. so far...

Turbo, wastegate, oil feed and return lines = $350 shipped

Intercooler, bov, piping = $250 shipped

Datalogger = $50 shipped

Wideband o2 = $200 shipped

Oil pump = $75 shipped

Oil tank or cooler = $50 shipped

5 Bar Fuel pressure regulator = $75 shipped

Misc. stuff ? Probably another $300 to be safe

So $1350 projected for parts budget. Since I'm going to be doing the labor myself, hopefully I can budget a full day to get the turbo itself on. The wideband and the pressure regulator will probably have to take another day. BTW, if your wondering why everything seems so cheap, I'm doing this project on an ebay cheapy build.

[pk2]

Well it's that time of the year again when I get the bug for more power. I've had my 01 Boxster now for a little while and though this car has been great in almost every way, it would be perfect if it just had power to it. There's just something wrong knowing that my porsche has less horsepower then a v6 camry or v6 accord.

...Hopefully the wideband o2 meter will tell me that the car isn't leaning out at 5psi but thats in the air till I assemble everything.

Cheers,

Joe

Sounds like fun. Your not kidding about the rice burners, visit an EVO or WRX for some humility. There’s a handful of us out there with same lofty goals. You might pop in to this thread:

http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?...5539#post135539

Gary & others have been great sounding boards over there having done it or are in the process.

Regards, PK

[VRsyncro]

Well just a quick est. so far...

Turbo, wastegate, oil feed and return lines = $350 shipped

Intercooler, bov, piping = $250 shipped

Datalogger = $50 shipped

Wideband o2 = $200 shipped

Oil pump = $75 shipped

Oil tank or cooler = $50 shipped

5 Bar Fuel pressure regulator = $75 shipped

Misc. stuff ? Probably another $300 to be safe

So $1350 projected for parts budget. Since I'm going to be doing the labor myself, hopefully I can budget a full day to get the turbo itself on. The wideband and the pressure regulator will probably have to take another day. BTW, if your wondering why everything seems so cheap, I'm doing this project on an ebay cheapy build.

What kind of Turbo are you getting for $350?

You'll also need to also figure for a custom downpipe and exhaust manifold. What type of intake manifold you would want to run (stock, custom). I'm assuming stock compression on the engine.

VW/Audi Tuners have tonnes of turbo setups based on upgrading the Fuel Injectors and Custom Tuning using the stock or an upgraded MAF. These are closed loop setups, so instead of using an annoying blow-off valve, you would use a Diverter Valve (DV). These systems also work with the stock FPR, and boost is regulated by the wastegate (type of spring you choose).

There's a lot of things to consider when going Forced Induction. I would read Corky Bell's - Maximum Boost for the basic science behind Turbocharging.

Cheers,

Mike

[boostiality]

Well just a quick est. so far...

What kind of Turbo are you getting for $350?

You'll also need to also figure for a custom downpipe and exhaust manifold. What type of intake manifold you would want to run (stock, custom). I'm assuming stock compression on the engine.

VW/Audi Tuners have tonnes of turbo setups based on upgrading the Fuel Injectors and Custom Tuning using the stock or an upgraded MAF. These are closed loop setups, so instead of using an annoying blow-off valve, you would use a Diverter Valve (DV). These systems also work with the stock FPR, and boost is regulated by the wastegate (type of spring you choose).

There's a lot of things to consider when going Forced Induction. I would read Corky Bell's - Maximum Boost for the basic science behind Turbocharging.

Cheers,

Mike

Peter: Thanks for the heads up, I've been reading the posts on there as well. I'm going away from WI though since I'm intercooling. What I really wish was possible was something to tune ignition timing for a boost map. I'm pretty sure though that Porsche's PCM isn't all that finicky. People have been turbocharging Honda's and Toyota's etc for years with stock timing maps, and the basic principal of mapping timing vs. load has been pretty much the same across the board. Even if we cant modify ignition timing for now, one thing is for sure though is that the M96 can handle some boost with no issues.

Mike: Everything I'm doing is cheap, and I mean dirt cheap. These are the turbos they recreate in china for dirt cheap. This wont be a permanent setup, just testing to make sure everything is working correctly. These turbos are all T3 flanged anyway, so if everything is going correctly I'll be bolting on a better garrett unit later.

Theres no reason to and I don't know of any aftermarket intake manifolds for the M96? . I'm not shooting for big numbers anyway, and the stock intake manifold will be fine, in fact I bet theres a good chance it's the same intake manifold as the n/a Carrera's with 325+ hp. As for compression it'll be 100% stock. Folks have been turbocharging Honda's and n/a Supra/lexus motors with similar compression for years, and I'd like to think that Porsche's internals should at least be on par with the Japanese companies in terms of strength.

Our MAF sensor is the same one used from the Carrera's so there no restriction there as well as ALL of our fuel components so you know they can at least what the Carrera's do stock. I used to modify the stock MAF on car's prior to the boxster. What they do is modify the signal to use larger injectors. The only problem when you do this is that it also messes with the ignition timing as well which creates even more headaches. Unfortunately theres no piggyback right now for our PCM.

Before the tuning scene got big for the imports in the late 90s, there was very little in the way of tuning on a budget. Folks back then only had a few choices of standalones such as MoTec and things of that nature that would cost thousands. So the only real way of bumping up fuel was to raise fuel pressure which can be done cheaply. Thats pretty much why I'm going towards this direction. When you raise fuel pressure from our stock 3.8 Bar to 5 Bar, you'll increase the volume of our injectors to more then 10%. The PCM can also work around this as well so you wouldn't loose any drivability. As for the bov, this car is using a MAF so venting into the atmosphere would be a no no. You can still get the whoosh noise though =)

What I'm doing is a rear mounted turbo so I wouldn't need a exhaust manifold, rather I'm utilizing a collector to tie both exhaust banks together where the stock muffler used to be. As for the downpipe, it's a fairly simple affair since I'm using a v-band and a quick bend to my cheapy muffler. Also I'm going to be using the cheapy ebay external wastegate which is going to be set at 6psi.

As for Maximum Boost, it's definitely a good read for any gear head. However right now with the number of NA to Turbo cars out there and with current information readily available by the use of google, you can find all the information needed to turbocharge any car out there.

One thing you have to keep in mind here is that I'm not shooting for the moon. I'm taking a basic formula thats been used over and over again on modern, relatively small displacement efi motors and applying it to our motors. Even if I can only make a small gain of 60-70rwhp over stock, it would be an accomplishment knowing that all of this can be done with less then $1500 worth of parts. Makes me shake my head knowing how much companies are charging for a filter, shielding, and some pipe just because their made for Porsche's.

Cheers,

Joe

Edited February 9, 2008 by boostiality

[demonz]

The key is preventing detonation. I read some where (Corky's Maximum Boost?) most any commercially viable automobile engine was designed with a minimum of 2X safe power rating. That is, rods, crank, case. et. al are all capable of enduring a 100% power increase, in theory. Detonation (from shoddy gas) in a NA motor will produce pressures well beyond those encountered in a +100% HP optimally tuned turbo motor, therefore motors are designed with these safety margins. Problem is, the boxster motors, and all M96 derivatives, may not be all that viable in the first place. Cracked liners, slipped sleeves, failed IMS, and cracked heads are known weak points and well documented (http://www.autofarm.co.uk/engines/water_cooled). These casting flaws will determine how far you can push your motor. Depending on who you ask these flaws may be called design flaws or production flaws. Not muddying the waters, flaws are flaws. Hopefully you have a flawless motor.

Keep us posted.

Edited February 10, 2008 by demonz

[boostiality]

The key is preventing detonation. I read some where (Corky's Maximum Boost?) most any commercially viable automobile engine was designed with a minimum of 2X safe power rating. That is, rods, crank, case. et. al are all capable of enduring a 100% power increase, in theory. Detonation (from shoddy gas) in a NA motor will produce pressures well beyond those encountered in a +100% HP .....

Keep us posted.

Unfortunately with most OBD II generic readers like the one I'm going to use, there will usually be no data acquisition for knock count. What I will be using is an audible meter though when I begin to tune the car. As long as theres no audible knock nor funny timing maps going on, it should be good to go. With us in California having 91 though, the tune will be a lot more conservative then others in the east coast.

[boostiality]

Just wanted to update those are were interested. So I'm almost there in parts.

Heres the turbo (made in china wannabe t4/t3 hybrid), ebay tial wannabe 38mm wastegate, 24x7x3 intercooler

2.5" intercooler Piping

Oil line kit and ebay GReddy Type S wannabe BOV

ELM 327 datalogger and LC1 Wideband on the way. Oh if pk2 (peter) or Gary is reading this, I'm also going to be doing meth injection too =D

[Gary in BR]

Just wanted to update those are were interested. So I'm almost there in parts.

Heres the turbo (made in china wannabe t4/t3 hybrid), ebay tial wannabe 38mm wastegate, 24x7x3 intercooler

2.5" intercooler Piping

Oil line kit and ebay GReddy Type S wannabe BOV

ELM 327 datalogger and LC1 Wideband on the way. Oh if pk2 (peter) or Gary is reading this, I'm also going to be doing meth injection too =D

I am late to this party aren't I!!!

Meth injection too!!!!!!

I need to figure something out to get a little more power.

HMM..I need to get 500hp out of my 2.5!!!!

Glad to see you are going ahead with this build. keep us posted and take plenty of before and after pictures.

We are all dieing to see it.

Gary

[Gary in BR]

After you get done we need to have a meeting of the Forced Induction Boxster Club.

Are you running 1 turbo or 2, I only saw one in the picture?

[boostiality]

After you get done we need to have a meeting of the Forced Induction Boxster Club.

Are you running 1 turbo or 2, I only saw one in the picture?

Sounds like an awesome idea! My boxster can use a nice road trip to break in all these parts.

Let me know if you when you want to set it up as we can just piggyback onto the supra nationals at TX2k8 in Texas. Big time supra meet but lots of vipers and porsches always show up. Multi-day event with drag racing and a nice road course as well.

It's a single turbo, just one of those cheap ebay fakes of a garrett. It has a t3 flange so when everything is mounted and sorted correctly, a real garrett will take it's place in the future. I'll take another photo with it next to a pepsi can so you can get the general idea of it's size.

Your t25s can definitely flow more then what their doing right now, so if you got the tuning and components that are up to the task you can step it up another notch.

One thing is for sure though, methanol injection looks like it's going to be great solution for us. It's like putting on an extra injector but running race gas all the time. Today I'm going to the muffler shop to have them mount and weld the turbo and wastegate. I'll take some pix for ya

Cheers!

Joe

[boostiality]

And so the exhaust side of things is finished...

[ryanjenkins]

nice exhaust if u dont mind me asking what shop was it?

nice project deeply considering this for me!! good job keep posting pics!!! :) :)

Edited February 26, 2008 by ryanjenkins

[Falco]

Hey Joe,

Nice post, I have a 2000 boxster and am thinking of doing a 3.6 litre conversion or putting on a turbo. Im probably going to do the swap to 3.4 or a 3.6. but I was wondering which turbo and what is the e-mail address of the company that sells these cheap ones? Has anyone else put a torbo on a Boxster, wont there be cooling issues?? Is there a phone # for the turbo people? Thanks.

Well it's that time of the year again when I get the bug for more power. I've had my 01 Boxster now for a little while and though this car has been great in almost every way, it would be perfect if it just had power to it. There's just something wrong knowing that my porsche has less horsepower then a v6 camry or v6 accord.

While doing some homework, I've realized a few things about these cars. For one, it seems like every fuel component on the boxster and carrera (n/a) of the same years are exactly the same. One could interpret this to mean that the stock fuel system is more then up to the task of handling 325+hp. Also since I'm not shooting for the moon here, I've discovered that we can use the 5bar fuel pressure regulator (from our stock 3.8 bar) to bump up volume just in case.

My main goal for this project is to be around 270+/- rwhp with hopefully boost building late in the 2000rpm range and full boost by 3500rpm. I'm not looking for peak power, but gobs of mid-range response. With help from Gary, I've deduced the fact that I'm too much of a sissy to tap the motor for an oil return line. Because of this, I'll be making a self contained oil feed and return system that I'm going to most likely locate in the trunk. The turbo is going to be placed where the stock muffler would have been and the use of a small muffler on the other side would help quiet it down some.

As I was going to remove the rear 5mph bumper anyway for weight savings before thinking of turbocharging the boxster, this seemed like a good spot for the intercooler. I figure remove the bumperettes and create a small scoop to direct air to the intercooler this way.

Hopefully the wideband o2 meter will tell me that the car isn't leaning out at 5psi but thats in the air till I assemble everything.

Cheers,

Joe

[SinnerDC2]

I've been building custom turbos systems for hondas for about 8 years now. What has me puzzled is that your going to bump the fuel pressure for fuel management so like something a poor guy would do on a cheap honda motor? Are you going to use a rising rate fuel regulator? I dont know much about MAF systems, but I would think the ecu will show a CEL when it finds pressure inside the motor. So are you going to put the MAF on the intake of the turbo? Are you going to replace the stock clutch?

[boostiality]

Ryan: Thanks!

The shop was just a little hole in the wall shop in South El Monte, CA called Blue Tone Mufflers. Although if you go to it, it's a little hole in the wall father and son team, but they've had done a lot of turbo exhaust setups from honda's to M3's, although I was their first porsche =D They didn't have a mandrel bender so he took his time to create those nice bends for me. He's VERY cheap and does a great job for the price.

Falco: You know I would do the 3.6 conversion in a heart beat if I had $$ means of doing so. The turbo kit is just my little band aid till I have enough cash lying around to buy a 3.6. As for where I bought the turbo, I got the turbo/oil lines/flanges/wastegate as well as intercooler/piping/BOV at a place called fatboy racing in El Monte or they go by Kansai Motorsports on ebay. If you want to do a quick search for them on ebay, go to ebay.com/motors and type in 60-1 turbo and they'll usually be the only ones who supply that particular one. The reason I bought from them though is that their pretty close to my place and would work with me on the price without any shipping charges.

The turbo I bought is the one most seen on ebay so it really doesn't matter which vendor your getting it from since it's all from the same factories in china. The one I'm using will have "AR50" and has a 3" inlet on the compressor side. My recommendation is to just go on ebay and search for the cheapest one. BTW I chose this size turbo from supra veteran who also sells these particular turbos from www.club-nat.com . I told him I was looking for something that would give more low end and gobs of mid range and he recommended this one.

Sinner: Thats right to keep everything cheap I'm just going to bump fuel pressure. It's just a cheap solution to see what if it works, as the FPR in this car is the same for VWs/Audi's and you can purchase a relatively cheap 5 BAR fpr. The only FMU type FPR that I've found is from EVO and they want way too much for it. Now if the DME can't cope with 5 BAR FPR, I'll put the original one back on and opt for the Bosch 044 (aka GT2) fuel pump. At a $150, the thing is an external pump and flows more then the walbaro 255 pump. This path always works for simpler PCMs like MAF dsm's or MAP honda's so I'm sure it'll work for our advanced DME.

As for the DME throwing a CEL, I don't think it will. There's no pressure sensor in the motor and theres a few guys who have done superchargers without any DME stuff haven't thrown a CEL. It could potentially over run the MAF, but I doubt it since the sensor along with every other fuel component on the car is the same as the 300+ hp n/a 996. The MAF will be routed before the turbo. Oh btw, I haven't ordered that 5 bar FPR, but I did order a methanol injection kit. Supplementary fuel and cooling right there.

[mee]

It could potentially over run the MAF, but I doubt it since the sensor along with every other fuel component on the car is the same as the 300+ hp n/a 996. The MAF will be routed before the turbo.

FWIW, the original 986 eGas MAF (with a 986 part number) is also used on the 996 TT. When used with the later style MAF program (i.e. 2001), the original runs the engine richer. Good luck with your project (saw on 6Speed as well). (mee a.k.a. arenared)

[boostiality]

It could potentially over run the MAF, but I doubt it since the sensor along with every other fuel component on the car is the same as the 300+ hp n/a 996. The MAF will be routed before the turbo.

FWIW, the original 986 eGas MAF (with a 986 part number) is also used on the 996 TT. When used with the later style MAF program (i.e. 2001), the original runs the engine richer. Good luck with your project (saw on 6Speed as well). (mee a.k.a. arenared)

Shweet I can't wait install the system, put in 100 octane, and see what the wideband sensors says. When it's all said and done, I don't think our cars at this level have are starving for fuel, it's merely detonation thats hurting the FI. For some reason I'm having trouble replying on 6speed as it seem to locked me out of their system. I can't email their admins either?

[leviakl]

Hi

...

i was just wondering how this ended up?... did it work, was it worth the hassel?