I keep reading that ball bearing turbos spool up faster and are better than journal bearing turbos, but Paradise racing said that this isn't the case anymore. Anyone else have any advice? I don't mind spending a couple hundred extra if it's going to make a difference.
Hi Mike, like I mentioned to you on the phone. I could place you in 2 identically prepped cars with the only difference being ball bearing vs. journal and you would not know the difference!!!
Ball bearing was a step up sales item that turbonetics came up with several years back to nail you for another $300 to $700!!!
Not to mention, my experience is that ball bearings break quicker than journal.
Luis, didn't you say somewhere on CT (or maybe it was someone else on Bullseye Power's forum) that it might spool 300 RPM or so quicker, but considering the initial cost, cost of maintenance and repair, it's not worth it? In a Tacoma with an unmodified rev limiter and a narrow RPM (up to 5500 RPM), wouldn't the 300 RPM make a difference?
How often do journal bearings need to be serviced?
Wow, I just love when I type about a page worth of stuff and then accidently click away in the browser. Stuff is gone when you hit the back button :runaway:
So crap... here's the short version of what I said I guess...
I'll pay $300 if it gets me 300 rpm. I'm the kind of person that likes to do things right, and I'd rather throw money at it then compromise more than I have to. I've been looking for a week at different turbos to try to find one that would spool a couple hundred rpm quicker and was even willing to give up some top end hp to get it. Paying $300 to get the spool a little quicker and not have to give up that top end seems like a no brainer.... it might not be smart for everyone, but that's the compromise I'm looking for
With that said... here's the closest garrett I've found to fitting my situation... The GT35R.
Suzuki (motorcycles) made a roller bearing engine,
Vance & Hines used them for years in all out racing.
Once upon a time, you could have your V-8 completely converted over to roller bearings.
Yes, the cost per gain is too much, but it does work.
I had one of them 1980 Suzuki engines lose a side cover (street engine)
dumped oil all over, Because it was a roller bearing engine, it made it another
mile to the shop to be repaired. (new cover) and was back on the road in 24 hrs.
If it were journal bearings, it would have fried at just the thought.
Todays technology has come a long way in the last 20+ years.
My thoughts, if the price were the same for each, I'd buy the roller bearings.
but if the rollers are $300 more, I'd think long & hard at what I was using it for
and then decide. $300 isn't that much more for quality.
I didnt say that roller bearing technology is not worth it.
I said that ballbearing tech on turbos is not worth it.
I am very familiar with roller bearing kits for trannys and so forth. In the automatic trannys I have seen as much as a 60hp increase from switching over to roller bearings.
But, thats the exception.
Also, roller bearings and ball bearings are weaker than a standard bronze journal bearing!!!
Also Mike, its not about doing it right. Because buying a ball bearing turbo does not make it right. Like buying a journal bearing turbo does not make it wrong.
I can only speak from my personal experience, and I can tell you that 300rpms is nothing that you will be able to recognize!!!
In my opinion, its like spending $300 for 3 horse power!!!
There is no power gain. You gain 0 horse power by it!!!
On a dyno 300rpms disapears so quick that the graphs will look the same.
Again, if you put a GT35 and a GT35R on the same car and drove them, you would not be able to tell the difference.
My take on this is that you dont have any experience on turbos. So your doing research. Thats good. Your also going to get alot of advice. But you will find out that opinions are like ass holes......everybody one has one. Yes even me!!!:looney:
So bottom line is that as a caring person, I told you that you do not need it and I explained why.
Don't think I'm badmouthing you or anything, I just want other oppinions. That's what research is all about. I think I want to get the GT35R and call it a day. Ya, it's more expensive, but i'm one of those people who will wonder every time the turbo spools if I should have spent the extra money. And if I do get the "r" then I can just be happy with it. I'm fickle... I know
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