I picked up a wastegated Banks setup to be able to fit a ZF5 in my truck. Turbo needs to be rebuilt, but it looks like there is little to no parts availability as Banks plays the sole supplier of proprietary parts at extortionate markup game. I've seen a couple threads on here that a S256 may fit. Has anyone run one on a Banks up pipe? Will it clear the cab? Work with the Banks intake hat? Any other turbo that may fit?

 

Hang on a bit and I might have some answers for you.
I bought Ford F834's turbo; a S360 with S2XX T3 exhaust housing machined for it.
I have it installed and working, but it wasn't exactly a drop-in replacement:
The T3 flange worked just fine; fit correctly on the Banks up-pipe.
The down-pipe connection was different, I spent a good 4 hours machining a custom piece to fit the Banks DP to my new turbo(with the adapter, it's now a drop-in turbo on the exhaust side).

On the intake side, I needed a 3-4" silicone adapter for the air-cleaner side of things; that worked just fine.
On the boost side... didn't quite fit. The new turbo's compressor housing is much larger than the TE06H's, so I couldn't get the black intake hat to just connect up.
I *was* able to use some 2" ABS fittings from Home Depot to make almost a complete circle and got it to connect, so it /works/.

The only problem is that with my current setup, I wasn't getting any more boost than the original Sidewinder turbo...
However, I'm thinking there's a few other factors involved; I'm suspecting that there's something overall wrong with my engine that's reducing flow etc.. because it sure as heck doesn't spool as nicely as Justin's Bronco did(I got to ride in it once, before it blew up), and that had an even *larger* turbo. I'm wondering about cam timing at this point...

 

I had to pull my turbo due to manifold-to-head coolant leak - even though our manifolds are dry the heads are not. Found the ends pretty well burned off my wg banks' turbine. Mine was a TE06H and Reed at Work Turbochargers eventually fixed me up - it took some digging and then some lead time. Can't say it was quick or cheap but not at all unreasonable given the age and non-factory status, *especially* compared to replacement from Banks!

GL,
- Jeff

 

I found a guy who had a Banks wastegated turbo with a damaged and rigged together turbine housing but good wheels. The turbine wheel was the same so I used my good turbine housing. The compressor wheel was a slightly smaller diameter so I had to use the smaller housing that came on the parts turbo. New bushings and seals and it works.

It definitely has more low end boost than the non wastegated Banks I used to run, and the truck feels significantly faster. It's downright tolerable now and maybe borderline fun, probably a mix of improved low end boost and no more loss through the torque converter (did a ZF5 at the same time). Initially it put out 8 psi and no more, I turned the wastegate rod in a few turns and now it's closer to 10 but slow to build over 8. I'll try disconnecting it to see what the turbo is capable of, but I know this turbo is just an intermediary step to whatever it takes to be happy with it.

I saw some other posts about other turbos that can work on banks up pipes, but nothing conclusive. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...banks-kit.html
Also a video of a BW turbo on Banks pipes (Looks like Macrobb).
Macrobb, did you ever get yours working satisfactorily? I was thinking maybe one of Justin's turbos would do the trick for me, if it'll fit. Looks like extend the downpipe flange to the turbo or make a spacer as you did. Would the Banks hat fit without an intercooler, direct from turbo to intake? What intercooler did you use?

 

I got it working quite nicely with a .63 exhaust housing.
It worked /great/, and I got 30 PSI out of it under heavy load... which totally cleaned up everything my 110 CC pump could put out. To use everything this turbo could do, you want a 150 CC pump.
I mean, not that the 110 CC didn't work... it's just that if you are going to do all the other work, you might as well get your money's worth out of it.

I could not get the banks hat fit, which is why I had to do all the piping there; it's literally just a loop of pipe. No intercooler used, yet.

And, that build is on hold until spring... The day after I got it all tuned in and everything(and had fun with it), I started it up in the morning at perhaps 25F, and it ran really badly and then threw a rod in the driveway. Not sure why that happened, and why it *didn't* happen under load/boost.