Hey guys. So I had a TS6 chip and ended up getting a hydra when I got my new transmission. With the 50hp tune on the TS6 it would surge quite a bit if I got it bogged down just a little in 4th gear. Got the hydra installed and thought it was fixed but I was in the flat lands and now I am in Wyoming and Montana tomorrow and on up to home in Alaska. Today I found out on the hills my surge is starting to come back again in 4th gear bogged down just a little. If I stay in it it’s at 10psi and I would make it up most hills but it has a slight surge and I pull out and downshift to 3rd. What are you guys running in your van turbos? I’ve heard all sorts of different results and I have Tuesday to work on the truck to Montana and then not any time after then until Alaska. Don’t really want to spend a ton of money and my egts are great with the van turbos bigger housing. Should I get the wicked wheel from riffraff for $56? Or go for a billet which is $180? Not looking for much more noise just reliable and no surge. Thanks guys.

 

@brokestroke has a lot of experience with the van turbo as a whole and it's components, maybe he will be along soon to lend some advice.

On another note, if you keep your current pace of repairs, replacements and upgrades you will have a completely different truck by the time you get home.

 

Thanks I’m looking for some good advice as there’s conflicting results on the internet and most everyone in here I’ve found is quite knowledgeable.

Yeah tell me about it. The truck was given to me with a bad motor to begin with.....put a van motor in it with the turbo for $500. Drove it 15,000 miles then the transmission gave up. I “can complain” but considering the truck was free I shouldn’t complain about having to replace stuff on it all the time. I hope to be done with repairs I sure am tired of it. My trailer plug wouldn’t stay in the other day and had to fix that in Kansas.....oh and change the tranny fluid after break in.....at this rate I need to become a millionaire

 

Well, the price was certainly great, but you are paying for it now with time and frustration. There is light at the end of the tunnel though, just keep going...

The van turbo is a bit of an odd ball around here. There really aren't a lot on these trucks because most people either upgrade the compressor wheel or just get a bigger turbo.

 

It runs great now and transmission shifts great after an amsoil change.

Yeah I seem to find either people love the van turbo after they put a wheel or housing on it or they for a 38r or something. I just don’t have that kind of money though. I mean driving to Alaska is expensive in itself let alone maintenance...

 

Buy the 56.00 wheel and be done...itll cure the surge. Keep the 10p.00 saved for fuel...i got R.R. gen 1 in my 02 as we speak. Other truck has the 1st gen from XDP

 

Is that with the van turbo to? I looked it up it’s actually $66 but still $120 cheaper. Is it much louder? Mine has the 6637 filter from Donaldson.

 

No...but what are your options? Hear a c@nthair decibal higher pitch or your eyeballs in the boost gauge while hearing surge

 

True but just wondering what people have found with their van turbos for the best option. Don’t want to get something’s that’s extremly loud either as my wife won’t appreciate that. Luckily it’s only a surge you can hear and doesn’t appear on the boost gauge.

 

Might want to check the overall well being of the turbo first. I say this because Van turbos are known as a turbo that doesnt surge. You may want to check the tightness of the compressor housing bolts to the back plate, and/or the seal. If equally loose it may burp air under boost. Personally I would make sure everything on the turbo is good before throwing some parts at it. IE; buy a wheel without rebuilding the turbo itself or; Install ATS housing and the compressor wheel ends up eating into a $425 part because the bearings are shot.

 

When I checked a couple thousand miles ago it didn’t have any play. It was surging then to. If I might try to see if anything’s loose. I found today in the cooler weather it doesn’t surge but when it started getting warm out it started surging slightly. That’s in heavy light or economy tunes on my hydra. If I switch it to high power tunes like Cummins killer or ludacris it starts surging like crazy. Turbo has to come off to do the wheel doesn’t it? Or can you do it in place?

 

In order to install the wheel correctly and safely the turbo must come out of the truck.

What intake do you have?

 

Bummer my collector is an absolute bear to align.

The blue donaldson 6637 style

 

That's right, now I remember you saying that earlier.

Also, it is rare when everyone agrees, but we all do agree on proper alignment of the turbo to the collector is a pain in the ***.

 

i agree with that. First time I did it it took half a day to get it aligned. Figured out if you looses the bolts where it connects to the manifolds. You could wiggle it a little more and align and connect then tighten the bolts.