Got about a million questions, but then, that's how we learn, right?

I got an '06 Silverado 2 wheel drive with a 4.8L engine. (Currently with an S&B cold air intake and a belltech 2/4 drop and shocks, as well as a few custom appearance goodies.)

I want to turbocharge it, but I want to do it myself. Why? 1. I want control over what goes in and where and how. 2. I want to know how the heck it works, because after I do my Silvy I want to do my 5.3L Suburban. 3. I want to be able to say I did it myself.

So first question: can someone recommend to me a good starting place for literature? I do not want to begin by calling up some company that's going to try and sell me a kit or custom fab work that's waaay more than I can afford anyway. I know I need a turbo, waste gate, blow off valve, and tune, but I need to know how it all plumbs and how to calculate the details, and want to understand WHY it works, not just have someone throw numbers at me and go "This is what you need!"

Do I need a bigger fuel pump and injectors if I am planning on a mild 7 or so pounds of boost or will the factory stuff work for instance? How do I know? Those are the kinds of things I need to know, and where to find the answers.

Thanks in advance.

 

i was in the same position you are in i didnt know much about turbos and how they worked or what i needed i just searched this board for answers and its fairly simple. I went with a trick performance kit and it came with everything i needed from the turbo to hose to extend my heater hose so everything fit properly. The install is very easy but time consuming. As far as the pump im finding that every truck is different i have a 2012 flex fuel and people on here are running stock pump and injectors fine up to 10 psi well when i went to get tuned for 7lbs boost my injectors were maxing out so now im waiting on new fuel pump and injectors to come in...

 

Check out my build thread in my sig. It should help you out as I didn't know much about turbo set ups before I did mine. You just going to have to go through a bunch of threads on here to find your answers. Search this site on google with what you're looking to learn about and you'll find it.

 

I was in the same boat as you, i saw a turbo 2500hd on youtube and said id love to do that to my truck. And everything i researched was basically on this forum. But when searching honestly use google to search on this forum i think it works better than the forums search engine

Build threads are a good way to see how people do things and see whats been done

 

Agree with all the above. But know now that you will need a lot more than the basics you mentioned. Steel and aluminum pipe, clamps, couplers, oil lines, vacuum tubing, fittings, welding wire and gas, etc...Figure out what you think it'll cost then multiply by 1.5...at least!

Also, it helps a lot if you have good mechanical and fabrication knowledge. You're gonna run into problems unless you buy a complete kit, and knowing how to "make this fit" or "make this go around that" will save you from getting discouraged.

Good luck and have fun with it! It's great being able to say "I did it myself!"

 

I'm building my kit from scratch and so far it's right on budget. If you know what's needed from the start then you'll know pretty well what it will cost in the end. Numbers don't usually lie...

 

Just wait till you get towards the end of the build. That is where you start seeing all the hidden costs. These turbo builds nickel and dime the hell out of you.

 

Damn near everything is bought already. Need injectors, down pipe material, map sensor, vacuum block, and bov. I've built a few turbo setups so I have a decent idea of what goes into them. Final dyno tune was the only thing not taken into account on cost, as I think any FI build should be rounded out with one. I'll have a full breakdown and pics of the build when I'm finished.

 

Big items are easy to account for, little ones add up.
Trips to the parts house add up.
-------

Building your own stuff is great if you are happy with the end product and happy with the funds spent.
It's great to say "I built it".

Take your time read all the build threads you can find.
Even from the car guys.
Take your time
Keep track of all the funds and hours spent.
Then in the end you'll have a build thread to share and can give others what you spent on your project.

 

Yeah, what he said OP^

Either way, good luck with your build man. Take pics!