Re: Does Size Matter?
What Phil said.
It's all about balance. A larger turbo may offer more peak hp, but you may lose some bottom end/responsiveness. Considering that most Syty motors have horrible airflow, with low RPM operation... it's better to err on the too small side IMO. Getting back to that balance, it's all in the combination. Stock heads, stock cam... something near stock turbo performance is going to be the best selection. Yes you can run a 67, or 72 on a stock motor, but you will have a laggy beast that probably won't break any records. Go smaller on the turbo, and you'll gain back responsiveness and not lose any top end power. The 20g out of the box, IMO, is just a bit laggy for my likes, on a stock motor. At least with the 14cm2 housing. 10-12cm2 housing is a different story. Then that turbo will put a smile on your face. Comparable to a 44 or so, with the right exhaust housing. With that said, I think the PTE housing is a *bit* big for most stock trucks. It works out well with a truck that has headwork and a cam. They don't offer any other options, and that really limits the turbo selections. Once you can flow more air, like Phil's motor does, you have to step up your turbo sizing. Like he said, he might gain MPH, but slow down ET wise, because the setup just wasn't responsive enough. I've seen trucks that could spool the motor fine on the line, but because the turbo was too big, it wouldn't make full boost til 3rd gear. That will make for a slow 60' and 1/8th time, but higher MPH numbers.
So if you are just building a STRONG motor... look at smaller turbos. If you are going to build a motor that flows more air and is stronger, then look at the larger turbos. Size appropriately for your goals. Forged, 422 cam, high flow Vortec heads and you are doing Silver State runs for top MPH - go with a 72 as responsiveness doesn't really matter. Same combination, and you are driving it on the street and drag racing... 63-67, for better low end response.