Do you know anything about this TD04?

[drive]

Can anyone here tell me about this turbo? Is it a new age or old wrx turbo? Should it swap into a legacy turbo easily? Would there be any improvement over the old legacy turbo?
Here are a few pics.

http://www.sunnygulf.com/family/turbo/turbo1s.JPG
http://www.sunnygulf.com/family/turbo/turbo2s.JPG
http://www.sunnygulf.com/family/turbo/turbo3s.JPG

Number off of turbo
14412aa360
49377-04300
td04L 010404020

[Rod]

here in australia the wrx used the TD04 from '96 onward. Most wrx owners that do mods often change this first.
The Tdo4 does give better btm response but runs out of puff real soon.
Compared to your turbo's over there it may be an upgrade, not sure. Depends on what boost you want to run also.

[boostjunkie]

The general concensus(sp?) on this board is that the TD04-13G from a wrx is only marginally larger than the stock RBH52 found on the legacy turbos. I found this out when trying to sell a TD04 on this board. However, there is a company (Ion Performance) that reworks the turbos for better flow characteristics should you decide to buy it.

Jason

[Rod]

the RHB52 is also fitted the the aust spec RS Liberty. This is but a frame size. This turbo comes in different trim sizes. RHB52 VF12, which is fitted to our RS Liberty's. The RHB52 VF10 which is a smaller version, and the RHB52 VF8 smaller again.
Also the exhaust housing can be a P18 or a P20. The bigger is the P20.
I think you guys got the VF8?????
Our RHB52 VF12 with good exhaust mods etc will get about 15psi @ 3200rpm and will easliy flow 17psi to redline. The WRX TD04 are about 500rpm better down low but die up higher..
Rod, in oz

[omahasubaru]

The TD04 is much better than the stock Legacy Turbo on our US cars.

The stock Legacy turbo is only efficent to 12 maybe 13 PSi. The TD04 WRX turbo spools quicker than the typical TD05 upgrade and can support 17 PSi effeciently.

I've seen both and have both in my garage right now... there is now way the TD04 is 'marginally' better... unless you're talking about still running stock boost and no I/C (why bother a turbo upgrade then).

Only issue is reworking your piping from the turbo to TB and turbo inlet. But that can be done easily.. Add a WRX intercooler and Y pipe (fix problem one) and find a replacement elbow or make the stock one work (not best solution) and you're off and running. 15 Psi on a EJ22T engine will make stock WRX's look silly.

[Aaron's ej22t]

even the wrx guys can agree that the wrx td04 will not run 17psi efficiently. on the 2.0l wrx, you shouldn't push more thatn 16psi. A td04 on a ej22t, i would not run more than 1bar (14.5psi).
and right, the ihi rhb52 isn't really doing much after 12psi, cause it is so small.

[Phil]

to rod the VF8 is bigger than the vf10, vf10 is on automatic turbos vf8 is on manuals and will flow about as much as a tdo4, tdo4(mitsubishi) was cheaper for subaru to put on than a ihi

[-K-]

My stock turbo is a vf11. vf8's came on the Loyale turbos.

[LegacyT]

OK So the RHB5 is the same as a VF 8, VF 10, VF11???

[IggDawg]

Sorta. think of it this way. Think of the RHB5 as being an Impreza. the Impreza comes with 1.8, 2.2, and 2.5 engines (forget the WRX for this example). Impreza is the frame (RHB5), and the different engines represent the different configurations of the frame (VF 8, 10, etc) so saying "the legacy is only a marginal upgrade from an impreza" is generalizing since the impreza comes in so many configurations. likewise, saying "a TD04 is only marginally better than a RHB5" is a generalization. it may be true to say a TD04 is only marginally bettrer than a VF11, but it is certainly better than a VF8.

blarg. get what I mean?

[boostjunkie]

A turbocharger is for all intents and purposes, an enclosed fan that charges air into the engine. RBH5 is the designation for the housing, I believe (don't know my terminology for the IHI turbos, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong here). I think the VF8, 10, and 11 denote the size of the compressor (or fan) inside the housing. So you could have the same size housing (RBH5) with a small fan (VF8), or a same size housing (RBH5) with a large fan inside it . . .

[-K-]

That's about it boostjunkie. RHB-52 only tells me it is an IHI and the type of bearings. So here is what I'm doing; Stock exhaust housing, GL-10 center section (mine was leaking), compressor wheel and housing off a T-bird (bigger). It all bolts together.

[IggDawg]

bearings? our turbos are ball bearing? I figured they were from back in the days of rollers. that's an interesting bit of information.

[boostjunkie]

I think they may have been roller bearing.

[91White-T]

That's about it boostjunkie. RHB-52 only tells me it is an IHI and the type of bearings. So here is what I'm doing; Stock exhaust housing, GL-10 center section (mine was leaking), compressor wheel and housing off a T-bird (bigger). It all bolts together.

Hmm... interesting, so basically a turbocoupe compressor side will bolt up. How much of an upgrade is this?

[boostjunkie]

Well, I'm assuming since it all bolts together you could probably do this yourself for the cost of a used turbocoupe compressor side. However, you'd want to have a shop balance the assembly afterwards.

[-K-]

It's not as easy as that. It will bolt together fine but... the new compressor has a different 30deg inlet with a different bolt space flange. I am cutting off the Legacy 90deg inlet and getting it welded to the turbocoupe flange. The housing is also too wide (the 90deg elbow would run into the intake runner) so I had to mill down the mounting face about a 1/4 inch. As for the upgrade it is bigger, not huge but bigger and my brother is running 20psi on his T-bird . It is supposed to run up the temps above 17-18psi so it's about right for my plans right now, 15psi after fuel pump. My plans were to put the whole turbo on, change the up-pipe flange and new downpipe. but the exhaust housing was cracked and had started to melt around the wastegate! Then I decided it would be better to run my stock housing. Then went to the GL-10 center because Subaru uses banjo fittings, the Ford has NPT. Well when I get it running I'll let you know how it works. soon I hope. and well I hope .

[IggDawg]

turbo coupe t-bird uses a T3 IIRC. same as in a Saab 900 turbo (circa 87-93, after that I don't know). if you have a pick-apart yard near you, you can usually find lots of dead Saab 900T's. just take off the whole manifold/turbo assy. it's much easier to remove the turbo after it's off hte car. while you're there, grab the intercooler . this is jsut FYI since you already have the part you need. if it ever fails, you've got what you need right there.

did the GL-10 have a water cooled center housing or jsut oil cooled? if it's just oil cooled I'd suggest investing in a turbo timer .

[-K-]

The GL-10 is water cooled. In 87 and 88 Turbo T-birds came with IHI turbos. They have a 190hp and the only turbocoupes with an intercooler. It's an RHB52 but bigger on both sides than ours. It is not a T3. T3s ARE on every other Ford 2.3 turbo (SVO and GT Mustangs, 83-86 T-birds, Cougar XR-7s, Merkur XR4Ti, Capri RS)

[STi_GUY]

Right. There's a T3 on my SVO i'm pretty sure. SVO is intercooled as well and its a 1985.5.

[morgie]

so finally, is a TD04l a worthy upgrade over our stock Vf-11 turbo ?

is it a "easy" fit or is it a "bag of surprises" fit ?

[Paisan]

Yup I'd like to know as well.

-mike

[Matt Monson]

Yup I'd like to know as well.

-mike

The answer is NO, and it is a pain to make it work. Get a TD05 or an STi turbo like a VF-24 or VF-29 if you want a bigger turbo. Just be sure you have the fuel system to support it...