Garrett gt1544v turbo newbie
Turbo Mini Forums

Hey guys, I've been a member on here for many years but have been inactive for a long time so figured I'd introduce myself and didn't want to clutter the other sub forums. Anyhoo, I'm wanting to do a turbo build for my A series engine at some point in the future and I have a brand new gt1544v turbo lying around and was wondering if this would be a good turbo to use or will it not work with the mini?

Power wise I'm not looking for mega gains or out like that and it will be a fairly low boost engine. Thinking at the minute, metro cam, worked metro head, bored to 1310 with low comp MED pistons, lightened flywheel etc so pretty basic build. Will this turbo be ok or should I sell it? Personally would prefer a supercharged engine but thinking of the space in engine bay mostly and the fact have the turbo.

I know nothing about turbos really but think these are off citreons? I managed to blag it off my college as they had a whole heap of them lying around but got the best one out of the lot.

I would say that turbo is too small.

With the VNTs you want to go larger than you would usually.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Ok so it's too small, that's grand. I'll try and flog it then. I've heard of a local mini that is supercharged and the guy might be selling so I'm seeing if I can just buy the supercharger kit off that or buy the whole mini and convert back to Na or swop engines.

What prices are good supercharged minis going for now?

Kind of how longs a piece of string question

Welcome back tho....

Yeah that's about as much as I know about it at the moment, don't know spec or anything. I know it was a kit he bought to fit it but dont know much else about it. Trying to arrange to view it, would rather build my own engine to spec but might be a good deal.

While I suspect your turbo would spool impossibly quickly and be good for up to 150 BHP (so heaps more than NA tuning and more than most of us need), you will have to solve plenty of problems that you haven't even thought of yet, and get good at fabrication!

I started my turbo project by getting a cheap unknown turbo and basing everything around that. If I could go back to the start, I'd look specifically for a GT1749, or a complete running engine. I'm only just about ready to fire it up 3 years after I started.

Edited by PhilR on 12th Oct, 2015.

Issue with supercharged minis is keeping them cool.

Im now switching from builidng a supercharged build to a turbo for this reason as building a blow through manifold is proving difficult to say the least.

Problem with the size of this is that you'd most certainly need an external wastgate to keep boost in control, which sort of defeats the object of using a variable geometry turbo.

I'm pretty sure that Joe found that a GT2256v is a good size. Remember that that turbine effectively shrinks on a VNT.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm gonna have to do plenty of reading. Reason I was wanting to use this turbo is because I have it and I know it's good. This is a long term project as I have my normal mini to get on the road first so I'm probably looking at the earliest of 2017 to get work started on the engine.

What kind of size exhaust system do you need for a turbo'd mini, I've got a lovely stainless steel system off a saxo either 2" or2.5" and if possible I'd like to use that by either pipe bending or cutting it up.

Edited by Spoonaltap1 on 13th Oct, 2015.

I had a look at the mini, all the work had been done and then sat outside doing nothing for the last five years. Had a new supercharger kit fitted, new front end and skuttle and painted and overall the bodywork is in ok condition. Rust bubbles have started to appear, rear subframe was new when fitted and has coilovers back and front and brand new starmags which have done about 10 miles since been fitted. Has a twin exit exhaust. Because it's been sitting the bumpers are rusty, the fabric sunroof has shrunk but the interior is nice and it runs but needs set up.

Any opinions on value?