VTT Aluminum Outlet Testing Results!
- Thread starter Chris@VargasTurboTech
- Start date
Not many -currently just 135 GC fitment in stock, big batch coming for other fitments. Shouldn't be very long.
Chris
Chris
I think I’m the only idiot that experiences their outlets popping off of their turbos.
I have GC lites and these aluminum outlets. Definitely not here to complain as I am very happy with all of my VTT products on my 335i and the service I’ve received from Tony and Chris.
So ive had both turbos have the inlets pop off. First time was on bank 1, and it happened a couple times, so I added a little superglue(couldn’t time travel back to the 90s to use hairspray) to the bead and it has been solid.
Second, and most recent times have been on bank 2. Did the same and added superglue. Lasted one 3rd gear log and immediately popped off.
But my true idiocy is shinning thru is on the amount of worm clamps needed. It comes with two total. But I cant understand why it wouldn’t require TWO worm clamps per turbo — one securing outlet to silicone sleeve — and another to secure the sleeve to the turbo. All the instructions and it’s pictures show one clamp per turbo, so clearly that is all that is needed. I of course am running two worm clamps per turbo. This is most likely the cause of my problems. That, and doing the refastening job from above while refusing to to remove the coolant tank probably isn’t helping any.
Attaching stock photo from your site of gc turbos and aluminum outlets in hoping someone can annotate crayon instructions for my kindergarten brain to understand.
I see that the “bead” on the outlet is where the single clamp needs to be positioned on. But does the mouth of the outlet actually fit over the mouth of the turbo hot side, or just butt-up against it? Again, me brain no worky much good.
I have GC lites and these aluminum outlets. Definitely not here to complain as I am very happy with all of my VTT products on my 335i and the service I’ve received from Tony and Chris.
So ive had both turbos have the inlets pop off. First time was on bank 1, and it happened a couple times, so I added a little superglue(couldn’t time travel back to the 90s to use hairspray) to the bead and it has been solid.
Second, and most recent times have been on bank 2. Did the same and added superglue. Lasted one 3rd gear log and immediately popped off.
But my true idiocy is shinning thru is on the amount of worm clamps needed. It comes with two total. But I cant understand why it wouldn’t require TWO worm clamps per turbo — one securing outlet to silicone sleeve — and another to secure the sleeve to the turbo. All the instructions and it’s pictures show one clamp per turbo, so clearly that is all that is needed. I of course am running two worm clamps per turbo. This is most likely the cause of my problems. That, and doing the refastening job from above while refusing to to remove the coolant tank probably isn’t helping any.
Attaching stock photo from your site of gc turbos and aluminum outlets in hoping someone can annotate crayon instructions for my kindergarten brain to understand.
I see that the “bead” on the outlet is where the single clamp needs to be positioned on. But does the mouth of the outlet actually fit over the mouth of the turbo hot side, or just butt-up against it? Again, me brain no worky much good.
Last edited:
I'm sure someone with direct experience on this outlet will chime in, if not @Chris@VargasTurboTech directly. In the meantime ... super glue ... yeah bad idea. Wrong application, not temperature rated, etc. You're going to need to clean all that off, really well (if there are bumps left anywhere, those are leaks. Use super glue solvent.
That said, my suspicion is that you've got an issue with how you are locating the pipes/seating everything. I suspect someone with first-hand experience with these will come along and provide some assistance.
That said, my suspicion is that you've got an issue with how you are locating the pipes/seating everything. I suspect someone with first-hand experience with these will come along and provide some assistance.
Here is the guide:
N54_Aluminum_Outlet-_install_guide.pdf (vargasturbo.com)
Take some pics of what is going on, seems like something is misaligned or installed incorrectly -we can get to the bottom of it though.
N54_Aluminum_Outlet-_install_guide.pdf (vargasturbo.com)
Take some pics of what is going on, seems like something is misaligned or installed incorrectly -we can get to the bottom of it though.
Last edited:
Make the time travel trip back to the 90s....or even 80s. You can get Aquanet at Walmart for like 2 bucks. Works like a champ, but yet, you need a clamp on the turbo outlet side and the outlet side, but it appears that the silicone couplers have pre-installed clamps (at least from the stock pictures) and you only get one screw on clamp per turbo. It appears that the coupler between the 2 pieces is preassembled as well.
I'd suggest cleaning as Fmorelli said and then reinstall using some Aquanet. Mine would pop off at the top of 3rd periodically until I used hairspray. Been good since.
I'd suggest cleaning as Fmorelli said and then reinstall using some Aquanet. Mine would pop off at the top of 3rd periodically until I used hairspray. Been good since.
I think I found out the issue. Installation error — with the clocking(blindly) of the sleeve to the turbo. Took out the bank 2 outlet, fastened the sleeve to it, first, with a correct and tight clamp past the bead, and then did my best to clock it correctly to the turbo. The view of the turbo connection is mostly obstructed, not to mention little room to see by touch, so I lined it up from visual memory and just felt around and tightened slowly until I could gauge it was clocked on correctly. Guessing game, mostly.
I’ll keep an eye out for some aquanet incase it pops off again. I honestly wouldn’t care it were epoxied/jbwelded on permanently. Really one only one reason for it to intentionally come off — to replace turbos.
I’ll keep an eye out for some aquanet incase it pops off again. I honestly wouldn’t care it were epoxied/jbwelded on permanently. Really one only one reason for it to intentionally come off — to replace turbos.
I believe I ended up using small T-bolt clamps on my buddies 335 a few years back. We have silicone outlets however, I was using my 8mm socket to snug up the clamps and ruined them slightly, so I splurged and bought two t-bolt clamps and never had an issue since.
In your case running two of those per connection makes things quite busy in that tiny area, not sure if it would be even feasible to fit them.
In your case running two of those per connection makes things quite busy in that tiny area, not sure if it would be even feasible to fit them.
Glad you got it squared away! It can be tricky to have things aligned when they're hard to see.
Well, good news and bad news. Good news is my car with the new PFS POD, motiv flex fuel kit, and fresh plugs and index 12 injectors, pulls like a freight train, surprisingly even up top.
Bad news is, you guessed it — outlet won’t stay put. Bought some aquanet hairspray and gonna give it another go. If this doesn’t work, gonna find some narrow band t bolt clamps to replace the worm clamps, along with a new silicone sleeve to start fresh. Seeing the turbo outlet in order clock the sleeve on correctly is the biggest challenge. If this doesn’t work I’m going nuclear on it with whatever super duper high temp silicone to aluminum adhesive exists. I mean, I think it should exist somewhere. If it doesn’t, I will put together a pitch deck for Aquanet to rebrand and release a New Max Booost Extreme Extra Hold “spray to make your punk rock liberty spikes cut through concrete, while also formulated for max boost for your twurbo coupler needs.”
Bad news is, you guessed it — outlet won’t stay put. Bought some aquanet hairspray and gonna give it another go. If this doesn’t work, gonna find some narrow band t bolt clamps to replace the worm clamps, along with a new silicone sleeve to start fresh. Seeing the turbo outlet in order clock the sleeve on correctly is the biggest challenge. If this doesn’t work I’m going nuclear on it with whatever super duper high temp silicone to aluminum adhesive exists. I mean, I think it should exist somewhere. If it doesn’t, I will put together a pitch deck for Aquanet to rebrand and release a New Max Booost Extreme Extra Hold “spray to make your punk rock liberty spikes cut through concrete, while also formulated for max boost for your twurbo coupler needs.”
I would make sure you use some brake parts cleaner on the turbo and the coupler and make sure they are not slick at all. They can make it hard to get the silicone onto the turbo, but the hairspray will provide some lube, but you have to be quick and not let it dry before assembling.
Not to take away from anyone's package solution - folks need to meet price points and, for all the whining I hear community making, I also hear lots of whining around paying top dollar for solutions.
With that said, my preference is to spend the money on constant tension clamps. Murray or Ideal-Tridon Smartseal clamps. Not cheap, adds up, but personally I'd rather run this setup over radiator clamps. Just my opinion ... it's free and you get what you paid for lol.
With that said, my preference is to spend the money on constant tension clamps. Murray or Ideal-Tridon Smartseal clamps. Not cheap, adds up, but personally I'd rather run this setup over radiator clamps. Just my opinion ... it's free and you get what you paid for lol.
I installed the vtt outlets onto my mmp stage 3 turbos. You got to make sure the clamps are on real tight. I had to get replacement clamps from the hardware store because I ended up stripping the ones vtt provided.
I just remembered something else, and my memory is a little fuzzy on it, but I believe when I connected the turbos to the exhaust manifolds ( I had the manifolds off when our GC 1.0s arrived, we were in the original batch of turbos produced and I had Vargas tig weld two EGT bungs in for me for datalogs) I had clocked my turbo ever so slightly and it was fighting me really hard with getting even the silicone outlets lined up. Did you make sure your compressor outlets and the hot pipe line up dead on? Any misalignment will also put strain on the coupler and make it do extra work.
