Turbo 5ME? (5MTE)

[RObErT_RaTh]

I've been doing a little reading around but has anyone here actually turbo'd a 5ME and done it successfully? If so does anybody have any pics and possible power figures?Thanks

[gianttomato]

Still sitting in the shed.


Sean's 5MTE (before the truck motor of fury)

Made scary power - would you expect anything less.

[RObErT_RaTh]

Thanks mate I saw that second pic on eds site, just was a bit smaller

So you've got plans for a 5MTE? I'll have to go see if I can find your worklog if you have one on here. What turbo/manifold are you using?

[gianttomato]

I built it 3 or 4 years ago and never fitted it to anything - I suppose it's an abandoned project.

Used an MTEU exhaust manifold and turbo with an MTEU distributor. Everything else was 5ME including the ECU. The MTEU turbo is very small (and supposed to come on boost very early when used with a 5M - I'm talking full boost at 1800 rpm!) and will be well outside maximum efficiency. Being a T3, the obvious replacement is a turbo from a VL.

Sean (supercrown) welded an adaptor plate to his MTEU manifold so that he could bolt up that big T04 that you see there. He also had a very modified intake manifold which sported two 13B throttle bodies - he posts here quite frequently so would be a simple matter to PM him. His motor was quite built but unfortunately had ongoing head gasket issues. I think he got down to 12's with the 5M - it was on sold to a guy with a Mk2 Corona.

[Norbie]

I think it's one of those things where you could get it to make decent numbers reliably, but it would end up costing twice as much as a stock 7M-GTE conversion. Or you could do the parts-bin special like GT has done and just accept it's still not fast enough to keep up with a V6 Commodore, and cross your fingers the headgasket lasts more than a week.

My opinion - do it right or don't do it at all.

[ma61turbo]

I'm with Norbie. There was a also guy in Perth back in the days of the MK2 mailing list(prior to celicasupra.com) that turbo'd a 5m-e similar to the way GT did it and was going through headgaskets every month. And it was *still* slow. He ended up buying a bike....

[hamgatan]

yeah that A61 is now owned by stark from these forums. its now wearing the rust free hatch from my old A61.. hehe. Its a 5MGTE though

[gianttomato]

That's right - his name was Kev - I think he made something like 90 odd rwkW. He did blow a couple of head gaskets but I'm led to believe he wasn't running the MTEU dizzy - too much advance under boost. I'm sure he had a 5MTE before the 5MGTE.

The only reason I built one was because I had accumulated all the bits for bugger all over many years (10+). My only expense was machine work for the block and crank.

My advice would be to direct you towards a 7MGTE and tweak that instead. You'd end up with a far better result for not much more than getting a half decent 5MTE together.

[JustCallMeOrlando]

Having been in Kev's cars with both engines, I can safely say....go get a 7MGTE.

[RObErT_RaTh]

I don't know for sure if I want a turbo engine or not, hence why I don't want to invest $1500+ in a 7MGTE. If I can get my hands on parts for say $500 if I'm lucky and get it all installed and working for under another $500 then I'd say it would be worth it just to try it out first hand.

I don't want to know if I should do it because all this has been discussed before. I just want to see examples of people that have thanks.

gianttomato, my car makes 90kw at the wheels so his 5MTE must have been hammed.

[ViPeR_NiPPleX]

that price is being very optimistic, and very likely to fail.

Have a chat to Ryley, he was going to do a '5m-teu' at one stage... I wonder why he went 7mgte

[gianttomato]

I don't know for sure if I want a turbo engine or not, hence why I don't want to invest $1500+ in a 7MGTE. If I can get my hands on parts for say $500 if I'm lucky and get it all installed and working for under another $500 then I'd say it would be worth it just to try it out first hand.

gianttomato, my car makes 90kw at the wheels so his 5MTE must have been hammed.

So for the sake of another 500, you're prepared to stuff around with a proven flop? I've got an idea, just give me the money!

As for the 90 rwkW 5ME, I have never seen one get more than about 65. I call shenanigans.

[wilbo666]

Umm I vote go and get a 7mge to rebuild!

Will make more power and be better, and will still be cheap if that is the way you want to go

Later you can go 7mgte eh...

5M-TE FTL

Cheers
Wilbo

[RObErT_RaTh]

So for the sake of another 500, you're prepared to stuff around with a proven flop? I've got an idea, just give me the money!

Here's the thing, a 7MGTE conversion will cost me a LOT more in the long run. A lot more than $1500 I assure you. That only covers the cost of the engine, there's also the time spent working on the conversion and the time my car is off the road. With a turbo upgrade I don't have to pull out my whole engine and re-do everything and spend a month doing it. Plus I don't know if I want a turbo engine this is sort of a way for me to trial one perhaps but only if I can do it for cheap. If not then I will leave it and just save for a 2JZGE conversion.

As for the 90 rwkW 5ME, I have never seen one get more than about 65. I call shenanigans.

I'd be happy to get another dyno

Wilbo, how will 7M be cheap? I'm looking over 2k easy

[wilbo666]

Wilbo, how will 7M be cheap? I'm looking over 2k easy

Step 1): Be patient, and wait till someone goes to thow out thier old 7mge after an engine conversion (or at most pay $200-300 for it)....trust me ppl throw them away!....

Step 2): Do headgasket on 7mge / required rebuild work and install engine....do the tiny anounts of wiring required and thennnn...bask in the glory of having more rwkw that a shite 5mte and less hassle

Step 3): Profit

Oh and 2k, as if! Do the work yourself / learn

Cheers
Wilbo