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Oil pan 4

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L185 turbo
Sep 21, 2017
412
107
43
NM
The little L185DT struggles a little in the thin air here. That 18hp you get at sea level is more like 14hp here.
I have a VW K03 turbo and a saab intercooler collecting dust.
The K03 is pretty big, but I'm sure it could develop a few pounds of boost while running the PTO. The stock K03 is waste gated for 6 to 8 psi, not that the little kubota diesel will ever develop that much boost.
Has any one ever turbo charged a tractor like this?
I'm not trying to crank up the power to some level that will break stuff, just want to give it the air it's missing from being up high and restoring factor rated power.
And this wouldn't be my first custom turbo job where I had to make all the adaptors and piping, just my first one on a tractor.

Edit: pics start on page 4
 
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L35

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L35/TL720/BT900/York rake/Valby chipper
Jun 13, 2010
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A moderator will have to change your name to oil pan #5 when a rod goes through it :D
 
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OC455

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BX2350 LED ROP, FEL, Belly mower,modified snow blower, pole boom, middle plow
Sep 30, 2016
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The K03 turbo came off of an 1.8L VW motor correct?
 

BruceP

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G5200H
Aug 7, 2016
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If you plan on leaving the engine as-is (no compression changes), it may not be wise to boost more than sea-level pressure.

Make CERTAIN your boost-control system will not allow pressure spikes. Sneak up on your target-pressure a little at a time as you take measurements over the course of days of testing.

Some of those VW turbos use a VNT system (Variable Valve) instead of a 'normal' boost-pressure controller. ( https://youtu.be/Qu0UGKS7-JQ )
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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A moderator will have to change your name to oil pan #5 when a rod goes through it :D
I need you to come over and clean my computer screen!!!:D

Oil pan 4,
What elevation are you at?
We are not low here in North Idaho and I don't have any significant HP loss from the lack of air. ;)

Your loss at the higher altitude would be about 2HP at max.
Your Turbo is for a 1.8 liter engine, it's not going to do a whole lot on a .7 liter engine.
 
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spacemanspiff

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M5-111
Dec 4, 2015
99
1
6
Lower ,AL
Unless you are good at fabricating, maybe you should just buy a bigger tractor.

If you are good, just dump excess boost above 14.7 psi or 1 bar(i think). Airplanes do it all the time. They call it turbo normalizing.
 
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Oil pan 4

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Equipment
L185 turbo
Sep 21, 2017
412
107
43
NM
I'm pretty amazing at fabricating stainless. The fabricating part is easy for me.

I put a T76 from a Detroit series 60 11.1L that was used in a huge mobile air conditioner that would run at 400hp+ sustained for hours on end on a 6.5L diesel before and it works great.
I was told it wouldn't work.

The K03 is a 1990s to early 2000s turbo it does not have any fancy variable geometry going on. The original application for the K03 was some euro VW with a 900cc to 1L 3 cylinder engine that made around 75hp. The K03 I have didn't come off anything, it's brandnew, but they were used most famously used in the in 1.8t engines that made 150 to 180hp.

If by some chance the K03 is too big and does not work I can get a T15 off ebay for under $200.
 
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Oil pan 4

Active member

Equipment
L185 turbo
Sep 21, 2017
412
107
43
NM
I actually thought I would use this K03 turbo on a 900cc 3cyl 6.5kw continous duty kubota generator.
But not to get more power out of it, but to increase fuel economy, try to get fuel consumption from .33 gallons per hour at a 2kw load down to about .25 gallons per hour at 2kw load.

Looking through my turbo junk collection it looks like the only thing I am missing is a 10x1mm banjo bolt for the oil.

I have motor cycle exhaust pipe parts, old headers, a VW down pipe, copper exhaust gaskets, pretty much every thing I need.
Also need an excuse to test out my new stubby torch accessories kit for my wp-17 tig torch.
 
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hodge

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Be sure to chronicle your build- it should be interesting to watch. It sounds like you are experienced, and that you can work it out.
 
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Oil pan 4

Active member

Equipment
L185 turbo
Sep 21, 2017
412
107
43
NM
If the K03 ia way too big another turbo I might try besides the T15 is Vz21 and RHB31 series turbo.
 
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Oil pan 4

Active member

Equipment
L185 turbo
Sep 21, 2017
412
107
43
NM
I started looking up compressor maps and specs for the other turbo after I got to thinking a 52mm turbo is a little too big. Well the T15 is only slightly smaller than the k03.
So RHB31 it is.

The k03 and T15 would do well on the big 2200cc 4 cylinder engines.
 

Oil pan 4

Active member

Equipment
L185 turbo
Sep 21, 2017
412
107
43
NM
I ordered the RHB31 flange kit, it's coming over on a slow boat from Hong Kong.
I could make the flanges but it would take a few hours. Since I can get flanges for $40 I might as well.

During the next oil change I think I will pull the oil pan and clean 30 years of sludge out of the bottom then weld on an oil return. I don't think my friend who I bought it from changed the often enough, but at least he always kept it full of oil. I don't see any good way to return the oil through the block.
 

Oil pan 4

Active member

Equipment
L185 turbo
Sep 21, 2017
412
107
43
NM
Got the line kit, the flange set, 2 inch 304 stainless .062 wall pipe and elbow from the scrap yard, 2 inch cover. I order the turbo, should be here any day now.

This should allow me to run the pto in 3rd gear at 1800rpm.
I have been running 2nd gear up to 2400 rpm which is just fast enough to beat down the weeds.
1800rpm is plenty fast enough in 3rd pto gear. The engine just boggs down. Go much faster than 2200rpm and the brush shredder gets scarry.
I could run the engine at 2200 to 2400 rpm and pto gear 2. Then I'm just burning more fuel and putting more wear and tear on the engine. 2200 to 2400rpm and pto gear 2 is over kill about 99% of the run time.
Plus I know these engines get great fuel economy and run pretty much forever at 1800rpm.
 
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boz1989

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B2910 fel 60 mmm, Land Pride rb1572
Jun 10, 2015
269
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18
54
Portland, MI
If it has a lot of hours on it, When was the last time the injectors and pump were looked at? A rebuilt pump and new injectors might do more than your turbo.

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk
 

Oil pan 4

Active member

Equipment
L185 turbo
Sep 21, 2017
412
107
43
NM
Says it only has 2200 hours which I know is nothing for a kubota.
I worked on plenty that had 10,000 to 20,000 and they still ran great. You shouldn't even have to think about replacing anything major like that till at least 20,000 hours.
A new air filter and the new shredder blades helped quite a bit.
But I'm still lacking air density.
 
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coachgeo

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L225 w/woods Few Mowers & Back Blade, D722 in Motorcycle (Triumph Tiger), LMTV
Nov 16, 2012
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The D722 was supplied OEM with a turbo for some applications. check the applications and search for what turbo used...... with specs on turbo and thoughts on the applications it was used for you might can gather ideas.
 

Oil pan 4

Active member

Equipment
L185 turbo
Sep 21, 2017
412
107
43
NM
Looks like people are turbo charging 3 cyl 900cc kubotas with the rhb31 turbo.
I also am going to use the rhb31 on my 700cc diesel, and an intercooler.
My turbo looks like it will be here monday.
Not sure when I will put it on.