zleafy wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 9:32 am
General plan is something like this: Donor vehicle is a lat 1990's Dodge 1500, gonna keep the stock NV4500 5-speed MT and drop a spooled 4500 in it. Aiming for 400-450whp(ish) on 91 pump gas all while prioritizing budget.
Keep in mind that none of this plan comes from experience, its all from reading and watching other projects so there's a good chance it won't work the way I think it will. This is just a first shot at it. If it ends up changing the plan entirely I'm fine with that its all for fun anyway!
Block: Probably whatever I can pull out of my local junk-yards. Prime choice for me is 08-09 because I like the idea of utilizing the E67 ECU for the VVT on it... not sure if that's actually necessary I might be overthinking it. Keeping stock crank and stock pistons/rods.
Head: Probably looking at upgraded coils and injectors, keeping stock cams if we can get the vvt working, otherwise maybe have to do a regrind.
Manifolds: Exhaust and intake are both going to be cs-welded with TIG here at home. I'm just learning all this so doing a 304 Stainless log manifold and an aluminum intake is the goal.
Turbo: Yo Honestly gonna run around the junk-yard and see what I can find, although if anyone has recommendations I"m down to hear it. compressor map sizing is going to be critical so there's going to be a lot of research here.
Timeline: I anticipate this taking me about 6 months due to me being slow on projects. I'll be posting all my work here so I can review it for myself later and so others may benefit from my ambition and likely folly.
I am working on whether I want to just do a blanket "N/A" build section and the "turbo builds" down a little further, or if I want to have subsections in the engine categories. either way, Ill probably move this to the "turbo builds" since you mention boost.
with that said, the coils you wont need to upgrade at that level, especially the 08-09's. they have went well above those levels with out issues.
Guess I could just lump this all together, in that if all you are looking to do is 4-500, then you could easily just pull an 08-09 and run it. they have made way more on a stock 175K motor. So unless you want to spend extra etc, then just run what you need, just to get the project up and going. Hell even the stock intake being plastic went well over 20psi of boost, i think up to 30 if i remember right. About the only real thing you would need is the turbo manifold, turbo, and an adapter to get to the nv4500.
Now as for turbo from a junkyard or marketplace, the old cummins 6bt turbos would suffice. not the top choice but again for what you want to do it would work. The old WH1c has an external wastegate actuator that can be adjusted. I had one on a slant 6 in a D150 ( can be seen over on slant 6 forum) that I had set to 10 psi. and 10 psi on the 4200 should easily get you to your goals.
I did chart out most of Calvins builds in the "turbo builds" category, and some of his other posts from the wiki site. Im slowly moving it all here, but for no more than you are looking at, keep it simple and only change what you "need". That way you get up and running faster and enjoy it. Then find the next weakest link lol.
