LX Forums Forum banner

Cartuning Performance Turbo kit - Mass detail report

18297 Views 153 Replies 47 Participants Last post by  Turbobuckeye
Hi all. With so much information to share, I have no idea where to begin. Please disregard the lack of organization within this post, as ideas will cross between paragraphs. If anything is confusing, or you have additional questions please don't hesitate to ask. I'd like to begin by thanking everyone for their support, interest, and most importantly PATIENCE as this kit has developed.

Last week we were at SEMA. We didn't bring a car to show, as we've entered production a while ago and Jig manufacturing has already begun. The main purpose to our trip was to see what everyone else is offering to the LX community, and see if we have a fair offering with great value as we had hoped. The outcome of the trip was nothing short of amazing. I got on an airplane headed for home with such a feeling of confidence, because I can see VAST differences between our turbo kit, and every other power adder out there. A huge sigh of relief letting us know that all this hard work was for a reason!

Now what about the kit itself? I'll start with basic details, and expand from there. The Cartuning Performance LX Turbo kit is a single turbo low mount application (refer to following pictures). This means that like a conventional turbo kit, the turbo is mounted within inches of the manifolds, but rather then being under the hood where it can heat things up, it sits right below them. Clearance is a NON-issue. The kit was tested on a car with a 2.5" suspension drop and not one turbo component ever came close to the ground. It's physical location (still within the engine cradle) does not allow it to touch anything.

All piping, and flanges are made from 304L stainless tubing. All flex foints are stainless interlock (very different from conventional exhaust flex's) which are easily 10x stronger then your standard flex. This kit is built and designed to be used with your stock exhaust system from the suitcase back. This means from the manifolds to the suitcase is all replaced. A highflow 3" Carsound catalytic converter is also included as part of the kit. We laser cut all our 304 flanges to OUR specifications. All of our piping is bent on CNC controlled Mandrel Benders. This means that once we aprove a software set, each and every pipe will be identical within 0.001". They are all welded to flanges in robotic welders and pressure tested for exhaust leaks before they are installed in your car. We also take heat radiation very seriously. Each and every hot pipe is ceramic coated for 2200f both inside and out. Parts that need special attention will also get a heat barrier nothing like a tight exhaust header wrap which just rots out pipes over time. All high stress and high weight areas are TIG welded rather then MIG, guaranteeing better penetration and a stronger joint.

Cold Side pipes. As production continues, we have silicone tubing being made to very precise shapes (one over 48" in length with multiple bends) just for the LX platform. Stainless T-bolt clamps are used everywhere, no gear clamps. All the cold side pipes are being treated with a great stipple black powder coat. We do this for longevity where rocks/dirt can spit up off the road. Again, everything here is mandrel bent from one piece. When you don't have to weld multiple pieces of tubing together, the end result is much less turbulance in the tubing. Finally, we have placed a 50mm BOV in the upper charge pipe to relieve boost pressure.

Intercooler. Here's a big one. When properly designing a turbo kit, flow dynamics is king. Don't just grab an intercooler that will fit from ebay, and slap it in. What's better, horizontal flow, or vertical, and why? We've been over and over this until we got the best possible unit for the hemi. The end result is a vertical flow IC core which was custom cut to size just for YOU. The fin staggering inside the core was even evaluated to be optimal for a low boost application. There are huge difference (for what is optimal)from IC to IC based on boost, displacement, tank design, etc. The end tanks were also manipulated on a flow bench a lot until we were satisfied. All in all we've been through over 12 combinations of core size, end tank design, fin stagger. The end result is spectacular. Instantaneous boost, with ultimate cooling efficiancy.

Fuel/Ignition tuning. I'd say that paragraph title is a dumbed down version of what we're doing here. First of all, our solution is a FULL PLUG AND PLAY installation. This means you'll never need a soldering iron, wire cutters, or electrical tape. EVER. Unplug the connectors on your pcm, plug them into our box, and plug our box back in to the pcm. DONE. What can we manipulate? Just about everything. Folks, this is what took us 8 months to perfect, this was the huge challange with this car. We have control of fuel everywhere, timing everywhere, and much much more. For example, your Plug and Play unit will work with your new 180 deg thermostat to turn on the low fan speed at 182, and the high fan speed at 190. You don't have to do anything, no fan mod, no switches to run inside the car, fully automated fan control. Included with the kit will be 8 new larger injectors. Also plug and play, these particular injectors are 45 lb/hr units that can support well into 500whp. In order to take full advantage of these larger injectors and higher hp numbers we've also made a few fueling changes. The first is a fuel pump rewire kit which is INCLUDED in the turbo kit. Making some of the highest horsepower and torque numbers of any LX in the world during testing, we've found that the stock pump is very under-powered and needs some help. This fuel pump rewire kit is also plug and play, and basically takes pump voltage up to where it should be (factory uses very small wiring) bringing supported HP numbers to 500whp with ease. The second modification is a fuel delivery system. Many man hours were put into this innovation which makes a small EASILY REVERSIBLE change to your fuel system which converts it from a returnless, to a RETURN style system. The advantage here is that you can get easy idle and start up from large injectors, while still getting the power and AFR you need at WOT. Yes, all this is still included in the box you get. There's more.. but we can't give it ALL up just yet.

Summary. To sum up, we've got a great product offering for the masses. We feel this package is more complete then any other power adder out there for the LX forum, with more thought, pre-production testing (25k hard miles), and production quality. Our test RT made an extremely impressive 393 WHEEL hp and 475 ft/lbs of torque (wheel) at a measily 4.5 psi. That was on a 100% stock RT with a 100% stock exhaust system (suitcase, stock manifolds, etc). Since that last dyno, we've changed the intercooler design numerous times to a VERY noticable difference. Since that time we've increase the boost to 6 - 7 psi to an EXTREMELY noticable difference. We've also changed the turbo sizing, exhaust turbine wheel, etc. I'd confidently say that a production RT kit will make well over 430whp SAFELY. SRT's are expected to be about 100whp above that number. Add your own exhaust system, or the one we are looking to release for it in the near future, and those numbers only go up. The tune is based on 91 octane. We have monitored timing, knock retard, AFR, IAT, EGT in all weather conditions only to say we're finally happy with a very safe solution. Expect installation times of about 1 day for a nice clean install. Pricing on the kit is $6300 USD. Although this number may go up a bit in time, we're already currently taking order deposits locking in this price. We expect to ship kits some time in January with full installation CD's included, etc.

Lastly, we'd like everyone to understand the quality of product going in these boxes. With literally hundreds, hundreds, and hundreds of kits already out there for the W body (GM FWD) community.... our kits have had no failures. No cracked pipes, no broken wastegates, no ruined turbo's, no oiling failures. Our track record shows value, quality, and most importantly power. We constantly get emails about improved mileage, amazing 1/4 mile times ([email protected] in a daily driven regal for example) and confident reliability. There are NO ebay parts in this kit. No generic wastegates with unknown brand name, no generic intercoolers, no generic turbo's.

Now, bring on the questions :)
See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: 1
1 - 19 of 154 Posts
IT comes with tubing to locate the air filter in the front bumper behind the foglight
My cold Air intake had the exact same filter location when the car was N/A for 35,000 kms ....... And then 35,000 kms on the turbo .... The location is fine to pick up nice cold air.... and high enough not to submerge it in water.
The JBA headers will work on this system
Let me see if I can dig some up
You didnt forget..... How could you =) They are not working on it either ... It is finished it is just the few little things now. You will see a complete kit on a 5.7 Hemi Engine with transmission on a custom stand at Performance World. It will be in the display the exact same way it would be on your car minus the outside of the car. The attention to detail on all the small things is incredible. I agree it must be hard waiting for these great mods that are coming out .... But if the companies were to rush to get them out and then had problems cause they forgot the one little thing that they rushed past .. Well then it would be bad PR for the company. I would rather wait a little bit longer and enjoy it once it comes.
Well not so rapid. This project originally started over 1 year ago. But in that time they put a very hard 30,000 kms on the test mule( Which was me) . I drove my family everywhere in the vehicle with no worries.. We did roadtrips to Montreal , Cleveland , Columbus .... Nice long distance drives... Lots of rush hour driving with stop and go traffic also. It has taken longer than everyone had anticipated .... but the wait is well worth it.
MicroChip....
Kevin was going to contact you today or tomorrow.... There are 11 kits ready to go in boxes as we speak. We have final dynoing this weekend and we are going to try and hit the track.. But the track may not happen , Because we are also going to the Spring Fling Show on Sunday at the Assembly Plant in Brampton.

The Car feels amazing... Power comes on instantly and it stays there. The Final Production kit is awesome with the Pebbled Texture powder coated cold side piping and the Ceramic coated hot side piping. This new turbo is crazy and it still pulls like a freight train from 140 and up. We are also still running through the stock exhaust... Wait until you uncork it with a catback. They have 0 degrees of knock and amazing a/f ratios through part throttle and WOT. Part throttle A/F's in the 10.9's .
All tuned for 91 octane. To all the poeple that still don't believe about the kit ... .It has been a very long time coming and the people that have followed the thread and contributed to it, I know Cartuning thanks you.
Good things in the next couple of days.
See less See more
Have you guys contacted Cartuning at all. They just moved into their new facility and have been prepping everything for shipment. I know I know , I have said this before. They just picked my car up for a show this weekend Canadian Street Car Nationals in Markham. We are slated for the Mopar Nationals in Columbus in August as well.

Try and give him a call.
Microchip I will reply to your pm later this evening
The lack has been due to them being very busy. The first customer install was just performed this week on a 06 Charger. The 2nd kit shipped out to it's rightful owner. The kits are finished and ready to go.. He is just finishing off the Instruction manual.

As for the Predator.. Not sure what they can change or control either. We will have to wait and see
Most people have seen the turbo kit. It had pictures stemming from some car shows . The vehicle has been to cruise nights where local LX brethren have seen the kit and heard it.

A unicorn is a fictional figure where as these turbo kits( By more than one manufacturer) are there.. Just some final tweaking ontop of final tweaking keeps holding them back from full production release.

I feel for the few people that have dropped deposits on kits and have waited so patiently for them. I can tell them that it is worth it... But I can't make them believe that. I have had the kit on and off the car for the last 2 years almost. It has been on steady since march of this year and love it. But I have also had to endure the growing pains so all of you can enjoy it without problems.

Like any power adder there is always that chance of an issue , But people purchasing these kits ( or any other power adder) Are in it for a different reason. They are throwing there warranty to the side for the satisfaction that only hot rodding can give you.

Rick
See less See more
No one has received there kits on here to the best of my knowledge. I have had the mule kit for quite some time and they installed a full on production kit on a local customers car already. IT is a Charger.. I dont know if he is on Charger forums or not... Might be cause he had some of the regular mods done to his car when it came in... Blastin Bob's pipes , NOESP mod and stuff like that.
I will ask "icicleboy" to post in here. He has been very busy on the home front as of late with a small addition to the family due very soon. I can tell you that he is still working on the kit. I will let him inform you all
screw that... I would get 100% money back from this kit asap...

let someone else be the 2nd person with a kit and wait til they can make at least a kit every 6 months...
All the kits are produced and sitting in his warehouse. There is something holding him up still. But I will let him inform you all.
I have not heard from him either and we were suppose to run the tuning on my vehicle to send the tunes out.

I will let you know
Well now it has come down on me. He has tried to contact me several times over the last couple of weeks and I have been unavailable to get the vehicle to him. This is the busy time of the year at work for me. Hopefully I can meet up with him soon and finish this finally.
The shop is in the rear of the house. You couldnt have missed it. Did you try calling there first??

His wife and he just had there first child not too long ago.... I think it has pre-occupied his time quite a bit.
I am not he. I am/was the prototype car for the kit. I have known Kevin for many years now. I know he doesnt go on the forums alot( Even the GP forums that he sells many kits for). In the past I was always on the forums so I did most of the posting as I was the person actually logging the miles on the kit. There were only 2 unhappy customers and it was merely production issues and timelines that were not met or kept. Jay2puff and Microchip were the only people to put deposits on the kits that I know of. Kevin will make good. I havent even talked to him in about a month and a half now.
The kit is finished. But just like everyone else it is perfecting the tuning.
Well the kit is on it still..... I dont know what I am doing with the car yet. I have been driving it all winter with the kit and no issues with driveability. I am on and off about selling it and keeping it.
1 - 19 of 154 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top