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  • OMG...Prodigy...TURBO!

    Just got the news..... Prodigy wants to throw its hat in the ring with the two killer superchargers that we are testing head to head right now. To give you an idea of what that means, Prodigy's turbo kit for the 3.8 Jeep wrangler engine made as much power as the Supercharged Pentastars make....on paper.

    Here is the dyno chart they post on their website. 350 wheel horse power, and 400 torque. Sounds too good to be true.



    A big note with RIPP and Magnuson, the supercharger gurus, is drivability. Big power is easy, just cram more air in, but does the truck drive correctly on and off road? We are going to find out.

    Particularly off road, where you don't want BURSTS of power. You want an even, predictable gathering of power as you creep and crawl thru difficult terrain. You don't want to be hanging off a rock and have a power burst, it could be catastrophic. Also, the components between the engine and the ground will all be under more strain. So throttle response is paramount.

    Can these guys get a beast like this under control? We'll tell you.
    This article was originally published in forum thread: OMG...Prodigy...TURBO! started by JeepLab View original post
    Comments 251 Comments
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      That's a PRODUCTION stage 1 kit on a manual transmission jeep . No more prototype.
    1. JeepLab's Avatar
      JeepLab -
      Quote Originally Posted by UselessPickles View Post
      That's a PRODUCTION stage 1 kit on a manual transmission jeep . No more prototype.
      Here's some more production stuff

      Attachment 697
    1. JeepLab's Avatar
      JeepLab -
      other side of the brochure

      Attachment 698
    1. JeepLab's Avatar
      JeepLab -
      the pile of gear they send isn't terribly intimidating from the bottom of the second picture. Only one way to find out.
    1. Rango's Avatar
      Rango -
      Quote Originally Posted by JeepLab View Post
      the pile of gear they send isn't terribly intimidating from the bottom of the second picture. Only one way to find out.
      Hey folks, I am the newbie on this blog. I have really enjoyed learning about the SC options and was just about to pull the trigger on a Magnuson for my 2014 JKU Rubicon....then I saw this! I wanted to add some additional color on this turbo. I had a good conversation this morning with Dan from Prodigy as he was driving down to Jeep Beach and he said that they should be shipping Stage 1 in the next 10-12 days. He said that they were taking deposits for those wanting to be ahead in the shipping que (I added my name to that list). In terms of pricing for the 3.6 auto, he said that Stage 1 would run $4999.00 and that he would sell Stage 2 when it becomes available for additional $1000.00. He also said that his crew was stoked to be coming to help the folks at JeepLab install this beauty with a full production video.

      Can't wait to see the install!!

      Keep up the great work Ross!
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      Quote Originally Posted by Rango View Post
      they should be shipping Stage 1 in the next 10-12 days.
      The brochure says "now shipping stage 1".

      It also says stage 1 is 7psi, but we previously heard it was 5psi.

      Hooray for consistency.

      I'm also still confused by the baseline stock dyno chart they are using.
    1. JeepLab's Avatar
      JeepLab -
      Quote Originally Posted by UselessPickles View Post
      The brochure says "now shipping stage 1".
      I posted the brochure before they planned to release it. They are defiantly not shipping stage one right now, but should be soon.
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      Brochure says that the turbo is ceramic coated (guessing the turbine housing; the black part). That's cool.

      I still want to get some clarification on the standard vs. polished compressor housing. I was told that the only benefit is appearance, but the polished housing also has anti-surge ports. The non-polished turbo pictured in the brochure does NOT have anti-surge ports. That must have some effect on performance. Not absolute peak power numbers, but it should have some effect on how it builds boost or retains spool under certain conditions that would have some effect on responsiveness.

      I actually prefer the looks of the non-polished compressor, but would pay extra for the polished/ported housing if it improves throttle response.
    1. Rango's Avatar
      Rango -
      Quote Originally Posted by JeepLab View Post
      I posted the brochure before they planned to release it. They are defiantly not shipping stage one right now, but should be soon.
      That is correct according to Dan at Prodigy. He said that they had actually just dropped off the order for the brochures at the printer as they were headed down to Daytona. One other piece of info Dan gave me was some numbers on the dyno for the automatic. He said that HP rose from 169 to 333 at the wheels and torque increased to 342. I did not write down the stock torque but we all know it is MUCH lower!
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      Stage 1 kit is listed for sale on Prodigy's website now: http://www.prodigyperformance.com/pr...p/pro-2001.htm
    1. DHewes's Avatar
      DHewes -
      The Stage 1 kit listed does not specify manual or auto. Is it the same kit until you get to the intercooler (Stage 2)?
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      That seems like a reasonable assumption at this point. The only manual/automatic difference we've heard about is that the automatic will require a trans cooler relocation and/or a custom intercooler.

      Then again, I would never order a big ticket item like this online based on assumptions. Better to call and get answers before ordering.
    1. Rango's Avatar
      Rango -
      Quote Originally Posted by UselessPickles View Post
      That seems like a reasonable assumption at this point. The only manual/automatic difference we've heard about is that the automatic will require a trans cooler relocation and/or a custom intercooler.

      Then again, I would never order a big ticket item like this online based on assumptions. Better to call and get answers before ordering.
      Just put a deposit on a Stage 1 kit. Here are the numbers directly from Dan via email.

      Turbo Kit $4999.99
      Auto Trans Kit $159.99
      Turbo Blanket $179.99 (Optional, but highly recommended)
      Total Cost for Stage 1 (Auto) with blanket = $5339.97

      They are taking $2500 deposits on their website to get your name in the que. Got to www.prodigyperformance.com and search for "Prodigy Performance Deposit". You will then be able to put a deposit of $2500 down.

      Dan's email stated they plan to ship the first units beginning the week of May 4th.
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      From Prodigy's facebook:



      Don't miss this deal #turbojeep for 07-11 Stage 1 #gobig $3995 today through Monday
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      Wow, I need to learn to read better. That special price is for the 3.8 jeep only (07-11). Oops.
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      Are they suddenly way ahead of schedule on shipping? Posted on Facebook this morning:

      2012-2013 Here we go! ‪#‎turbojeep‬ 3.6L Pentastar kits now shipping! $4995 ‪#‎gobig‬

      Here's some pictures:













      Can't wait to see JeepLab's dyno results

      I don't quite trust Prodigy's dyno charts, especially their stock baseline. I still haven't gotten any explanation of why it is so different (both in shape and numbers) than all other stock wrangler dyno charts. Taken at face value, their dyno chart fails to back up their claim of "huge low end power", found on the first page of the brochure. Best thing to do now is have someone else (JeepLab) attempt to independently reproduce/verify results (science!).
    1. GizmoGoat's Avatar
      GizmoGoat -
      Just a quick heads up, sts turbo are about to release their kit. The intriguing part is it's a oil less turbo. Anyways, just saying you might want to check that out as another option.
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      Here's a few more tidbits of info...

      Catalytic converters are completely removed and replaced with pipe during the install. This is probably a major contributor to the turbo and exhaust piping not causing any under-hood heat issues. For states that require a catalytic converter, they will likely be providing an optional catalytic converter upgrade at some point in the future. For California people, there's no current effort to get CARB approval. It's "intended for off-road use" (wink, wink).

      Turbo blankets are available in either matte black, or a "titanium" color (goldish color with a carbon-fiber-like pattern).

      Air filters available in red or blue.

      You can see the blanket and filter color options in the photos in my previous post.

      Blow-off valve? Wes (the owner, tech guru at prodigy) has experience designing various performance systems, including 1000+ hp performance cars. For the Wrangler turbo application in particular, he sees no significant improvement in anything by adding a BOV. I think this is similar to the ceramic coating issue: a BOV would technically have some amount of benefit, but it's not necessary for this application and not worth the cost. I've seen opinions in both directions while trying to research online (no BOV is ok for low boost systems, or MUST ALWAYS HAVE A BOV NO MATTER WHAT!!!). I'm not an expert, so I'll have to trust Wes' judgment on this.

      They're doing some more photo shoots this week to get some final photos for their installation guide. The current plan is to have it done by the end of the week.

      Stage 1 kits are expected to start shipping out at the end of next week. Their facebook post of the brochure stating "stage 1 now shipping" seems to be a incorrect

      Finally, there's a rumor that May 10th will be an exciting date.
    1. UselessPickles's Avatar
      UselessPickles -
      I'm failing to follow my own advice of waiting to see the comparisons. I am weak. I placed my order today. These next couple weeks will be agonizing. I'm hoping for a May 17th install date.

      Also...

      JEEPLAB! Clear out your private messages (your inbox is full). Ross, I sent you an email at your jeeplab.com address. Please check.
    1. DHewes's Avatar
      DHewes -
      What exhaust are you running with this? Stock?
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