Prodigy Performance 3.6 Turbo DIY Install

[UselessPickles]

2k13jk: Review the design of the PCV system with the Prodigy kit as I've described (admittedly, scattered across a couple posts)...

Keep in mind that there's two importantly distinct sides of the PCV system:
1) PCV hose, running from the PCV valve to the intake manifold.
2) Breather, or make-up air hose, from an open valve cover vent (no check valve of any type) to the intake system, somewhere up-stream from the throttle body (not a vacuum source), but down-stream from the air filter (source of fresh filtered air).

There already is a check valve in the PCV hose with the Prodigy kit: http://jeeplab.com/showthread.php?13...ull=1#post2116

So there is no boost directly entering the crankcase.

Normal operation for the PCV system is that manifold vacuum sucks air out of the crankcase through the PCV hose. The breather hose allows fresh, filtered air to enter the crankcase, replacing the oily air that was sucked out.

But when on boost, cylinder pressures are much higher than a non-boosted engine, which creates quite a bit more piston blow-by than a non-boosted engine. This causes a reverse airflow from the crankcase through the breather, because that's the only exit path available (The check valve in the PCV hose is held closed by manifold boost pressure). This happens with all the boosted systems.

With the supercharger setups, the breather hose is connected back up to the intake system (like the stock setup). This is why you get oil in the intercooler and supercharger. And this is why adding a catch can to this hose can improve on-boost performance, and even allow for a "hotter" tune.

With the Prodigy kit, the breather hose has its own air filter and is NOT connected back up to the intake system. The Prodigy kit does not suffer from the consequences of oily crankcase air when on boost. I fully described this in my recent post about my PCV setup, including reasons that it's not ideal, and that I'd really prefer to eventually run it through a catch can and back into the intake.

Adding a catch can to the PCV hose has less of an impact on a boosted engine, because oily air only comes through that hose when there is vacuum in the manifold (partial throttle, light load, not when trying to make big power). A catch can here does not prevent oil from coating the inside of the intercooler, because this hose is a direct line from the crankcase to the intake manifold, skipping past the whole intake system.

[UselessPickles]

So now for my leaking power steering fluid story...

After installing the new power steering hose, there were no obvious leaks. But as time went by, I started to notice there was a damp spot on the steering gearbox around the hose fitting. It slowly grew bigger over time. So one day, I decided I would get in there with a wrench and just snug it up a bit tighter to stop the leak. The next day, the entire gearbox was completely soaked in a thick coat of fluid, and the fluid level in the reservoir had visibly dropped.

So I ended up out in the driveway in the dark (got a late start in the evening) with a head lamp, going through the whole messy process of removing the power steering hose again so that I could hopefully find an obvious cause for a leak.

And it was luckily quite obvious:




The OEM power steering hose has funky ends that appear to be a small compression fitting with an o-ring. From some quick searching, this seems to be a common type of hose fitting for power steering lines (probably other high pressure hydraulic lines too). The new hose in the stage 2 kit has "AN" style flared compression fittings, and comes with adapters (one pictured above).

Some googling taught me that you need to pre-lube the o-rings on these fittings before installing, and then also not over-tighten them, or else you can damage the o-ring and cause a leak. I didn't pre-lube it when I installed it, which probably partially damaged it. Then tightening it more to try to stop the leak just damaged it more.

A trip to a small local hardware store in the morning was all I needed to find a replacement o-ring that was very close in size. This time, I pre-lubed the o-rings with fluid (ATF-4 is what the manual calls for in the power steering system, btw), and followed some advice I found for tightening: gently thread it in until you feel it "bottom out" (obvious sudden increase in resistance), then just snug it up about another 1/8 turn. It doesn't need to be super tight.

The tricky part is that the AN flared fitting needs to be tightened more tightly, so you should hold the adapter steady with a second wrench while tightening the hose onto it to avoid accidentally indirectly over-tightening the adapter.

I'm learning all kinds of stuff from my mistakes with this turbo install

[NOLAjeeper]

So now for my leaking power steering fluid story...

After installing the new power steering hose, there were no obvious leaks. But as time went by, I started to notice there was a damp spot on the steering gearbox around the hose fitting. It slowly grew bigger over time. So one day, I decided I would get in there with a wrench and just snug it up a bit tighter to stop the leak. The next day, the entire gearbox was completely soaked in a thick coat of fluid, and the fluid level in the reservoir had visibly dropped.

So I ended up out in the driveway in the dark (got a late start in the evening) with a head lamp, going through the whole messy process of removing the power steering hose again so that I could hopefully find an obvious cause for a leak.

And it was luckily quite obvious:




The OEM power steering hose has funky ends that appear to be a small compression fitting with an o-ring. From some quick searching, this seems to be a common type of hose fitting for power steering lines (probably other high pressure hydraulic lines too). The new hose in the stage 2 kit has "AN" style flared compression fittings, and comes with adapters (one pictured above).

Some googling taught me that you need to pre-lube the o-rings on these fittings before installing, and then also not over-tighten them, or else you can damage the o-ring and cause a leak. I didn't pre-lube it when I installed it, which probably partially damaged it. Then tightening it more to try to stop the leak just damaged it more.

A trip to a small local hardware store in the morning was all I needed to find a replacement o-ring that was very close in size. This time, I pre-lubed the o-rings with fluid (ATF-4 is what the manual calls for in the power steering system, btw), and followed some advice I found for tightening: gently thread it in until you feel it "bottom out" (obvious sudden increase in resistance), then just snug it up about another 1/8 turn. It doesn't need to be super tight.

The tricky part is that the AN flared fitting needs to be tightened more tightly, so you should hold the adapter steady with a second wrench while tightening the hose onto it to avoid accidentally indirectly over-tightening the adapter.

I'm learning all kinds of stuff from my mistakes with this turbo install

Jeff i had the same issue with the power steering leak. O ring was damaged. 3rd day after the install of the stage 2 is when i noticed a puddle of pink fluid under the jeep. Took it back to the shop and they replaced the O ring. Havent had a problem since.

[jeepsking]

Hi,

On Friday i went to dunes with my JK . It was fun, but i experience a high vibration on road. Check the wheel balance all ok. Check the shaft (transfer shaft bolt were loose ) and then i saw this ......

[JeepLab]

Hi,

On Friday i went to dunes with my JK . It was fun, but i experience a high vibration on road. Check the wheel balance all ok. Check the shaft (transfer shaft bolt were loose ) and then i saw this ......

Ugh. are you sure all your pipes are geometrically correct? i remember it was tight getting everything in.

and this is a side question, as its answer has no bearing. how hard were you wheeling? high speed? big twist? did you hear a "CLUNG" sound at any point?

[jeepsking]

Ugh. are you sure all your pipes are geometrically correct? i remember it was tight getting everything in.

and this is a side question, as its answer has no bearing. how hard were you wheeling? high speed? big twist? did you hear a "CLUNG" sound at any point?

Hi Ross,

This pipe is rigid, so i don't think i can change any angle. Yes as i stated before that i drive extremely off road with high speed (60mph). I don't blame PD they have done an excellent work putting a turbo kit in a pentastar JK , but i hope that they revise the routing of driver side manifold.

[UselessPickles]

then i saw this ......

That actually makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. There's no clearance issue between that pipe and the front driveshaft with a stock track bar. But if you use a longer track bar with a suspension lift to re-center the front axle, that will push the front axle closer to the pipe (toward passenger side) when the suspension is compressed to the point of normal stock ride height (when the track bar is level).

The stock suspension setup has the trackbar level when at normal ride height, and the axle swings *away* from that pipe (toward the driver side) if the suspension either compresses or extends from normal ride height.

I think the solution will be to extend the trackbar mounts (frame mount downward and/or axle mount upward) so that you can use a shorter track bar that is closer to being level when at normal ride height.

[jeepsking]

That actually makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. There's no clearance issue between that pipe and the front driveshaft with a stock track bar. But if you use a longer track bar with a suspension lift to re-center the front axle, that will push the front axle closer to the pipe (toward passenger side) when the suspension is compressed to the point of normal stock ride height (when the track bar is level).

The stock suspension setup has the trackbar level when at normal ride height, and the axle swings *away* from that pipe (toward the driver side) if the suspension either compresses or extends from normal ride height.

I think the solution will be to extend the trackbar mounts (frame mount downward and/or axle mount upward) so that you can use a shorter track bar that is closer to being level when at normal ride height.

Hi Jeff,

I have 2" lift JKS with teraflex adjustable front track bar. What should i do now ?

[UselessPickles]

MOAR BOOST!

I think I may have finally solved my exhaust leak. I installed a new "header" gasket (where the exhaust pipe mounts to the exhaust port of the engine) on the driver side where I had a stubborn leak. I now have seen boost peaking in the 8.0-8.3 psi range! Previously, I was only getting up to the 7.8-8.0 range. I seem to be on par with NOLA with boost numbers now. The highest I saw today was 8.58 psi in 4th gear. I wimped out at 120mph, but it was still accelerating.

Even better than higher peak boost is that I'm building boost a bit earlier in the rpm range now.

In 2nd gear:
1 psi at 2250 rpm
2 psi at 2600 rpm
3 psi at 2800 rpm
4 psi at 2900 rpm
5 psi at 3100 rpm
6 psi at 3300 rpm
7 psi at 3500 rpm
8 psi at 3900 rpm

I need to get a nice clean data log of a 2nd gear pull to create an updated boost curve chart...

[JeepLab]

MOAR BOOST!

I think I may have finally solved my exhaust leak. I installed a new "header" gasket (where the exhaust pipe mounts to the exhaust port of the engine) on the driver side where I had a stubborn leak. I now have seen boost peaking in the 8.0-8.3 psi range! Previously, I was only getting up to the 7.8-8.0 range. I seem to be on par with NOLA with boost numbers now. The highest I saw today was 8.58 psi in 4th gear. I wimped out at 120mph, but it was still accelerating.

Even better than higher peak boost is that I'm building boost a bit earlier in the rpm range now.

In 2nd gear:
1 psi at 2250 rpm
2 psi at 2600 rpm
3 psi at 2800 rpm
4 psi at 2900 rpm
5 psi at 3100 rpm
6 psi at 3300 rpm
7 psi at 3500 rpm
8 psi at 3900 rpm

I need to get a nice clean data log of a 2nd gear pull to create an updated boost curve chart...

Keep it coming!