OMG...Prodigy...TURBO!

[DHewes]

What exhaust are you running with this? Stock?

[UselessPickles]

Who is "you"?

Only Prodigy has kits installed and running right now. As far as I know, the 2 test vehicles have stock exhaust.

The system is tuned out-of-the-box for stock exhaust.

I will be running stock exhaust.

I asked a bit about the effects of running aftermarket freer-flowing exhaust. Free-flowing exhaust would likely improve performance some amount. I didn't get a solid answer about whether it would require additional tuning. Sounds like it would just require some data logging, have Prodigy review it and decide whether fine tuning is necessary. Prodigy will generally do email data-log tuning for free during a reasonable time period after the purchase if there's a problem with the original tune, or if you have a non-stock configuration that requires minor tweaking. He said if it turned into something that requires significant testing/tuning, then they would have to start charging for time (presumably applies only to non-stock setups, or requests for fine-tuning after warranty period).

[JeepLab]

Who is "you"?

Only Prodigy has kits installed and running right now. As far as I know, the 2 test vehicles have stock exhaust.

The system is tuned out-of-the-box for stock exhaust.

I will be running stock exhaust.

I asked a bit about the effects of running aftermarket freer-flowing exhaust. Free-flowing exhaust would likely improve performance some amount. I didn't get a solid answer about whether it would require additional tuning. Sounds like it would just require some data logging, have Prodigy review it and decide whether fine tuning is necessary. Prodigy will generally do email data-log tuning for free during a reasonable time period after the purchase if there's a problem with the original tune, or if you have a non-stock configuration that requires minor tweaking. He said if it turned into something that requires significant testing/tuning, then they would have to start charging for time (presumably applies only to non-stock setups, or requests for fine-tuning after warranty period).

Do not change your exhaust until you get the unit installed. Aftermarket exhausts can be counter productive if the turbo is tuned for specific back pressure.

[UselessPickles]

Prodigy said that it should not be a problem as long as the exhaust has LESS back pressure than the stock exhaust, which is most likely to be true for aftermarket exhaust. Since I don't have a specific exhaust in mind, it was all theoretical discussion. If you either already have aftermarket exhaust, or would like aftermarket exhaust, I suggest you talk to Wes at Prodigy about it before making any commitments.

[UselessPickles]

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.

I had a hard time finding info about this because the STS blog that contains info about it is under construction now. Luckily, Google has a cached copy of it.

Cached copy: http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...ngler-3-6l-v6/
Actual link: http://ststurbo.com/blog/sts-turbo-j...ngler-3-6l-v6/

The oil-less turbo being marketed as "less maintenance" and "no dealing with oil" seems funny to me. You have to manually re-grease the bearing occasionally. With Prodigy's oiled turbo, it uses your engine oil via an already available pressurized oil port on the engine. Just change your engine oil as usual. Where is this "dealing with oil" that you avoid with an oil-less turbo?

The "cooler intake temps" claim is also funny. The stock air box is used, so it does not draw in any cooler air. The long air intake piping runs near the engine and near exhaust pipes in some places. The air is then compressed (heat added) by the turbo, and there is no intercooler to cool it down. What is their baseline comparison they use to claim that you'll get "cooler" intake temps? I think they just copied/pasted from marketing for their other systems that have a basic cone filter intake near the turbo under the vehicle, because on those systems, they really are cold air intakes.

The fact that the "tuning package" is an upgrade option (Diablosport tuner, MAP sensor, injectors) kinda worries me. Sounds like it might not come out-of-the-box tuned and ready to drive. That will require some confirmation with STS.

Then there's the general layout of the system. Location of the turbo where it can easily be dunked in water, snagged by things, dragged through mud. And the miles of intake piping. That can't be good for turbo lag.






The best feature I see about this system is that the stock catalytic converters are retained.


Only one way to find out how it really compares. I think JeepLab needs to expand their shootout comparison to include the STS turbo

[DHewes]

Pickles -

Thanks for the advice on the exhaust. I wasn't sure what they were using and if I needed to swap out to get the best performance.

As far as the STS, that mounting location looks like a great place to get some rock rash. They knew this was a Jeep, right? I suspect their marketing is like it exists in many other fields. I am in infosec and just sat through a two hour meeting with a firewall vendor who made claim after claim of "cutting edge technologies" that actually already exist in the vendor we have been using for a decade and are looking to upgrade. But hey Palo Alto...if you think Deep Packet Inspection is new, the 90's are calling and want their tech back. Marketing sells what they are put in front of them - rarely with any accuracy.

You are 100% right - until there is a non-biased bake-off, trust no one.

[Gunner]

A lot of us are armored up under there. I don't know how that would work with all the heat trapped inside the plates on a hot day on a desert crawl.

[Anotheruserid]

I have torn two rear driveshafts in half and ripped my evap canister clean off... Not sure i want to bolt up my $5000 turbo in roughly the same location

Perhaps this is for the more street friendly JK owners out there.

[JeepLab]

I had a hard time finding info about this because the STS blog that contains info about it is under construction now. Luckily, Google has a cached copy of it.

Cached copy: http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...ngler-3-6l-v6/
Actual link: http://ststurbo.com/blog/sts-turbo-j...ngler-3-6l-v6/

The oil-less turbo being marketed as "less maintenance" and "no dealing with oil" seems funny to me. You have to manually re-grease the bearing occasionally. With Prodigy's oiled turbo, it uses your engine oil via an already available pressurized oil port on the engine. Just change your engine oil as usual. Where is this "dealing with oil" that you avoid with an oil-less turbo?

The "cooler intake temps" claim is also funny. The stock air box is used, so it does not draw in any cooler air. The long air intake piping runs near the engine and near exhaust pipes in some places. The air is then compressed (heat added) by the turbo, and there is no intercooler to cool it down. What is their baseline comparison they use to claim that you'll get "cooler" intake temps? I think they just copied/pasted from marketing for their other systems that have a basic cone filter intake near the turbo under the vehicle, because on those systems, they really are cold air intakes.

The fact that the "tuning package" is an upgrade option (Diablosport tuner, MAP sensor, injectors) kinda worries me. Sounds like it might not come out-of-the-box tuned and ready to drive. That will require some confirmation with STS.

Then there's the general layout of the system. Location of the turbo where it can easily be dunked in water, snagged by things, dragged through mud. And the miles of intake piping. That can't be good for turbo lag.






The best feature I see about this system is that the stock catalytic converters are retained.


Only one way to find out how it really compares. I think JeepLab needs to expand their shootout comparison to include the STS turbo

This is an intricate system. Its sooo cool how they install the turbo in a remote location. My question is, isnt pushing the air that long of a distance, reducing the psi at the intake?

The idea is cool Im less concerned about hitting a rock with it. It would have to be a jagged rock and you'd have to land on it.

[DHewes]

So for the Prodigy kit, this is the $159 option for auto transmission guys?

http://www.prodigyperformance.com/pr...p/pro-2050.htm