Prodigy Performance 3.6 Turbo DIY Install

[UselessPickles]

I got curious and stopped at a local landscape supply to weigh my Jeep on their scale:



3960 lbs

This is with a full tank of gas (just filled up 2 miles away) and whatever random stuff I typically have in the Jeep at all times (nothing really heavy: hat, sunglasses, tow strap, gloves, soft top boot, etc).

According to this document from Jeep, the curb weight of the base model 2-door is 3849 lbs: https://www.jeep.com/assets/pdf/wrangler_specs.pdf

Mine is the base model + A/C. I haven't been able to find anything about how much weight is added by A/C.
I also can't find any details on how Jeep measures curb weight. Some manufacturers measure with a full tank of gas, 3/4 full or 1/2 full.
So since I didn't weigh it before installing the turbo, there's no way to determine how much weight is added by the stage 2 turbo kit.

But now that I do know my actual weight, and Prodigy has released some dyno charts, I have all the info I need to simulate how quickly my Jeep should be able to accelerate.

Assumptions for the simulation: Total vehicle weight is 3960 lbs + 140 lbs (my weight) = 4100 lbs. Launch at 2500 RPM (seems reasonable to avoid roasting the clutch). Each gear change completed in 0.6s (the best I've seen in a data log).

Max acceleration: ~1.1 G around 27 mph in 1st gear

0-60 mph: 4.85s
1/8 mile: 8.63s @ 88.28 mph
1/4 mile: 13.22s @ 106.56 mph


NOTE: The 1/8 mile trap speed of 88 mph is not only enough to travel through time, but is also about the same as the stock 1/4 mile trap speed, which takes about 15.5-16.0s, depending on which car website's results you trust.

Now if you're willing to roast the clutch a bit (or install a high performance clutch) for some 4000 RPM launches...

0-60 mph: 3.99s
1/8 mile: 7.94s @ 88.89 mph
1/4 mile: 12.51s @ 106.87 mph


And how about some highway/freeway "passing power" examples...

60-80 mph, 6th gear: 26.90s
60-80 mph, 5th gear: 13.81s
60-80 mph, 4th gear: 5.66s
60-80 mph, 3rd gear: 2.51s

40-60 mph, 6th gear: 15.64s
40-60 mph, 5th gear: 12.00s
40-60 mph, 4th gear: 8.23s
40-60 mph, 3rd gear: 3.60s
40-60 mph, 2nd gear: 1.56s


Obviously, with the turbo's big gains in the mid-to-upper RPM range, downshifting is your friend here. It's interesting that 5th and 6th gear are faster from 40-60 than 60-80, even though they are at lower RPMs in the 40-60 acceleration, with less torque available. That's a good example of how much more power is lost to aerodynamic drag above 60 mph.

I think I'll try data logging some 40-60 and 60-80 accelerations in different gears to compare real world results to the simulated results and get an idea of how good my predictions are. I have no way of reliably simulating turbo spool/lag when initially going full throttle, so real-world results should be slower if I start my acceleration right at 40/60 mph. If I start the acceleration at a lower speed, the time it takes for me to pass through 40-60 and 60-80 should be close to the predicted results.

[UselessPickles]

A couple more predictions:

Top speed: 144 mph.
It would take about 54 seconds and 1.8 miles to get there.

Which made me wonder what the 1-mile drag race time would be...
Answer: 34.20s @ 138.85 mph

[Timmy]

A couple more predictions:

Top speed: 144 mph.
It would take about 54 seconds and 1.8 miles to get there.

Which made me wonder what the 1-mile drag race time would be...
Answer: 34.20s @ 138.85 mph

Pickles, was going to PM you a question about your Prodigy turbo, but your PM inbox is full! That in and of itself kind of made me laugh, must be one popular guy. Clean that thing out man so I can PM you!

[UselessPickles]

Time for another modification to the turbo install!

Here's the wastegate:

click for full size



It's right behind the radiator fan, a bit below the half-way point of the radiator/fan. Inside the yellow circle is a filtered breather cap, which allows air in/out as the wastegate diaphragm/valve moves. This is the wastegate's atmospheric pressure reference.

Notice all the mud! That's from splashing through some shallow mud (6" deep at most) and some shallow puddles. Clearly, water/mud is able to easily splash up onto the wastegate, and I don't want water/mud getting into the breather port. Especially if I ever end up in water deep enough for the wastegate to get submerged.

So time for a breather hose! I got an extra barbed hose fitting. It's the same fitting used to connect boost/vacuum lines to the wastegate and BOV in the stage 2 kit:

click for full size



There's not really enough room to simply replace the filtered breather cap with the barbed hose fitting (too close to radiator fan shroud). Luckily, there's an optional breather port on the side of the wastegate. Look back at the first picture, and you'll see the plugged port just to the right of the circled breather.

Here's the plug and filter removed:

click for full size



You can see that the filter already has some mud in it!

And here's the final result, with the hose fitting on the side, and the plug in the front:

click for full size



That's 7/32" vacuum hose from a local auto parts store. From there, it meets up with and is zip tied to the radiator fan's wiring:

click for full size



The end is curved to point downward, tucked behind a radiator fan mount. The end of the hose is at the same level as the turbo itself (and therefore, the air intake), so if I'm ever in water that deep, I have much bigger problems than water in my wastegate.

Doing this with everything already installed was pretty challenging because of the tight spaces. My hands are scraped up. It would be much easier to setup the wastegate this way before installing the turbo kit.

[UselessPickles]

From Prodigy's website, here's a picture of their oil catch can:



It's mounted to the firewall, on the driver side, down low (below the steering shaft).

Their setup has a hose from the engine's PCV valve and a hose from the engine's breather port come together with a tee fitting, then into the catch can. Look carefully and you can see the hose connecting to the can's inlet on the passenger side of the can, down toward the bottom. Another hose runs from the outlet of the catch can (top of can) to the air filter. Then yet another hose runs from the can's drain port (bottom of can) and joins the turbo's oil return line with a tee fitting right at the oil pan.

So this is now a completely closed system, with oil being captured out of the air and returned to the oil pan (instead of sucked into the intake and burned in the engine). Unfortunately, it's no longer a PCV system. It's now just a passive ventilation system.

The catch can kit is currently listed on their website at $389: https://www.prodigyperformance.com/p...2001-pro-2002/

I'll probably order it soon and initially install it as directed by Prodigy. I'm curious to see if part-throttle driveability improves by no longer having oil vapors enter the intake through the PCV hose. Then I'll modify the install a bit to return full PCV functionality, and run only the breather hose through the catch can. If there's no noticeable difference, then I'll keep it setup with the PCV operational. If I notice a difference, then I'll start looking into a dual catch can setup (one for the PCV hose, and one for the breather hose) for a completely ideal, fully functional/closed PCV system with minimal oil vapors getting into the intake.

[KaiserBill]

From Prodigy's website, here's a picture of their oil catch can:



It's mounted to the firewall, on the driver side, down low (below the steering shaft).

Their setup has a hose from the engine's PCV valve and a hose from the engine's breather port come together with a tee fitting, then into the catch can. Look carefully and you can see the hose connecting to the can's inlet on the passenger side of the can, down toward the bottom. Another hose runs from the outlet of the catch can (top of can) to the air filter. Then yet another hose runs from the can's drain port (bottom of can) and joins the turbo's oil return line with a tee fitting right at the oil pan.

So this is now a completely closed system, with oil being captured out of the air and returned to the oil pan (instead of sucked into the intake and burned in the engine). Unfortunately, it's no longer a PCV system. It's now just a passive ventilation system.

The catch can kit is currently listed on their website at $389: https://www.prodigyperformance.com/p...2001-pro-2002/

I'll probably order it soon and initially install it as directed by Prodigy. I'm curious to see if part-throttle driveability improves by no longer having oil vapors enter the intake through the PCV hose. Then I'll modify the install a bit to return full PCV functionality, and run only the breather hose through the catch can. If there's no noticeable difference, then I'll keep it setup with the PCV operational. If I notice a difference, then I'll start looking into a dual catch can setup (one for the PCV hose, and one for the breather hose) for a completely ideal, fully functional/closed PCV system with minimal oil vapors getting into the intake.

Would you like a do over on this one too?

[UselessPickles]

Hmm... change of plans. Looks like I could probably put together an ideal dual catch can setup for about the same amount of money as Prodigy's catch can kit. This will be a fun project.

[KaiserBill]

Hmm... change of plans. Looks like I could probably put together an ideal dual catch can setup for about the same amount of money as Prodigy's catch can kit. This will be a fun project.

You're gonna fubar your engine..

[Snarf77]

You're gonna fubar your engine..

I can't tell if you're fishing for an argument or what, but adding a catch can setup that maintains PCV isn't going to FUBAR anything.

[KaiserBill]

I can't tell if you're fishing for an argument or what, but adding a catch can setup that maintains PCV isn't going to FUBAR anything.

Did you read his dual catch can idea?


I don't have a problem with the catch can-- I have a problem with his idea for a catch can!


First off the breather hose needs to be free for positive clean airflow into the crankcase. Secondly, what is the can going to do besides possibly impede this ability flow properly??? No, oil vapors come in through the breather hose. Secondly, the catch can doesn't stop the system from being a positive pressure system. It merely instead of dumping the oil, water vapor, unburnt fuel into the intake puts into the in a can then depending emissions standards either vents to the atmosphere or back into the intake just minus much of the aforementioned stuff.

My big diesel engine has a PCV that positively vents right out on the front axle of the truck.