Why the big push for single turbos over compounds?

[KCTurbos]

So I have always had this question and I posted up in another thread... but instead of derailing that thread anymore I decided to post up my own. Sorry for the semi-repost. I do not own a 6.4... but I have had my eyes out for a while and have been lurking around here. It just seems the subject pops up a lot with no explanation. I am mainly asking for the guys who daily drive their trucks... I understand why you would do it for a track/dyno/sled pulling queen looking to break records and/or run a ton of nitrous. Also I understand that you can only go so big with the stock turbos, but it seems like plenty of power for most dd/race trucks.


Why the big push for large singles?

Most every other platform out there dreams of having compounds and spend BIG money just to be able to squeeze a compound setup under the hood... and the 6.4 comes with them stock. I see a ton of threads of people asking about it and wanting to jump on the band wagon, they get a ton of posts telling them to do it... but I don't often see a ton of the reasons why???

Is it just for reliability reasons?
Is it really that much cheaper than buying some upgraded stock turbos?



I keep seeing spool up videos and posts from people that make them look really laggy on the bottom end (like under 2000rpms). They seem like monsters above 2500-3000 rpms... but who daily drives that high? Also guys keep saying things like...


"the spool up is really not that bad"
"just keep the rpms above 2500"
"its ok on the street, its all in the way your drive"
"for a race/fun truck I would definitely do a single"
"how bad will i hate my truck if I go to a single"



I have no agenda and we don't sell any forms of 6.4 turbos (maybe some day)... It just seems backwards to get rid of compounds and switch to a large single. Maybe someone can help me out.

 

[Stroked777]

I wanna go to a single just to be different that the other 6.4s out there. Can't beat the sound and is more simple to work on. You can get to the hpfp a lot easier. And there is also the ease of just unbolting the turbo and swapping out a bigger or smaller one. Example you can use a 62mm for daily driving and then on a track day or sled pull weekend you can swap out to a 71 on stock fuel and make a huge gain in power. That's what I would do, I would have a dd turbo and then swap it for a bigger turbo for sled pulls and track passes

 

[TyCorr]

I wanna go to a single just to be different that the other 6.4s out there. Can't beat the sound and is more simple to work on. You can get to the hpfp a lot easier. And there is also the ease of just unbolting the turbo and swapping out a bigger or smaller one. Example you can use a 62mm for daily driving and then on a track day or sled pull weekend you can swap out to a 71 on stock fuel and make a huge gain in power. That's what I would do, I would have a dd turbo and then swap it for a bigger turbo for sled pulls and track passes

This^

I dont know but that seems most plausible.

 

[bft blue oval boys]

The sound alone of the single almost had me get one but I decided against it after talking to a few people about the spool up. Honestly, the single setup is not cost effective over drop in chargers such as the 75mm RCD that I went with. They are very similar in price and the compounds will drive much better and that's why I stayed compounds.

But, when you start talking about going to High Power and Max Power turbos that cost 10k+, that's when going to a single is less than half the price. You're definitely going to have a lot more lag but you'll have the same or more power for half the price tag.

 

[KCTurbos]

I wanna go to a single just to be different that the other 6.4s out there. Can't beat the sound and is more simple to work on. You can get to the hpfp a lot easier. And there is also the ease of just unbolting the turbo and swapping out a bigger or smaller one. Example you can use a 62mm for daily driving and then on a track day or sled pull weekend you can swap out to a 71 on stock fuel and make a huge gain in power. That's what I would do, I would have a dd turbo and then swap it for a bigger turbo for sled pulls and track passes

Thanks for the response... That helps.

So not necessarily because it is a better setup. But to be different and have the ease of changing things out. I have though the same thing on my 6.0. I can swap a turbo in about 25 mins.


Anyone else?

 

[KCTurbos]

The sound alone of the single almost had me get one but I decided against it after talking to a few people about the spool up. Honestly, the single setup is not cost effective over drop in chargers such as the 75mm RCD that I went with. They are very similar in price and the compounds will drive much better and that's why I stayed compounds.

But, when you start talking about going to High Power and Max Power turbos that cost 10k+, that's when going to a single is less than half the price. You're definitely going to have a lot more lag but you'll have the same or more power for half the price tag.

Sound... Interesting. I did not think of that.


10k :jawdrop: I thought upgraded turbos were 2400-3500... anyone have a link to these turbos made of gold LOL

 

[04stroker]

http://www.elitedieselengineering.com/product/14002004/Max-Power-X-Compounds/

 

[bft blue oval boys]

Sound... Interesting. I did not think of that.


10k :jawdrop: I thought upgraded turbos were 2400-3500... anyone have a link to these turbos made of gold LOL

Yea, the drop in turbos which are like the 59/75 RCD and Elite Tow Power/Tow Power Plus 59/71 or 72 are around 3kish. But the big precision turbos the Elite does that are made for big power have a huge price tag. Really, when you are trying to make over 850hp is when the single is cost effective. In my eyes at least

 

[Stroked777]

YouTube single turbo 6.4. The sound is unreal. Much louder than a 6.0. But like stated before, it's much cheaper to do a single to make anything over 800. With a single billet 366 on stock fuel it will net you around 650hp on stock fuel

 

[TY'S08FX4]

I was also told less drive pressure and EBP with a single turbo so less chance of bending a connecting rod on a stock motor

 

[97f350stroker]

I'm with stroked, the sound alone is a huge selling point but also just to have something different. I'm still getting to know my way around a 6.4 and it seems like going to single would just simplify everything under the hood a little more also.

 

[NathannialD]

I was also told less drive pressure and EBP with a single turbo so less chance of bending a connecting rod on a stock motor

you are less likely to bend rods with a single because you dont make the torque that a vgt makes when running a single

 

[ChattyCathy]

The sound argument you all keep mentioning is just weird.

 

[97f350stroker]

The sound argument you all keep mentioning is just weird.

Just personal opinion, obviously has nothing to do with performance and shouldn't be a deciding factor on going to a single.

 

[ChattyCathy]

Just personal opinion, obviously has nothing to do with performance and shouldn't be a deciding factor on going to a single.

I did triples for the sound lol.

 

[Radioflyer]

Switching to the single is a good way to drop cylinder pressures in the lower rpm is why I switched to a single. 6.4 pistons don't like alot of low end cylinder pressure, so by changing to a fixed vain single it seems to help keeping the oe pistons alive. Now, if you've noticed, some of these single kits are also spawining into actual compound kits for guy's who want more. It's just a matter of figuring out which chargers work the best. I set out to find a single that can be daily driven at 2800 ft above sea level and higher with similar driving as the stock chargers, but also help keep cylinder pressures and ebp pressures in check without waste gating.

 

[madman1234509]

I can't believe you guys are saying you'll buy a single set up for the sound....

 

[KCTurbos]

Thanks guys... Keep it coming this has really helped...


So here are some of the pluses adding up:
Simplicity
Easier to work on
Sound (for some guys)
Reliability




About the lower cylinder pressures. That is only happening because the large single is laggy and takes longer to spool so it cant build the low end torque like compounds. Couldn't you just adjust the tuning/vgt/fuel and do the same thing with compounds? You would just lose a little bit of bottom end.

 

[alradco]

I always wondered the same thing and assumed for the most part it was cost. I'm planning on getting a 6.4 sometime this year and doing a mild build so curious what more people have to say on the subject.

 

[KCTurbos]

I can't believe you guys are saying you'll buy a single set up for the sound....

I saw a thread over on powerstroke.org where a 6.7 guy invested big money into a bigger vgt turbo (probably $7000 or more for kit, turbo, install, etc). It sounded like the main reason was for the sound :shrug: