NA to Turbo - The Ultimate Guide that Covers Everything + Cost Breakdown

Parts prices are listed throughout the video and the total cost breakdown is at the end of the video
Check out the brands that made the build possible:
www.aemelectronics.com/
www.weldspeed.com.au/
midshipgarage.com/
www.maxpeedingrods.com/
www.mrpltd.co.nz/
gfb.com.au/
Related videos that explain concepts mentioned in this video:
Compression ratio: • COMPRESSION RATIO: HOW...
Knock: • A DETAILED overview of...
Turbo basics: • TURBO 101 - How it WOR...
Engine block in-depth: • HOW TO build an ENGINE...
Boost control: • ALL BOOST CONTROL setu...
Reflashing vs standalone ECU: • Which ECU is Right For...
Fuel pump in-depth: • HOW and WHY to upgrade...
Exhaust manifold in-depth: • EQUAL LENGTH tubular v...
Blow-off valves: • TURBO FLUTTER and BLOW...
Transmission rebuild in-depth: • How to install an LSD ...
Ring gaps: • Piston RING GAP - HOW ...
Bearing clearance: • BEARING CLEARANCE - Ho...
Porting in-depth: • PORTING the F out of i...
Semi- forged pistons: • What are SEMI FORGED P...
This video is the ultimate guide on how to convert a naturally aspirated vehicle into a turbocharged one. It covers engine internals, the cylinder head, transmission, turbo features and turbo plumbing, fuel delivery, intercooling, ECUs, ignition, heat management and much much more. This isn't a video meant to entertain you, instead it's designed to be a comprehensive reference and the only video you need to watch get a practical, realistic and all encompassing overview of everything that needs to be done to properly, safely and reliably turbocharge your vehicle.
Let us start with the heart of the engine. The engine block and its internals. As you will see throughout this video turbocharging an engine will require you to make many choices and these choices are important because we all have a budget and also because they can heavily influence the amount of work you will need to do as well as the ultimate capabilities of your completed engine and of your completed build. These choices are also important because it is impossible to have it all and most of the choices in your build will be compromises. Stuff like power potential vs longevity or power potential vs cost or power potential vs street legality and so on.
When it comes to the engine block level 1 would to be simply take your naturally aspirated engine and turbocharge it without opening up the engine or doing anything to the internals or the cylinder head. This has been done many times, and sometimes the results have been pretty good. Turbocharging an engine without opening it up means that you will have to do the least amount of work and spend the least amount of money but your ultimate power potential and longevity will be limited. Also if you're considering turbocharging a tired engine with many miles I would strongly advice against it. You will do a lot of work and invest a lot of time to turbocharge such an engine and the reward you will get from it will in most cases be minimal as such an engine will likely fail soon.
Now your level 2 engine internals approach is going to require you to open up the engine and take it apart. My personal opinion is that this is a more sensible approach. Because you'll be investing a lot of your time and money into turbocharging your engine so it's a wise decision to be able to see it's actual condition and to correct any issues you may run into. On the other hand opening up and engine also starts you into a rabbit hole known as "since I'm already in here". Stuff like since I'm already in here I might as well put in some forged rods. Since I'm already in here I might as well port the cylinder head. Since I'm already in here I might as well destroy myself financially. There is a very high number of areas you can address inside an engine and unless you have an unlimited budget than you will have to make choices and sacrifices. The first thing that should be done before making any parts purchases is to check the actual condition of your engine. Your cylinder bores as well as your rods and crankshaft journals. You can do this yourself if you have access to the tools or leave it to a machine shop.
A special thank you to my patrons:
Daniel
Pepe
Brian Alvarez
Peter Della Flora
Dave Westwood
Joe C
Zwoa Meda Beda
Toma Marini
Cole Philips
00:00 Choices and prep
03:16 Pistons
05:22 Crank and rods
08:46 Cylinder head
12:45 Transmission
14:31 Clutch
15:23 Lubrication
16:22 Turbo manifold
17:22 Turbo sizing
19:02 Turbo plumbing
21:51 Fuel
24:47 Heat management
25:29 Intercoolers
26:28 Blow-off valves
27:11 Ignition
28:50 ECU and sensors
31:32 Drive axels
#d4a #boostschool

[@OfficiallySnek]

You know that if driving 4 answers uploads a video titled "The Ultimate Guide" it's actually going to be a comprehensive guide

[@Conservator.]

Yep and I’m never going to do anything like this and still watch the video from beginning until the end AND loved it!

[@naphtalmichigan]

Very true

[@moseskirimi3198]

1111111

[@builtbybagsy]

'Since I'm already in here, I may as well destroy myself financially'..... I laughed so hard at that one....... then went real quiet when I started doing the sums.

[@d4a]

😂😂😂

[@claudedottin1312]

So true 😂

[@cliffordcullen1687]

Did that on my last two engine builds. 👍

[@ashrulnayan4232]

So true 😂

[@skaarj71]

From simply adapting motorbike carburetors to completely building your own engine with the exact specs you chose wow that's commitment right there mate! Watching your channel grow since it had 4 digit subs to what it is right now is crazy. Keep the good stuff coming

[@d4a]

Thank you so much for the ongoing support. I wholeheartedly appreciate it.

[@matiasfpm]

@@d4a 😃👍👍👍👍👍

[@maglev_]

this is one of the best videos ive ever seen even though you said “its not meant to be an entertaining video” i was very entertained. Great to see the car running after following this build for so long and its awesome to see the people who helped you through it. cheers d4a, will see you in the next vid.

[@d4a]

Thank you so much for that!

[@jozsefizsak]

Agreed!

[@crabmansteve6844]

"Since I'm already in here, I might as well destroy myself financially." Really hits home. Lmfao You can ALWAYS justify a few more dollars to yourself. It snowballs so fast. I'm glad you spoke on "appropriate" turbo sizing for your use case. I like street cars, that means I don't need nearly as much top end as I do bottom end. In real life I will almost never go faster than 120mph in most use cases. I went with a smaller turbo, it's much more responsive and makes the car fun to drive. My 0-80mph times mean more to me than overall HP or speed above that. In the end I get a spirited, quick accelerating daily driver that doesn't come with all the headache of chasing truly insane numbers. 300-400hp is as much as I ever care to have.

[@Teledible]

A year ago I knew nothing about cars. But thanks to channels like yours, I’ve gained so much technical insights about cars that I’ve finally started having dream builds. Your work inspire me man. Hopefully someday I can built something that can go on inspiring others

[@Alfaduk]

Another excellent video. Also being an AW11 MR2 tragic, you've motivated me to do better firewall insulation than standard. 3 thing that any first time project builder will learn: It ALWAYS costs more than you think it will. Do your darndest to think of all the things that need to be bought/paid for and what those are likely to cost. Now double that amount and you should be reasonably close............ Do it right the first time! Doing it properly means you should only need to do it once. Which typically costs less than doing it multiple times........ Double check EVERYTHING! Having to redo work because you didn't correctly tighten some really difficult to get to nut/bolt/hose clamp/fitting, is bad enough. Breaking your engine/gearbox because you didn't correctly tighten something, is a lot worse!

[@jozsefizsak]

For sure!

[@k1ll3rvc]

Nice work! Getting hill climb folks involved is a strong choice, they're usually chasing mad performance goals and using any method available 😆

[@d4a]

True! Many of the most creative solutions I have ever seen were on hill climb cars.

[@dalebob9364]

The one diesel powered project comes to mind! That machine was an absolute beast!

[@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454]

I recently acquired a potentially fairly quick street drag bike. Already running 12::1 compression, so forced induction isn’t a formula for engine longevity. Still, every time I see something like this, I start fantasizing about the kind of ETs I could post. As if running in the tens needs improvement. Still the siren call of leaving an S1000RR in the dust with a two decade old Triumph triple liter bike appeals to my warped imagination. But 99% of the time I can appreciate that I have a quick bike just running stock plus headers. Thank you for the thorough treatment. -Matt’s dad

[@Ovenman940]

35 minute d4a video about turbos - I already know this is going to be the highlight of my Monday workday

[@andoletube]

I'm sure your boss agrees...

[@aaronaaronsen3360]

I can barely make the most basic stuff on my bike so this kind of videos never cease to amaze me. That is truly impressive work !

[@jozsefizsak]

We can see that even being knowledgeable about the best value products, such as the rods and turbo, the final price for doing this properly is pretty high by most people's standards. I can tell you that it wasn't cheaper in the 70s and 80s but I was able to swap parts from other models and have pretty decent power with a rebuilt NA engine for very little. They do run very nicely if you obsess over every detail so I'm really excited about yours. I truly admire the care, research and effort you put into things.

[@SoulTouchMusic93]

people really underestimate the "running nicely" bit vs peak power to post on insta

[@Laylander]

Glad you mentioned your friends in this guide. Without experienced friends you simply can't do this succesfully on first try. They're worth at least the same as the whole cost of the project, because you'd have to do everything twice.

[@VasileiouDimitris]

Amazing job with friends. Congratulations. We expecting more videos ripping it at twisted roads

[@dalebob9364]

Finally someone installing parts on an engine correctly! 👍

[@theglitch99]

The knowledge and understanding of these machines brings ppl together from all over!! God bless us all!!

[@DJNADJIBBeatz]

man i can't explain to you how much i needed this vid, i'm working on my thesis/end of study project on turbocharging an NA engine and you just uploaded this,thank you man thank you

[@ryukisai99]

It's good to hear / see the MR running! Thanks for the comprehensive guide! You make it feel way simpler that is really is!

[@logtrimmer]

You are one of the first vehicle related KZbinrs I started watching and you explain things in ways that are simple enough to be understood without oversimplifying it. There is a question that I have relating to turbos. What types of turbos exist, and what are there pros and cons? This comes from recently hearing about VGTs.

[@pav_nath]

So happy to see that your turbo build has turned so great! Job well done. Also you are the best in the business at technical explanations/breakdowns. Thank you!

[@needmoreboost6369]

Another brilliant video! It’s good to see the actual engine in pieces while discussing the individual components.

[@georgemanias5177]

Congratulations on the finalised build, great work and very well thought out and researched. You can tell that it will be a great drivers car on road and track. It's been an awesome series to follow 👍

[@andremartinez7484]

Your videos have got to be the most comprehensive and complete on KZbin. I have learned so much watching your tutorial videos. I'm glad to see your channel is steadily growing. You definitely deserve it bro!

[@dusanboskovic8977]

Brate gledam tvoje klipove već duže vreme i stvarno ne znam nikoga ko bolje objašnjava ove stvari. Ne mogu ti opisati smešak na mom licu kad sam čuo naš jezik na kraju😁. Nastavi da radiš to što radiš jer mnogo doprinosiš svetu mašinstva sa svojim klipovima. Nadam se da ćemo nekada imati priliku da se upoznamo. Živ bio, pozdrav!

[@nicholasgill8066]

This is the video I needed, alot of ppl boost there engine but only talk about internals but I want to know about everything else

[@LukaS-iy1gs]

Čestitke! Jedva čekam da je vidim na putu!

[@RestorationApprentice]

Svaka cast, bravo za citavu ekipu!

[@TOTALGRAND]

Bro I’m so happy for you so cool to see the MR2 finally running congratulations 🥳

[@destroyer6470]

Its this kind of of vid that makes D4A my favorite. Its educational, well thought out, and regardless of intent entertaining.

[@vaskoma4o]

Dude, this is really really the best explanation of all of the tuning process, congratulations, this is gold

[@jippyputra]

God, I love this kind of videos where them put their heart and soul into it. It really kicks different and feels like I was there the whole time

[@deciplesteve]

I'm happy your project is up and running finally. Must feel good.

[@lukesfx]

I came across this channel for the first time today and I am amazed. An absolutely on the point video. Thanks

[@Bigtigerr4774]

That is one truly Beautiful build. Words cannot explain how beautiful it is!!!

[@Siskiyouoffroad]

Awesome video!!! Your content and explanations are second to none.

[@rada1018]

32:45 najbolji balkanski kanal ikad

[@GetOffMyLog]

Congratulations on getting your car up and running!! It looks like an amazing package and shout-out to your crew and Nunu!

[@chrishakomaki7633]

I just now came across your videos and I've built engines and seen a lot of videos. I think your videos is by far one of the top videos. Excellent explanation and has a little bit of humor into it. "Like people borrowing a tool and not returning it". But very impressive video please keep them coming you are very excellent in explain everything and not lagging on the point you need to get to.

[@tilen3266]

I love the bosnian when you guys start the engine. It really screams the balkan personality. Its great. Love the build and I cant wait to see you drive it

[@anguinoni16]

Really nice work!! And the explanations, as always, are excellent! Keep going!!

[@Chuckles9191991]

Loved the video. So glad that u know these masters that helped u build ur car!!! Best wishes from Pennsylvania USA!!

[@pablito0603]

svaka ti cast na kanalu i videima!

[@user-baraba]

Al ste ga sklempali svaka cast !! Pozdrav za ekipu!

[@doublenickel1000]

This is brilliant. Kudos to you and your team, especially Nunu. BTW I love the raspy snarl of a high performance 4!

[@AllTerrainAction]

End of the video with first start discussion was funny, nice one guys from Australia.

[@jovantomcic9112]

svaka cast, ovako kvalitetan video od nas nisam ocekivao. ali drago mi je da nisam u pravu.

[@SusedatLubo]

This is the good stuff! Props on the effort that went into the video an the thought and passion behind the build. Also the "Since I am already in here..." part is beyond accurate. When my civic blew a head gasket I decided to port the head, the intake manifold and put a bigger cam "Since I already pulled off the head", so I know that feeling all too well as do many others here. :D The trick is to be low on cash as the slope can get very slippery. Good luck on the mr2! May it bring you many smiles per gallon and no headaches!

[@stefang1087]

If you want information, you can trust, about automotive, this is the place! Amin! You are just the best, not just for providing the information but also for argumentation for it, and for explaining things in a way so everybody can understand.

[@plaguedoctor5097]

Amazing! I'm not even considering doing this, but the video is simply amazing!

[@joslaleb_]

Just what I was searching from the best youtuber ❤️

[@ezzbebejovan4668]

Svaka cast momci, samo mi je zao sto nema kontenta na nasem ali kontam da je na engleskom puno bolje i zanimljivije

[@angelmaldonado3104]

It was about time mate, awesome job.

[@jakemartin4305]

Cant wait to see the follow video of what needs to be upgraded/ fixed/ what would be done different 👏👏👍

[@wadet73]

This made my brain tingle and checked all boxes for wholesome entertainment and education. I enjoyed that ending. I was smiling during the credits. You sir have an awesome talent. I like how you told the story 🎥🍿 🚗 🛠️ visual engagement was spot on, Bravo! Thank you.

[@claudedottin1312]

This video is awesome!!! It does help when wanting to pull trigger on a standalone. Very good 👍🏽

[@NalinKhurb]

Brilliant video man 👌🏼 Good luck with the new build

[@C0R0NAH]

Con gratulation, glad to see something next up to the teory :-D And be sure i love the teory output by you

[@Nafeels]

Ngl, this is exactly the kind of thing that motivates me in the morning. I’m definitely adapting some of the lessons in this summary to modify my own Proton Saga (basically our VW Beetle) sometime in the future. Looking forward to the dyno session, further tuning, and some good ol’ POV drive like always!

[@johnthunder4085]

15k. damnnn, i knew it was expensive, but i didnt want to be slapped with the price that hard :D... well, i'll return to saving up, thanks for an insight :D

[@d4a]

With a bit of luck you can build it for less with similar results. Not all of the stuff I got is necessary. Or you can do an engine swap. There's many options. I put the costs into the video because I always get lots of people asking about it. But it doesn't mean my approach is the best or the smartest for your particular goals.

[@Conservator.]

@@d4a Thanks for the video and summing up all the costs. Didn’t AEM want to sponsor this video? If not, I think they should have done so.

[@johnthunder4085]

@@d4a I think You said something in a video about car being street-legal. The same goal would be for me, so in order to get an engine swapped, there must be a load of papers submitted to the Government here, no thanks :D. Also, "for less" still means a lot, because I won't be able to cut the costs down to let's say 2 or 3k. Maybe spreading the cost out to a longer-term would not be as harsh on my bank account, but then again, when adding it all up, It looks like a decent downpayment for a flat/house :D... That is the biggest problem/debate Do I want power or do I want a house :D:D Unfortunately, I know the answer, and the house ain't as good as it may sound :D But all in all, thanks for the video, this explained a lot and would serve as a guideline for my future endeavors.

[@RB26N]

these engine, transmission ...all these pieces are beautiful , they are like art.

[@alejandro52612]

Yeeeeeessssss project underdog!!!

[@abhishekbanerjee6642]

It was indeed a long project and I can understand the level of excitement and happiness you had in this. Now enjoy your ride.

[@thorsteinelstadolsen2005]

that was soo good!!! I love everything about it!! soo much work!!! good job

[@verysmallcats1374]

Holy smokes that's a great video! I love seeing builds like this come to life. Even moreso when I don't have to do any of the work

[@kauhren]

The cat is the best supervisor ever ! 😄👍🏻 Can't wait to see the first video of the car hooning around ! 😄

[@mrsluigi9478]

Your channel is only getting better! It's funny to see your videos getting used at my community college.

[@BlackSquareGarage]

Great video, thanks for sharing, learned a lot from your build!

[@MrDman4djob]

Why did it feel like I was watching an extremely interesting movie with credits at the end worthy of clapping in a movie theater? Great work, I love your channel.

[@kaderzeckraoui5602]

Like every time unique explanation mr master 😁

[@frednerk5959]

Lookin' Good Houston. Although this is the first video on your 4AF build for a long time! Good stuff!

[@kevinoxford74]

Even though I've been a mechanic since 1990 and own a modified turbocharged mg I really do love this guy's videos

[@MegaKei1]

I loved every second of this video! So much love for a Toyota and it's so informative! Cheers from Madrid, my man! Waiting for the choo choo noises your car will be making soon!

[@PANTYEATR1]

A masterful video. Thanks for your efforts🏆

[@BRAZIVANOVIC]

Bravo majstore, podrška iz SRB! Uvek je lepo pogledati tvoj video uz kaficu. Pozdrav!

[@Tom-xn7zc]

Such a good channel, you deserve way more subs!

[@Macintoshiba]

This was worth the wait. While I won't be turbo-ing any engines anytime soon, this video was still very entertaining to watch.

[@ivaylokostadinov1521]

Amazing video! Waiting to it on the road!

[@CforClairvoyant]

Car sounds insane. I love it

[@jimakos75]

Perfect video, perfect knowledge !! Thank you one more time !

[@hazoorule]

This channel deserves 1 million subscribers

[@aromero9243]

I am so glad I came across your channel years ago. I've learned so much form your videos. This is one of the most entertaining ones I've seen. And it seems like you're growing out your hair again lol

[@BlacksnowMegaS]

Samo naprid Legendo, odličan build, odlična ekipa! Pozdrav iz Trogira i stg1 1.5TSI Octavie 3FL.

[@Element4ry]

The subtitles part for first start part are golden! :D

[@adriandecu6846]

BEAUTIFUL VIDEO !!!👏👏👏👏 CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE MAKER AND HELPERS !!!👋👋❤️❤️

[@gerttherude6366]

incredible video and cleared a lot of questions I had , thank you so much :)

[@djordjezivic2481]

Svaka čast majstore! ceo video mislim lako je ameru tamo sve može,kad sam čuo vas cuo na kraju pao sam sa stolice.

[@thomasstunts]

Nunu did a great job overseeing this project!

[@auditore6]

Gospodin ubacuje turbo u kola kao da sklapa lego kocke, a ja ne mogu da nadjem majstora u Novom Sadu da mi ukloni missfire na Alfi. Svaka cast momci.

[@nemanjastanojlovic01]

Jel twinspark govno? 🤣

[@auditore6]

@@nemanjastanojlovic01 nije, nego ono JTS djubre

[@1itoric]

That was awesome. Svaka čast!

[@rmt5820]

Well done bro! I really enjoyed 👌🏻

[@zerodrift1]

Congrats on getting your project up and running! Would be great to see some tuning and driving impressions! Inspires me to get mine going. I'm still neck deep in wiring....

[@SubieSpecs]

Few nice parts from NZ! Glad we could help!

[@kusheen5865]

I'm drive a diesel hilux now, but I miss my old 4afe corolla. I've been following this build since you started.

[@abobegar]

Great video! Liked the final in natural language.. :)) Greetings from Bulgaria! :)

[@jamesgeorge4874]

"Since I'm in here, I might as well destroy myself financially", lol, 19 y/o me was that guy, totally worth it. Great job covering your build, a wealth of information covering all the bases. Some vehicles lend themselves to boost easier, but your description covers all the possibilities.

[@saligator8879]

Damn this channel is a gem! You're slowly but surely getting to Chrisfix's level in terms of video quality and information.

[@dragobosnjak6818]

To jarane, sad na cevape! :D Svaka cast

[@princesssolace4337]

I dismantled my 2012 Mazdaspeed3 engine and balance+tolerance, rebuild+upgrade the internals to handle 500hp. Upgrade the HPFP , intercooler, down pipe. The car only made 300hp/450Nm on pump gas with stock turbo and boost. Primary reason for doing it , was reliability and its been years of reliability. I

[@curtisjackson9557]

That is a really neat job with the MR2. The pride at the first start was phenominal.

[@jparker785]

Always great information. If you ever get to the USA you're welcome at my shop! 😊✌️

[@reubenmosman9466]

This was still very entertaining . . . even though including all involved info. love it.