Turbocharging a Kawasaki C-14 Concours

[Fretka]

Let me start this graphic depiction of a slow descent into madness with some humor 

This is what I had in mind, but making it fit might pose some problems..

[Mister Tee]

That is one serious intercooler.

[ZG]

 

[Fretka]

Started this project about 1.5 years ago on an '09 that was discounted at my local dealer. ABS, black sparkly color, o miles and cost $10300. +T  and L.

I have a few other bikes that I had done all the mods that I wanted and also due to a serious back injury I was forced to sit around. Cabin fever sets in pretty quick and I had a bad case of it! So to be honest, the whole point in doing this was just to give me something to keep my mind on instead of my back.

I knew I wanted drive-ability more than ultimate H.P. and with a 1.4 L motor just a little boost would go a long way! I also knew I did not want to pull the motor apart to install low-compression pistons, rods etc.. so that left me with up to 10 #'s boost with a stock motor, 91 octane fuel and some fighting chance that the motor would stay together!

Quick calculations showed that at about 9500 rpm, 8 pounds boost, the motor would be doing around 250 HP at the crank and about 175 ft. lbs. of torque. I figured the motor would be okay with that but the drive-shaft and components would be the real unknown!


Turbo is a IHI VF-22, internal boost limiter, double ball bearing center section. This unit is also used by Subaru aftermarket rally cars. Made in Japan, retails about $1100.
I have it set-up currently to 8 pounds boost max. but can be adjusted for more or less. This is a fairly large compressor section and would seem too big for the c 14 (causing turbo lag and not boosting till high in the rev range) but in actuality it is just about perfect as it boosts at 3700 rpm has very good throttle response when above that rpm. The bearings are force lubed by engine oil pressure with very low oil flow at nomal oil pressure values.

Some pics of the turbo, header, bypass/wastegate.

[rtarp1]

impressive  !

[martin_14]

ahhhh, yes... now I remember why I like your posts... 

[shotgun]

So what gives Fretka?
Ya finally frag the rear drive somewhere?
Down in the back again?
?
Hoping it ain't your back....

(I Love Marine Engines,Big HP!)

[B.D.F.]

That was originally a ZX 14 turbo kit, modified to work on a C-14, right Bruce?

Brian

Started this project about 1.5 years ago on an '09 that was discounted at my local dealer. ABS, black sparkly color, o miles and cost $10300. +T  and L.

I have a few other bikes that I had done all the mods that I wanted and also due to a serious back injury I was forced to sit around. Cabin fever sets in pretty quick and I had a bad case of it! So to be honest, the whole point in doing this was just to give me something to keep my mind on instead of my back.

I knew I wanted drive-ability more than ultimate H.P. and with a 1.4 L motor just a little boost would go a long way! I also knew I did not want to pull the motor apart to install low-compression pistons, rods etc.. so that left me with up to 10 #'s boost with a stock motor, 91 octane fuel and some fighting chance that the motor would stay together!

Quick calculations showed that at about 9500 rpm, 8 pounds boost, the motor would be doing around 250 HP at the crank and about 175 ft. lbs. of torque. I figured the motor would be okay with that but the drive-shaft and components would be the real unknown!


Turbo is a IHI VF-22, internal boost limiter, double ball bearing center section. This unit is also used by Subaru aftermarket rally cars. Made in Japan, retails about $1100.
I have it set-up currently to 8 pounds boost max. but can be adjusted for more or less. This is a fairly large compressor section and would seem too big for the c 14 (causing turbo lag and not boosting till high in the rev range) but in actuality it is just about perfect as it boosts at 3700 rpm has very good throttle response when above that rpm. The bearings are force lubed by engine oil pressure with very low oil flow at nomal oil pressure values.

Some pics of the turbo, header, bypass/wastegate.

[Fretka]

Yup... Der PanzerWagen is currently holding down my garage floor. Still gotta find a way to fix my back 
If not, there is gonna be a S***load of motorcycles and stuff  for sale, coupla trap guns too...  Gonna be buried with the Duc tho!


Correct Brian.

[B.D.F.]

Well maybe we have the makins' of a workable situation here.... Chet is down with a bad (post surgery and healing) back and does not want to take the drugs given to him for that situation. You are partially down with a bad back. Hmmmm. Maybe Chet could send you his drugs, and you could do anything you wanted to do then.... ride motorcycles, run for president, climb mountains.... whatever. Just trying to best use assets available.

Brian

Yup... Der PanzerWagen is currently holding down my garage floor. Still gotta find a way to fix my back 
If not, there is gonna be a S***load of motorcycles and stuff  for sale, coupla trap guns too...  Gonna be buried with the Duc tho!


Correct Brian.

[Fretka]

Some more pics of fuel injection stuff:

First is the oil scavenge pump that pulls standing oil from out of the turbo bearings and pushes it back into the sump.

Next is the fuel pressure regulator that allows a pressure rise commensurate with boost pressure, a pressure signal from the airbox pulls open a rubber diaphragm which provides fuel pressures in the range of 43 pounds off-boost to about 80 pounds at max (8 pounds) boost. Nice little item and about the only thing that can be seen that might tip-off someone that there may be something special here. Fuel pump is adjustable with both static pressure as well as ratio, mine running 3.2 :1 (about 3.2 pounds fuel pressure to 1 pound of boost pressure.

Next up is a modified fuel pump that fits in the same place as the stocker. It has been beefed-up with a Walbro motor/pump unit and will pump up to 100 pounds.

And lastly the F. P. R. again and the oil supply line to the turbo, I'll go into this last in more detail soon.

Fretka

[Fretka]

Well maybe we have the makins' of a workable situation here.... Chet is down with a bad (post surgery and healing) back and does not want to take the drugs given to him for that situation. You are partially down with a bad back. Hmmmm. Maybe Chet could send you his drugs, and you could do anything you wanted to do then.... ride motorcycles, run for president, climb mountains.... whatever. Just trying to best use assets available.

Brian

Man I'll tell you... these drugs are nasty stuff but better than my alternative... what I could use tho, is a spare lumbar spine (in case someone isn't using theirs right now)..

[Son of Pappy]

Man I'll tell you... these drugs are nasty stuff but better than my alternative... what I could use tho, is a spare lumbar spine (in case someone isn't using theirs right now)..

Trade ya some 7.5 Oxy for a PnP turbo kit

BTW, thanks for the write up, 2 years, 9 months till the warranty is up, should give me time to start rounding bits and pieces

[Fretka]

Some pics of the oil line supply connection from bottom left front of oil pan, thru a right angle, a couple of neck downs, thru a one-way pressure valve and up to the turbo bearings.
I was lucky as can be in that there are two pressurized oil galleys  right next to each other.
One is used to supply the hydraulic force needed to run the variable valve timing mechanism and the other was plugged and not used.
These photos are misleading as I actually used the hex socket plugged galley to the right of the one shown.


And lastly is the old Honda cb 750 K-0 that a friend built and I restored/re-built back in the seventies.

[gPink]

Gas tank is a nice piece. Is that a car tire I see out back?

[Fretka]

Gas tank is a nice piece. Is that a car tire I see out back?

Conti Blitz on an old drop center harley rim.

[Fretka]

More pics.......

The exhaust or dump pipe of which I used some sections of. Stainless.

The cold-tube which delivers post turbo compressed air to the airbox. Aluminium. 2".

Two aluminum plates that replaced the stock attachments to the air-box which were the intakes for the air to the filter. (the 2 openings under the headlights flow intake air to these openings in the frame/airbox). One plate attaches to the cold air intake tube from the turbo to the airbox, delivering the compressed air charge. The other is a blocking plate for the other side of the airbox and has nipples for tubes to the fuel pressure regulator and boost gauge.  The pressure signal that the fuel regulator uses to adjust fuel line pressure comes from here.

This "nub" was used during manufacture to align the block during machining, but was in the way of the turbo. It had no other function.
So, a die-grinder made it dis-appear.

Fretka