2014+ Chevy/GMC Silverado/Sierra 1500 5.3 Truck Single Turbo System
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614-439-0057
Chevy Silverado / GMC Sierra 1500 Single-Turbo-System
Screw to 200+rwhp!!!
On 3 Performance is proud of our unique 2014+ Chevy / GMC 1500 5.3 Turbo system! This is the last upgrade to your truck that most mechanically inclined people can complete in a weekend. This is a true bolt-on system that has the potential to increase your truck's performance by ~250rpm and more. Our turbo system is a bolt on design that has a very clean and easy installation. This is a perfect system for anyone looking for extra power to tow a trailer or trailer that needs that extra boost. During testing, we hooked up our truck to the car's trailer to get some real-world test data. We couldn't believe how well the truck pulled, day and night difference, all the torque you need is on demand. For those who enjoy street driving and drag racing, this system is for you too. That's the great thing about these turbo systems, they're so versatile. Once the turbo system is installed and configured, drivability is not adversely affected. In fact it really improves like the turbo, it's very responsive and the On3 70mm accelerates quickly. In light accelerator situations, such as B. Autobahn junctions, don't press the accelerator pedal as hard - with much better throttle response. This is also due to the new found performance that your truck will perform in the midrange as well.
Hot side design:
We started with our proven platform and used the factory driver's side manifold (pipe upgrades available). From there we made a crossover that runs the exhaust to our custom cast stainless steel turbo manifold.This will clean your 4×4 transfer case (Z71) and driveshaft. Our 2014 onwards truck systems come standard with our latest 2nd generation cast steel manifold for all turbo systems. This is an extremely durable design using approximately twice the material thickness of your traditional hand built turbo heads. This ensures durability and withstands the constant heat cycles the truck is subjected to. Each of the kits comes standard with the 70mm turbocharger with On 3 Performance bearings and we have the option to upgrade from the 70mm to our latest 76mm BMF. We also stock many CNC stick wheel upgrades if you are looking for the highest quality wheels with the most aggressive profile that we offer. This results in a faster winding turbo, a lighter and longer tip, and a stronger overall product. We also have some ceramic ball bearing variants for towing applications.
Our turbo manifold is unlike any other currently available on the market. It is fully split from seat to seat and does not merge one seat with the back of the other like most other truck designs. This is very important when it comes to truck tuning, as you can closely monitor each bank. This makes for a really cool looking and functional design that we started 5-6 years ago with our original 99-06 single turbo truck kits. Because the truck's engine bay is so open, we have plenty of room to work with the garbage gate priority. We positioned it directly on the T4 flange for good momentum control. Using our 44mm V-On 3-band wastegate in the 5.3 test truck prototype, we were able to keep it stable at 6psi. Of course it will hold onto higher boost levels, but as you know the wastegate allows more air volume to flow at lower boost levels, so this is the real test.
To eject all of the exhaust from the turbo, we designed a 3.0″ to 3.5″ staggered 304 stainless steel down tube. From there we have also included an adapter to connect to the factory exhaust port if required. Note that during testing the factory catback was EXTREMELY restrictive and a high flow catback system is almost required or an open tailpipe. Without delving into the actuation versus boost data, it's a lot easier to just upgrade if you plan on going much more than 5-6 psi.
cold side project:
The complete cool side of our turbo system is 3.0" 304 aluminum tubing to aid in heat dissipation, keeping the IAT as cool as possible and reducing weight. All cold side piping is coiled to keep the couplings tight on thrust. This will prevent the connections from bursting the couplings. To take it a step further, we've included stainless steel T-bolt clamps that offer more holding power than traditional snail clamps. All of our custom On 3 Performance silicone couplers are 5-ply and come standard with every turbo system. Our intercooler is a fully custom design utilizing our proven air-to-air intercooler core. Since the factory grille limits the space we have to work with, we have designed 2 different intercoolers. Our standard 3.5" core that we include with every turbo system can handle around 600 RPM before you need to upgrade. Our On3 Race Core has about 80% more volume and fills the entire grid, but will require some trimming when upgrading. Do you have to do 600+ to upgrade? NO! We run the race core on our workshop truck to keep IATs to a minimum, and cooler air equates to more horsepower. Check out our photo gallery so you can see the comparison of the two units we sell with our turbo systems to help you make your decision. At 9 psi and 500 rwhp, our truck had about 17 degrees of lift during a full pull, so it's more than adequate for most applications. Race Core looks fantastic and we think it's worth the upgrade. Let us know if you have a Silverado or a Sierra in the options below.
Turbocharger and feed/drain design:
This system, like every one of our other On 3 performance truck systems, comes standard with our sleeve bearing 70mm turbocharger. We have several upgrade turbos that you can use and the most common upgrade is our On 3 76mm units. This is what we drove on our shop truck during testing, it's quick to push and also gives you more room to climb. The factory On 3 Performance 70mm is suitable for 450-500 rpm applications. If you want more power, consider our larger upgrade units listed in our optional items section.
For a 4.8 liter model this is fine, but we strongly recommend you upgrade to at least our 76/65mm model if you have a 5.3 liter model. With the 6.2 liter engine you need at least our 78/75mm turbo to avoid back pressure problems. For towing applications we recommend using our ceramic ball bearing options.
For the first time in the industry we have developed an optional oil drain system that drains the turbo and pumps it back through the oil filler cap. What makes it special? In all turbo applications, the turbocharger must drain the oil back into the crankcase by gravity. Many of you work on "like new" trucks and may not want to drill into the crankcase. The solution is our optional turbo oil drain system with electric oil pump. With our system, it is drained by gravity into the oil pump, then the oil flows back from the pump into the oil filler cap. We have a custom CNC machined billet oil filler cap that allows for a very clean, factory-like installation. This option can be selected from the list of optional items for $235. This is NOT required but some may wish to go this route to avoid drilling through the oil pan for the oil drain. We recommend this in any 4×4 application.
Performance and comparison with blowers:
That's what matters, you want to get as much energy as possible and keep it safe. Below are some charts to evaluate; The first one we will cover is comparing our 5.3 loader wagon to the On 3 76mm turbo (8psi) with a 5.3 twin screw blower at 8psi. As you can see we're falling in love with the numbers being made with the blower, at 4,000rpm we're making 100hp more at the rear wheel! Remember we are running our small 76/65mm turbocharger. If you upgrade to one of our 75mm exhaust wheel turbochargers you will continue to increase performance on the chart and allow for more peak power. This was a test run showing what's possible with the smaller options.
RED lines on chart = At 3 Single Turbo HP/TQ
BLUE lines on graph = twin screw HP/TQ
This is our truck plot alone at 8 psi:
Utility Issues: Please read, we're getting a lot of messages about what needs to be updated to support Power Supply. YES!!! The stock fuel pump of the typical 91 or 93 octane fuel pump is enough to handle 500-550 RPM without the need for an upgrade. If you plan to run the e85 or exceed these horsepower numbers, you may need fuel system upgrades. We adjusted the charge tube properly so we could use the factory mass air flow sensor and have enough range for at least 12-15 psi without hitting the max. This allows for a very easy and quick upgrade that can generate over 500 horsepower just by installing it in your home!
Need help choosing the right turbo?
If you don't know what you are doing with Turbo Sizing,Pleaseask for advice. We don't want you to ruin your turbo by misunderstanding the cubic inch size of the engine and the size of the turbo exhaust wheels. We see this often when our customers try to fit a '65 exhaust wheel onto a 6.2 or larger engine. The general rule of thumb is the larger the engine, the larger exhaust wheel you will need. Putting an undersized turbo in an oversized engine will cause the turbo to fail. The same applies here: call if you have any questions. We cannot know what your project/exchange is if you order the kit on the website without contacting us first. Generally the 76/65 turbo is fine for a fairly standard 5.3 liter engine, but it won't be ok if you step up to a 6.2 liter engine. 6.2 liter engines must have a 78/75 or larger turbo depending on the design. Understand that the BMF 76/75 is good too and actually produces more power than the 78/75.