turbo options?

[shadpeters]

I have a 1989 suburban with a NA 6.2 diesel in it. I bought it mainly for the excellent fuel economy ( I am getting around 24 mpg at 55-65 mph), but there are times when a little more power would be nice. I am a very conservative driver and do not push vehicles very hard so I am not wanting to push the limits of the motor or anything, but mostly would just like to be able to pass cars on the 2 lane highways without worrying about if I will be able to get up to speed before some truck appears up on the horizon and takes me out... To get to the point I have been thinking about putting a turbo on the 6.2 to give it a little more power.
The obvious solution is one of the kits from banks, but I am on a really tight budget... I would like to be able to do this for 500 or less. Used banks kits are not super easy to come by and from what I have seen are usually not complete. Will a 6.5 turbo setup work bolt up to the 6.2, I read in one of the DP books that they are not a great fit but can be made to work... Is the 6.5 intake manifold better than the one on the 6.2? will they even bolt up?

I also thought about a remote setup. At first I really liked this idea, but the more I think about it the more issues I have with it. I would either have to run twin turbos In order to use as much of the existing dual exhaust system as possible, or I would need to switch over to a single exhaust for a single turbo.
I am not opposed to a twin set up, but it just seems like it would be a more expensive en devour to purchase two turbos, twice the piping, twice the oil lines and all that... In addition I really would not know what size turbo to run in a twin set up. Whether twin or single, i would also need some type of pump for the return lines which is just added expense.

In the case of the remote twin setup I had considered the possibility of mounting them directly behind their respective manifold. I have not seen this done before, so I dont even know if it is possible, but just by looking under the truck it seems like there ought to be plenty of room, it would still be high enough for gravity fed oil lines, and I would more or less be able to use the existing exhaust appart from a few modifications...

I am not an expert on turbos and do not claim to be, so that last idea may be absolutely absurd, feel free to tell me that.

considering my budget what is the best option? or is my budget even reasonable?

also I am not counting the pyro gague in the budge I am planning to install one before ever even getting close to the turbo installation.

[Edahall]

The Banks turbo IMHO is sized correctly for the 6.2L engine. The other turbo choices will give you more power but at the sacrifice of engine longevity and fuel economy. The 6.2L with its high compression and bottom end design doesn't lend itself too well to lots of boost.

For your budget, rather than turbocharging, I would recommend installing a good free flowing exhaust. Go with either dual 2.5" exhaust or 3-4" super single. Then install a free flowing muffler such as a Donaldson.
Link (http://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/ryder/af/ryder/core/content/product/srm/oid/78183/erm/productDetail.do)
A good set of exhaust headers also helps out with power and fuel economy.

What gear ratio and transmission are you running? The 6.2L makes its power at higher RPM's so the engine needs to be able rev up when passing. That said, the 6.2L pulling a Suburban will never be that great of a performer for quick high speed acceleration but it can be improved considerably. You would need 30-40 psi of boost to keep up with the big guys.

[shadpeters]

gotcha. This is going to be down the road a bit, I would like to take care of some body work and get the underside coated to save it from indiana (as much as one can anyway) before I start worrying to much about power. I just know that at some point I would like to work on that end a little. I dont want to sacrifice the integrity of the engine nor do I expect it to be a real performer (I'm not trying to keep up with the "big guys") but there are times when it would make driving a little more pleaseant if it had a little more umph.

I guess If I do anything in the turbo department I will probably just keep my eyes open for a used banks kit. I see them come up every once in a while for a pretty reasonable price.

my truck has got the 700r4 transmission, I am not positive what the gearing in the rear end is but I believe that it is 3.42... I checked when I bought it but im not going out in the rain and muck today to confirm

[Edahall]

Doing the simple things first could get you about 90% of what you would get with a Banks turbo (assuming near sea level).

1. Free flowing exhaust / headers
2. J code intake manifold
3. Big Honking Air Filter (BHAF)
4. Turn up the injection pump
5. Advance the timing
6. Port & Polish the heads

[Subzilla]

Keep your eyes open for used Banks AND ATS kits on Ebay and Craigslist. Got my ATS system, made for the 6.2, for about $700. Put it on last summer along with newly rebuilt heads and wow! It made such a huge difference! I've had my Sub for 15 years and have never enjoyed driving it so much as I now do. I can now accelerate up hills as opposed to before where it was a challenge to just not drop below the minimum speed limit. Pulling my trailers is so much more managable now. The 0-60 time went from 22 seconds to I think about 14 - I have 35" tires. It just runs so much better. Now, as said above, I don't pretend to be able to keep with the new stuff but I can at least not see their tail lights disappear into the horizon quite so quickly!

Put one on. You won't regret it!

[NH2112]

If you shop around for the parts and do the work yourself you can put a nitrous system in for a lot less than $500. NO2 is 36% oxygen as opposed to around 20% for air, so you'll be able to burn more of the injected fuel when the juice is on. Flick the switch when you want extra power for passing or climbing a hill, turn the system off when done.

You'll need a lockoff (ignition hot), vacuum switch, solenoid valve, toggle switch (to turn on the solenoid valve), nozzle, and hose or tubing. And the bottle & fitting, obviously. I'd drill & tap the intake manifold riser for the nozzle, put the vacuum switch underhood, and the lockoff & solenoid valve in the cab. That way the entire underhood portion of the system is evacuated when you turn off the toggle switch.