I know, I know...this whole topic has been beat to death...I agree. Nothing more can be added to the speculation and bench racing that was spawned concerning the possible virtues of this stock hybrid turbo.

My question is, now, after the original test balloon has well faded into oblivion...Has anyone actually purchased and installed a TME-9, and if so what are your impressions and if so, would you be so kind as to share your subjective evaluation and better yet ...dyno numbers.

Someone must have bitten the bait and ordered one, or not?

 

dont have any personal expierience W the turbo, so if someone more informed sees a mistake, feel free to correct me

shifts the powerband up about 700 RPM with only 3-5 hp more on street gas

the gains on that turbo are really only seen with 100+ octane & some agressive boost/timing

this turbo seems to be best suited for someone willing to make some sacrifices in daily drivability for the ability to have a little headroom for increased boost when you use race fuel @ the track, without going all out on a GT series turbo + manifold, W/G etc

 

Charlie: If you're right, then it wouldn't be the turbo I'm looking for, as I am running a TME with a fully ported hotside, so I definitely wouldn't be willing to sacrifice spool-up for just a couple ponies up top. Also, I run strictly 91 octane(if that) and don't intend to run race gas ever and my driving is strictly street driving. So, any turbo upgrade, to qualify as acceptable, must be able to sparkle on 91.

I am still looking for a little more topend(15-20 AWHP)than the TME offers but w/no deterioration in spool-up or transient response. I think that a 3071 would give up a bit too much bottom end and would require a higher octane diet to maximize it. I have narrowed the affordable possibilities to the TME-9, a White Rabbit IX(WR-9), the BR 20G-9-5 TME(surge?....I can live with it), and finally the factory IX turbo.

 

might just be me as in not familiar W your car or your needs as well as you are, so dont let me steer you wrong. but it doesnt sound to me like your looking for a larger turbo. if your not willing to sacrifice much spoolup & are only looking for 20-30 hp then id look elsewhere for that power.

have you looked into water/alky/meth injection? again, im not familiar W the excede or your comfort level W tuning, but if it is user tunable & your running on 91 octane then i imagine you could easily add a few degrees of timing while on the "juice" & make your power there

http://www.aquamist.co.uk/phpBB2/index.php


also, a properly designed/sheilded cone intake can net you a few ponies without sacrificing much but a little intake/turbo noise

 

CharlieG.: Yeah, maybe as you mention, I don´t really even need a turbo upgrade. I have considered H2O/Meth but I´ve been a bit hesitant because of the possibility of blowing the motor. Other than that, it offers the power increase I am looking for (30-40whp).

I am piecing together an intake setup as you described including a used HKS RS induction tube which I have lying around. I think I´ll try an ITG 3-layered, cone-type, foam filter on the HKS RS MAF adapter. Anyway, thanks...and maybe I´ll try an Alky kit soon. I´ll let you know.

 

I still have plans of purchasing and installing a TME9, so to speak --- All I'm after is an E9 turbo with titanium internals for earlier spoolup, since I won't be running outrageous boost levels.

I've already spoken with WORKS about this, since the conversion is the same as giving the E9 turbo the "white rabbit" treatment, and they've confirmed that a few people have done it on their 9's with appropriate results (faster spool & no loss of power potential).

For E9 owners, the only negative for the tial addition would be $$$, and of course the need to custom tune, since so few of these mods are occurring.

So, to answer the question, "RIP?", I think no --- we'll be seeing these turbos in duty soon enough.

 

Here's a post (excerpt) of mine from a related thread:

"Why the IX turbo? Well, I had a long conversation with Robert from Forced Performance (designer of the 5 blade 20G) who suggested that I stick with the stock IX turbo unless I was planning to run race gas. The gains from the 20G wheel are only realized at very high boost levels -- unattainable by pump fuel. My next idea was to incorporate the TME internals inside the stock IX housing. Robert said that his extensive dyno testing only showed only a 200rpm spool advantage of the TME IX over the stock IX, and that's not worth $400 more to me."

 

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[QUOTE]
I've already spoken with WORKS about this, since the conversion is the same as giving the E9 turbo the "white rabbit" treatment
[/QUOTE]

The Wabbit´s compressor wheel is the larger 5-bladed FP wheel, found in the BR 20G-5 as well. The TME-9, on the other hand, is configured with the smaller Mitsubishi compressor wheel, shared by both the Evo 8 and Evo9 turbos.

The ideal CHRA would be the 5-bladed, FP Wabbit compressor wheel, which has proven to produce more power than the stock E9/E8 compressor wheel, on one end of the shaft, and on the other end put the TME´s Titanium turbine wheel. Compressor housing is of course, the IX compressor housing and a 10.5 turbine housing. This would equate to either a WR-IX or a BR 20G-5 TME, but not a TME-9.


[/QUOTE]

I hope we get some feedback from users soon.

 

[QUOTE=Tsurugi-san]

For E9 owners, the only negative for the tial addition would be $$$, and of course

If I was in your shoes(owning a 9, or a 9 turbo), I don't think I would do a move to a TME-9, because all you'd see would be a couple hundred RPM improvement in spool-up. That is, you already have the better compressor housing, so you wouldn't see any power increase at all. None of the existing stock turbo hybrids would offer any marked improvement over what you already have.

As, far as $$$ goes, the only way I could envision the swap at all, if I had a IX, would be to sell your existing IX turbo to buy a BR 20G-5, but even that isn't much of a vertical upgrade if you already have an excellent stock turbo. It wouldn't be worth the money from my point of view.

If I had a IX I would go straight to a 30R..........