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Top Mount Vs Bottom Mount

2969 Views 16 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  s15driftking
I would say this is a good arguable topic :D


What are the pro's and con's of both The Top-Mount and Bottom-Mount Turbo mani's


If you have an After-market Turbo mani. Treat this like a reveiw and tell us what you do and don't like about it :D



ALright here we go so far:


Top-Mount:
Pro's:
- Looks Good
- Easier top Access & Work on
- Bigger Turbo Variety
- Most likely will be a tubular equal length, which will see gains over stock log/cast
- Shorter IC Piping can be used for a V-Mount
- Hides The wastgate
- Show Off Your Pretty Compressor Housing
- Can Keep A/C

Con's:
- Clearence Issues w/ MC?
- Cost
- Always have to use an aftermarket turbo
- Do not effectively use Space

Bottom-Mount:
Pro's:
- Can use stock turbo, or related small sized turbo's
- Less Heat Spread
- Shorter Downpiep w/ Less Bends
- Piping For FMIC is Low & Out OF the way
- Shorter Turbo Oil Lines
- Easier Access to Manifold Studs
- Easier To Access SOHC KA Spark Plugs

Con's:
- Access Sucks
- Limited Turbo Size
- Limited space
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1 - 17 of 17 Posts
good topic, im interested in what people reply
fuck bottom mounts lol. cons or not top mounts just make ur engine bay look so badass, its like the turbo is just popping up to say hello and show u its awesomeness.
fuck bottom mounts... its so gay working on bottom mount turbos.. there is your con... go top mount it looks better
no bottom mount love :( Personally, I think bottom mounts look better. They give the engine bay a cleaner, stock look. You can also run a bigger turbo with a bottom mount, brake mc clearance is not a problem, and it makes it easier to fabricate a downpipe. They are hard to work on though. Top mounts are easier to work on, but are limited in the turbo you can run. The small clearance from the turbine to the brake mc can melt the mc which can spell disaster. I've seen some KA-T setups where the turbine pretty much touches the brake mc.
Well with a top mount you can run a bigger turbo. Its all on what size the turbo is and the placement.
gtp420 said:
Well with a top mount you can run a bigger turbo. Its all on what size the turbo is and the placement.
True... I was reading "ASIA" post and was like WTF is he talking about.
Have you ever heard of ppl complain oh I cant fit this turbo on my topmount.. ahh no.


Topmount:
Pros:
Easy to work on (remove turbo)
Looks better
Use of larger turbos
Most likely will be a tubular equal length, which will see gains over stock log/cast

Cons:
Cost
Always have to use an aftermarket turbo

Bottom mount
Pros:
Can use stock turbo, or related turbos
Cheap

Cons
Limited on turbo selection
Limited in space

There also might be a difference with like gravity and efficiency..
i believe topmount is better for power..
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ASIA said:
no bottom mount love :( Personally, I think bottom mounts look better. They give the engine bay a cleaner, stock look. You can also run a bigger turbo with a bottom mount, brake mc clearance is not a problem, and it makes it easier to fabricate a downpipe. They are hard to work on though. Top mounts are easier to work on, but are limited in the turbo you can run. The small clearance from the turbine to the brake mc can melt the mc which can spell disaster. I've seen some KA-T setups where the turbine pretty much touches the brake mc.
I forget what turbo (might have been a gt30) he was running but enthalpy laid down 539 using a top mounted turbo. i couldnt see how you would ever need anything bigger than that.
The updates have been made and thank you guys for you comments :D
Shorter IC piping for a top mount if you'd doing a VMIC :)
you can put a stock or stock design turbo on a topmount. just need it to be t2 flanged with some different oil/coolant lines

topmount is a lot easier to work with, that and looks is the only differences i've seen with mine
Bottom mount is way better on a street car.

Far less heat emmitted onto surrounding car parts, shorter downpipe with less bends, if you're running a conventional FMIC, the piping is lower, shorter and out of the way. Shorter oil drain, easier access to the manifold studs, turbo>manifold bolts and spark plugs if you have a SOHC. When you concider the top mounts usually have a big empty space under them, they arent effectively using the space under the hood. A well mounted bottom mount can run any turbo. I ran a GT30R on my SOHC and had TONS of room bottom mount. The outlet on the turbo sat level with the opening where most people run their downpipes so it had an awesome exit out of the engine bay.

Top mount is nice because you can hide your wastegate, show on your polished compressor housing :)... run v-mount (which most people never do), you can keep your AC, and like others have said, better access to the turbo.
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Thank you for contributing :D

You said That w/ a Top mount you can keep A/C?

Does Bottom mounts get in the way of The A/C?
240kid, you really are too much of a post whore......

i prefer topmount because it looks cooler, no other reason..... just looks better. you cant argue that
s15driftking said:
240kid, you really are too much of a post whore......
only 240kid would make 6 threads in a forum on the same day. they all seem to be easily answered questions that have been debated too many times. ThERE ARE PROS AND CONS TO EVERYTHING
s15driftking said:
240kid, you really are too much of a post whore......

i prefer topmount because it looks cooler, no other reason..... just looks better. you cant argue that

that is an opinion and its really the only thing you can argue...

anyways bottom mount is a pain in the ass to work onn when you have a upgraded turbine. i had a gt28r on my old car and i could barely get my hands in the spot to work on. top mount though you need to make heat shields for like master cylinders power steering resovoir etc. more attention i guess kinda lame most of the time need custom down pipe and intake and hot pipe but also most top mount turbos seem to be externally wastedgated so thats cool gain like 7% more effeiencienly woohoo
sdtouge.... here is what i say to you. BLAH!!! because you are right, its not a fact. but you always make stupid comments liek that making you seem like a tightwad.... but i still love you. and think that topmounts are teh win.,

i figure it out this way....i have a topmount turbo setup... everyone wants to be like me.... topmount must rule....
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