Hi Mike:
A miracle happened today: I found this thread. Seriously, I have been searching and googling the internet for information on how to add a turbocharger to a Kubota tractor, without success. Until today. I literally thought I was going to have to go it alone. This is a Godsend.
Quick background. I built a log home up in the Rocky Mountains 2 years ago at an altitude just shy of 8000'. Yes, 8000'. Of course we get incredible amounts of snow, and I purchased a Kubota B2650 tractor with low hours and mated it to a B2784 front-mount snow blower to keep my 150' driveway clear (we have year-round access).
To say I'm thrilled with the performance of the machine would be an outright lie. Yes, it does the job, but I'm constantly backing off the forward pedal and keeping the RPM's up and still getting A LOT of rolling coal. Last year, the backside of the snow blower was solid black by the end of the season. If you go by the standard horsepower derating curve (3% per 1000'), then I am loosing 24% of my available horsepower at 8000'. The engine in the B2650 is rated at 26 horsepower at sea level. If you apply the this calculation, the rated horsepower drops to just under 20. Sad.
I have the tools, cash, desire, and "nerve" (love that term) to attempt an install. It is mid-March right now and I do not want to attempt this until spring or summer for obvious reasons. So with this in mind I have a few questions for you, if you'd be so kind to address:
* You used a Mitsubishi MHI TD025 turbocharger on your machine for sea level operation. In your opinion, would this still be a good choice for my altitude, or do I need to look at something larger?
* What EGT monitor (brand, model) did you use, and did it include a gauge?
* Was there any break-in period for the turbocharger? Could you run it at full speed immediately after installation?
* How much money do you feel you have into this upgrade? What do you estimate it will cost me to implement this on my machine (ballpark figure)?
Thank you for taking the time to document your trials on this forum, this gives me great hope that I can successfully add a turbo to my machine without blowing it up.
Solo