Turbocharged...what's your recipe for boost?

Being a turbo nut I like everything with that boost whistle. Even my daily driver sounds like an 18-wheeler with the high-pitched turbo whistle and loud diesel exhaust.

Of course turbocharging is not "traditional", but neither am I, and I could care less what naysayers think. I've been poking around with the idea of building a boosted vintage engine for years now. Nothing fancy of course, but I just can't help thinking about a turbocharged Y-block or boosted Nailhead, or even a little turbo hanging off the side of a Ford Inline 6.

So, who out there has a turbocharged setup on their old ride and what's your setup? Turbo specs, engine specs, dyno numbers, driveability, etc? Post up pics of your setup and cool vintage turbocharger systems...

 

i don't have anything.... yet....

any clue if anybody makes a turbo or twin turbo set up for a small block ford? 351w in particular...

 

JMN...Use a pair of stock tubular headers from a 5.0 Mustang. Flip them upside down and elongate the bolt holes to match a pair of T03 Turbo (Stock from 85-86 Thunderbird Turbo Coupes). Also, a good double pumper carb & intake with a K&N Carb Bonnet (#85-1060). Also for anything over 5psi of boost, I'd run a secondary fuel pump supplying a fuel injector bunged into the intake plenum for added fuel at higher levels.

There's a ton of ways to carb a small block ford or chevy, this is a cheap way to twin turbo a small block ford.

 

what do you mean by flip them upside down? have the exhaust pointing up?? guess i need to see the T03 turbos to understand what you mean... I've got a midrange holley fuel pump that fed more than enough to run a 125 shot of nitrous at a consistent psi... would i still need to upgrade?

 

Lots of help at www.turbomustangs.com on the 351 windsor.

As far as turbo Y-block. That would kick ***. I have thought about this myself. I also like turbo's a lot. I really think a y-block would do well with a good turbo set up. The engines are strong in stock form and they have low compression already. I'd get a custom cam grind, good ignition system and ecg heads. Add about 10-12 psi Of boost and hang on. that would be a tourque monster.

I think you would be better off with two small turbo's to decrease lag since the Y-block is a low reving engine. Of course, if you wanted serious power, you do all the necessary internal engine mods to rev pask 7k rpm's.

I love the idea, you should do it. The sound would be nasty as hell.

Mike

 

The Mallicoat Bros. twin turbo g***er is traditional enough for me. Anybody gotta good pic where you can see the turbos? Maybe a little lag's not necessarily a bad thing for a street car. You can cruise it when you want to, and have power "on demand". Another way to look at it is a 4-banger will be like a V8 when you want the power, otherwise it's an economy motor, if you will. I like the idea too, but I'm cheap- the turbo 2.3L was already...

Thanks,
Kurt

 

More often than not you dont need to bother with messing with the holes on a set of stock or aftermarket headers. You can make plenty of power and they wont leak when untouched. The K&N bonnet ****s compared to what is out there now. Probabbly the least popular in looks, air flow & distribution. CSU, Superior Airflow, ProCharger all make good bonnets now. If you run a proper fuel system, then the carb is all you need for fuel. No further enrichment needed.

 

I am ***embling an early 144ci turbocharged Ford sixer at the moment, actually started a while back, and as things go, have decided to not put it where i was planning. Present plans are to finished the ***embly, and run it on the 'break-in' engine stand when the neighbors music gets too loud. Basically, it is a stock rebuild, with a later head to lower compression, small garret turbo, and a m***aged SU carb, going with a draw-thru arrangement on this one.

Stevo

 

Please post pics if you can. I sometimes wish I would've kept my 144 and put a turbo on it. The small 3-on-the-tree trans and the Z-bar clutch setup was a weak link though.

Thanks,
Kurt

 

everybody's seen this one.. but it's one of the few.. and i kinda like it! hauls *** too...

Brian

 

Turbocharging is certainly traditional.

IHC was using it on OTR trucks in the 50's

There have been many turbocharged racecars since the 30's.

Anyway. I've built a couple turbo engines over the years, I have a 1980 Turbo T/A at the moment. The Pontaic factory system isn't bad for an early turbo system but it does leave a bit to be desired.

Draw-thru carb systems are usually the simplest to set up but blow-thru carb systems have more power potential.

There are a couple schools of thought for turbo engines, one says keep the compression low and run a big turbo with healthy boost to make power. This is ok but you usually get more lag and less low-end power.

The other way is keep decent compression (9:1 or so) and run a smaller turbo with less boost. You still get good low-end power and a bit less lag because you can run a smaller turbo.

Draw-thru systems also have a bit less lag because the throttle plate is before the compressor. When you are off the throttle the turbo is spinning in near vacuum and doesn't slow down as much.

EFI is the best way to go with a turbo simply for ease of tuning. Carbs work ok but some of the boost enrichment systems are a band-aid at best (Pontiac PEVR system on the turbo Q-jet)

If you really want to get good power and run a "traditional" turbo system, run draw-thru on propane. Propane is gaseous so there is no liquid fuel to drop out of the airstream and the octane rating is around 105. Propane can make great power in high compression engines.

Propane is period correct as well. IHC has had an LPG option on every gas engine since 1952.

A good book to read is "Turbochargers" by Hugh Macinness. It covers a lot of the basics and focuses on older turbo systems.

Oh, yeah, don't run an intercooler on a draw-thru system. You end up with a bomb in front of the radiator.

Turbo manifolds are usually pretty easy, if you can make headers you can make a turbo manifold.

Automatics and turbos can be real good friends. Pick your stall speed to be close to when the turbo starts building boost. That way you can keep the engine "On boost" for a good launch. A turbo car can have a tendency to launch real nice then come unglued a few feet down the track when the turbo spools up.

If you want some basics on the Poncho factory system, check this out: http://home.ripway.com/2005-1/240165/301shrine.html

If you want more info, feel free to PM me.

Shawn

 

When running a blow thru system you must have a fuel pump capable of maintaining 6 or 7 psi of pressure greater than the maximum amount of boost you will run, and use a 1 to 1 boost referenced fuel pressure regulator. If you do not do this, you will quit pumping fuel into the carb. as soon as the boost reaches the level of the fuel pressure being supplied by the pump. As for the carb. keep the tune up on the rich (safe) side to begin with. Another thing I have noticed with Holley blow thru carb. setups is that they seem to need jet extentions to a much greater degree than a naturally aspirated engine would to prevent stumble on hard launches.

It has been my exprience that the draw through systems have less throttle response than the blow thru systems, especially right off idle. However the carburators don't see boost, or as much heat as the blow thru systems. Another consideration for a draw thru system is that the turbo seal must be compatable with gasoline (many are not) as draw thru systems are wet flow thru the turbo.

Having had exprience with both types, I prefer the blow thru system.

 

I'm slowly collecting part to build a turbo 215 Aluminium Buick motor for my 31 Chevy. I'm going blow through carb, medium compression, 10+ psi boost. Should be good for 300+/- hp out of the little guy and the motor weighs in at only about 330 lbs fully dressed. Turbo racing engines have been around for a very long time and really big turbo systems on aircraft for nearly as long. Turbos are good for the soul. You might as well use that wasted energy going out the tail pipe for something, and you can only cook a few burritos on exhaust manifolds before you smell like a taco truck going down the freeway. Good luck.

 

What's that on the turbo inlet?

Thanks,
Kurt

 

slash cut pipe serving as an intake scoop..with a grille insert.

 

I have a non hamb friendly car with a turbocharged 350 in it. It is running a vintage 1979 Martin Draw through system. Works great, but the turbo maxes out around 450hp and I have done 358 at the wheels. I can upgrade the compressor the a 60-1 and be good to about 600 hp for about $700. Where else can you get a 150hp perminant increase for that price?

 

Those Martin systems are pretty slick for their time. Nice and compact too.

Roto-Master used to make a bolt on spacer that went between the carb and the manifold. It had two chambers, the top one with the carb on it fed the turbo, then the air from the turbo was fed back into the lower chamber and into the manifold. Was about the size of a 4 or 6 inch carb spacer.

Shawn

 

It is still in the ***embly stage, I'll get some when it is ***embled and on the test stand.

Stevo

 

This car was turbocharged at one time. 1960 Studebaker Hawk with a 289. It appariantly had some machine work done on it but for specs I have no idea.

The turbo system was removed by the previous owner a long time ago and the only thing remaining were the welded up exhaust and the Ak Miller badge on the shifter. I've asked around before if anyone knew much about the work Ak Miller did on street cars and all I've heard was that he had a shop out in California and that he got his turbos from Garrett (if I remember correctly).

Didnt seem like a whole lot was done other then that, its still mostly stock with just a Hurst shifter and a higher RPM tach, that was installed sometime in its past. Anyway, I know it isnt that traditional, but turbocharged studebaker 289's are still cool, even if they are'nt turbocharged anymore

 

Like this one? I have a couple of these packed away.


Stevo

 

This is anti HAMB, hope I don't get burned at the stake......but,





I love turbos.... how else can ya run mid nines at 143 in a 3500# car with a 6 banger, and still be streetable?

 

I am really impressed with the Martin system. It is lightyears ahead in driveability than those old Accell, Gemini, and RotoMaster Systems. It was about twice as expensive though when new.

Mine uses a RayJay 301EE turbo which has a turbo map like a T04B with a V1/V2 wheel in it. It is smaller though, with larger bearings and shafts. I guess this is why rayjay were the only aviation approved turbos.

 

Been thinking about trying one on the A Model.

 

As far as trad goes, there's a picture in the MacInnes book of a turboed Buick from the early 60's. Of course, it was a "what not to do", but it prove they were out there. And to whoever was looking for the Mallicoat Bro's picture, there's alot of beautiful pictures of it in G***er Wars by Larry Dixon. That car was absolutely bad ***!

How timely this post is, I was just thinking about turbos this morning after watching the landspeed car on Discovery.

Jay

 

Factory turbo Nailhead proto...

 

That's cool. It looks like a draw-through setup to me. What looks like an air inlet also looks like a mailbox!

Thanks,
Kurt

 

Heres some history

http://www.turbomustangs.com/turbotech/main.htm#history

 

Could always turbocharge a 225ci slant 6.

Doug Dutra builds manifolds with a flange for turbos.

http://www.slantsix.org/articles/turbo-article/turbo-article.htm

 

Right you are. I didn't have them scanned, but now I do.

Caption: Following a successful season in which they won both the NHRA Winternationals and Nationals in B/Gas Supercharged, the Mallicoat Brothers made a drastic change. Previously running a GMC 6-71 Roots-type blower, the Mallicoats built a new twin-turbocharged engine for 1965. Since there was virtually nothing readily available for installing turbochargers on an automobile engine, the Mallicoat team had to fabricate everything, from the aluminum carburetor box intake to the stainless steel wastegates. The actual intake is a modified '57 Corvette fuel injection unit. The result of all this was an increase in horsepower from the 6-71 blown Chevy that put out 580 horsepower, to 720 horses with the twin turbocharged engine.

Thanks,
Kurt

 

That's pretty crazy for 1965. With the exception of the vacuum advance magneto and the funky homemade wastegate, the second pic looks like it could have been taken yesterday.