Newbie Got a Basket Case

[Clatter]

After years of building N/A motors, i finally found a turbo.
Complete motor and trans in boxes and piles...

I'm a total turbo newb and would be grateful for any input/advice.

2275 - welded stroker, China w-beams, Cima forged 94s (if they check out)
Engle FK-45
Early CB Street Eliminator heads 42 x 36 and only a few very thick cooling fins.
Dell 40s with mod rings and other tricks.
Header is an A1.
Trans is 3.11/1.93/1.26/89 with a 3.88.
All of this to go in a full-bodied street bug on pump gas.

Big question i have is if this is a good turbo for this combo?
Only markings i can find are Turbonetics and A/R 58 .69 (I think?)
I read Scott's turbo sizing info and am still not quite getting it.


Also,
While the shaft is free and doesn't have more than the tiniest bit of play,
I'd like to take it apart and inspect/clean.
Is that easy enough for a regular guy to do?
Anybody have a link to a guide or video on checking out a turbo's guts?

This here wastegate any good?
Can they be tested, or maybe pulled apart and inspected/rebuilt?
'Madmike' said the diaphragms can tear or crack.
Maybe i can just build/get another diaphragm?

Maybe since the other springs and all are missing it's worth it to just get a new one?


Lastly,
This motor has the dual-carb Malpassi boost-referenced regulator on it like they sell at CB.
I have a CB/Carter rotary pump but it's internally-regulated to 3PSI or so.
Is there any pump on the market that i can run dead-headed and get more fuel pressure?
Or am i stuck having to run a return line back up to the fuel tank?
Was hoping to get out of this job but i think i know the answer.

I'm all ears about ideas for this thing to help make it live.
At least if it doesn't cost money.

Was thinking that if i leave the boost turned way down i can get by without an intercooler, water injection, BOV, etc.
Because the heads have no fins I'm not really planning on being able to run it on the highway or hit it hard for more than a few seconds at a time.
I have an old Crane Hi6 for rev limit and a China MSD copy distributor to limit advance.
Thinking I'll throw it together as the good 'ol late 80's blow-thru setup it is,
And treat it accordingly.

The temptation to squirt it with an intercooler and all is huge,
But by the time i was done with that project, I'd have gotten heads and just about everything else.
This whole motor would be here lying in piles next to another one built right...!

Let me know your thoughts.
I'm not against buying new parts if it will save me hours of frustration and struggle,
But this thing 'is what it is' and i kinda just want to run it.

Much thanks for your help.

[madmike]

good luck finding a dyipram for that gate, I see a 7 on it ,,put 7 lbs of air to it ,see if it opens?I've ran that same turbo , boost came on a wee bit late but I had header gasket leaks ,, limit the timming to 24* to be safe , do u have a air/fuel ratio gauge?,if not get one ya need it for 'fine tuneing'
pull the jet stack and check the sizes, are u going to tare down the motor?, I ran those heads too there pretty robust, never had any issues, but I ran a 912 upper pulley cheers,Mike

[Clonebug]

I wouldn’t take that turbo apart…. If it turns free just make sure the housings are clean and clear the. Run it as is.
It’s probably an old CB kit…
You can test the wastegate with regulated air….. I wouldn’t put more than 20 lbs into it. Hook a gauge up to the line you pressurize and see how much air it takes to open.
I got rid of carbs in 2013 after two years and 7000 miles.I’ll never go back to carbs.

In my experience 8-11 lbs is the limit without water injection and/or intercooling….. YMMV.
130* F intake temps are the limit before serious detonation…..depending on ambient temp or course……

[madmike]

Couldn't post a pic of ur book ove ther,lol

[Clonebug]

That book is ok reading but it’s outdated and really doesn’t give any good info except general stuff.
You are better off spending time and reading some of the builds on this and maybe other forums for real life info.

[madmike]

I updated some stuff in it, he's buying it from me

[Clatter]

good luck finding a dyipram for that gate, I see a 7 on it ,,put 7 lbs of air to it ,see if it opens?I've ran that same turbo , boost came on a wee bit late but I had header gasket leaks ,, limit the timming to 24* to be safe , do u have a air/fuel ratio gauge?,if not get one ya need it for 'fine tuneing'
pull the jet stack and check the sizes, are u going to tare down the motor?, I ran those heads too there pretty robust, never had any issues, but I ran a 912 upper pulley cheers,Mike

Thanks for the input.
I have an old LM-1 WB02 gauge with the RPM cable but that's it.
Have a CHT as well FWIW.

The heads do seem very thick and heavy.
Maybe their sheer size will keep them together despite the temps they will see?

I always ran all of the little fiddly tin bits like the Hoover bit and flaps/thermostat.
This didn't have anything other than the top tins and fan shroud plus the breast plates, and it was all China stuff.
It was missing the front tins, the doghouse dump tins, the sleds, the little top tin extensions, and of course the flaps.

Why not at least try to do what i can?
I guess, like you say, might as well run all of the tins and give it a fighting chance.
Since those intake manifolds aren't 'space savers' i can run a factory fan shroud.
Think it will make any difference?

[Clatter]

I wouldn’t take that turbo apart…. If it turns free just make sure the housings are clean and clear the. Run it as is.
It’s probably an old CB kit…
You can test the wastegate with regulated air….. I wouldn’t put more than 20 lbs into it. Hook a gauge up to the line you pressurize and see how much air it takes to open.
I got rid of carbs in 2013 after two years and 7000 miles.I’ll never go back to carbs.

In my experience 8-11 lbs is the limit without water injection and/or intercooling….. YMMV.
130* F intake temps are the limit before serious detonation…..depending on ambient temp or course……

Glad to see you posting up.
Read your whole thread over the years and found it inspirational.
While this setup could really be something with some real tuning like you did,
I'm not really in a place life-wise to take on a full digital EFI project just yet.

When you say 'make sure the housings are clean and clear', you would take off the outer castings, but leave the impeller/bearings, etc. alone?
I'm somehow thinking the turbo would be coked up and crusty from sitting.. Not sure why.

While some of this motor here has some CB items, like the heads and carb linkage.
Those turbo hats are some odd one-offs(?), and the exhaust is A1.
It was done my Bernie Bergmann (unfortunately) at least at first,
but was gone through a couple of times by different shops since.
It's a real odd collection of stuff but should run hard if i can get it all together methinks..

[Clatter]

Oh, and I'm going to tear down the whole motor and go through it.
It's been sitting apart for years.

Depending upon what i find, it -might- go back together fairly soon.
Don't plan on going full anal-retentive blueprinted perfect, more just slap it back together and try it out.

Any way for me to get out of re-plumbing the car for a full fuel loop?
Tell me there's a pump out there that will feed a dozen pounds of fuel pressure without a return line..

[Clonebug]

I ran a stock mechanical pump with boost reference for 7000 miles and up to 15 lbs. boost......it worked great for me.
I can't see why your couldn't do the same thing .......My setup was for testing only but ended up being used for 2 years.
There is really nothing that is serviceable inside the center housing unless you plan on putting a rebuild kit in it.
If there is very little play....run it as is. When you start it for the first time leave the drain off and make sure oil is traveling through the turbo....if so....run it.
I prefer a smaller turbo matched to the max hp I plan to run.....but my setup is 99% street and I drive it a lot.....high rpm power doesn't work for me.

As for the heads you can only try it.
The nice thing about EFI is you can log all kinds of info and it tells you how your engine is running......inlet air temps, head temps, AFR, ignition advance/retard are all important things to know when boosting an engine.

[madmike]

I'd just blow some air into the hot side and remove the little rusty bits(normal)
if that flywheel is wedgemated u will know it make a puller, I have a pic of mine if ya need it?
I don't see why a stock fuel pump wouldn't work ya got a good reg ,is it boost referenced? (if you need to u can use the stock fuel line for a return )

[Clonebug]

A stock fuel pump is supposedly good for 170 hp. It might put out more with boost referencing but you would have to test it to see.
You need 3 lbs. more than the most boost you plan to run so if you want 12.0 lbs boost you need a pump capable of at least 15 lbs pressure. You have the Malpassi reg....find a pump that puts out 15-25 lbs. and run a new line through the tunnel and use the stock line for return.
I did it on my buggy and it has worked well for almost 9 years.
Doing it right is cheaper if you plan on being serious about a turbo.....boost is addicting and if done wrong can be very expensive and frustrating.

[madmike]

Art I think he would need Volume not pressure ,I know my weber's can only take 3 1/2 lbs. i'd pick up a cheap used holley 'red '

[Clatter]

Excellent info gentlemen. Thanks for your time.

Starting to get used to the idea of some tunnel surgery.
Did it to my Fastback and it was a real chore to do correctly to safely handle FI pressures.

You guys use an FI pump like an airtex but just soft regulate it and send it down the loop?
How about that CB in/out fitting so you don't have to cut the fuel tank?
A normal street car wouldn't need a swirl pot and all that, right?

Always thought you wanted to use the bigger line for the return.. Otherwise the pressure can 'stack up and creep'?

[Ol'fogasaurus]

An old but interesting conversation.

Volume is usually good but too much pressure can cause its own set of problems.

Lee