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89 TwinTurbo Iroc

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Old Dec 31, 2003 | 04:43 PM
  #1  
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From: Boosted Land
Car: 92 Z28
Engine: Boosted LSX
89 TwinTurbo Iroc

Bringing this outa a diff. post for Kenton for everyone to see. he Just e-mailed me some Pic's and Ive uploaded em to my server for him.

INFO on it.....

89 IROC-Z with a Twin Turbo 5.7 TPI. I used turbos very similar to the ones listed. They are junkyard turbos I purchased off eBay and came off of late 80s volvos. They have a .48 turbine (exhaust side) A/R and a .42 compressor A/R. The Saab turbos will acually mount to the manifold easier than my volvo turbos because volvo used a specific flange. I modified my original manifolds by cutting off and plugging the rear outlet port. I then cut a hole in the front top of the manifold and welded on mounting pedestals. My turbos sit just atop the front corner of each valve cover- It looks very cool. For the intake, I custom made all the piping and mounted two intercoolers just in front of each wheel (angled forward). I used junkyard 89 Ford probe GT intercoolers.

I run the turbos with the waste gate set at the stock Volvo setting, which gives approx 6-7 PSI boost. My best quarter was 12.4@117 on drag radials (1.9 60 ft), in cool air.

What surprises most people about my set-up is that the motor is stock from the throttle body down. I removed the valve covers only to paint them. Running stock head gaskets, bearings, heads, and cast pistons. Factory rated compression is 9.3 to 1. Everyone I talked to said my compression is too high and the cast pistons will never hold up. I have driven this car a year after the install with no mechanical problems- yet. I know I'm playing with fire running this combo, but at the time I put this together I didn't have the funds for a serious engine biuld. I just stay conservative on timing, make sure there is enough fuel, and drive!

The problem I have now though, is that if I want to get real serious, I will need to upgrade the turbos- they are just enough as it is. My power band starts to fall off at 4500rpm. I dont know if its because of the TPI intake, or restriction from the small turbine housings, or a combination of both. RWH=327 at 4400, torqe= 471 at 3300. As you can see, low RPM power will rival a decent big block, but I lack high RPM performance (turbos fully spool at 2000rpm). But it is fun to drive, sounds great (ricers don't know what to think when an old camaro has a blow-off valve!), is very unique (at least around my area), and best of all, cost less than a lesser performing supercharger kit

Here are some Pic's
http://www.cecoatings.com/images/oth...onHurst89IROC/

As far as my set-up, I am using a Vortec super FMU and Vortec T-Rex 50/70 fuel pump (I think that means 50gpm at 70 psi). I did some on-road tuning using the factory narrow band O2 sensor (I know it is very inaccurate, but it seemed to work Ok) and a scan tool with data storage capability. Once I had the FMU tuned where the engine seemed to run the best, I road tested with a fuel pressure gauge taped to the window- I was surprised to see the gauge read 76-80psi under full boost. My idle was a little fat, so I leaned it out by lowering the idle fuel pressure to around 42psi (it was at 49). Seems to work very well- I've put almost 8k miles on the set-up including two 2hr trips to car shows, and seems to work well. The only problem is a slight lean stutter when I ease into the throttle lightly after coasting, but that seldomly bothers me. The two MSD boxes are a 6AL and BTM (boost timing master- set to pull out 3/4° of timing for each psi boost). I run base timing (with test connector disconnected) at +4°. I also run a stock compuer and prom(chip). Not a very sophisticated set-up, but It works well for the dollars I put into it. I would love to upgrade my heads and install a Holly 950 with stealth ram manifold, but that will be down the road (after I upgrade to better pistons and slightly larger turbos). It all comes down to how much money you want to spend I guess.


I'm sure he will post more on the setup.

Last edited by FSTFBDY; Sep 4, 2004 at 09:59 AM.
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Old Dec 31, 2003 | 05:26 PM
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Car: 88 RS
Engine: some what of a 350
Transmission: dont got one
that a nice looking engine
i plan on turboing my camaro
not anytime soon of course and thats why im here.. to learn
do you have a list on internal mods done to the engine what kinda tranny is he running
also is it intercooled?
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Old Dec 31, 2003 | 06:00 PM
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That looks really good. I would look into a set of bigger turbos, stock tpi's will support more power than that.
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Old Dec 31, 2003 | 06:12 PM
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From: Boosted Land
Car: 92 Z28
Engine: Boosted LSX
Originally posted by Friday128
that a nice looking engine
i plan on turboing my camaro
not anytime soon of course and thats why im here.. to learn
do you have a list on internal mods done to the engine what kinda tranny is he running
also is it intercooled?
I dono if you read it all or not but he said Its All stock.

non intercooled..

Kenton., How hard was it to weld up them manifolds. I've always heard cast iron is a PITA to weld. That you need to basically get it cherry red and then weld or the welds will just crack and not hold.
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Old Dec 31, 2003 | 06:21 PM
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The hard part of welding cast is not letting it cool to quick. there is a couple of good rods out there that are easy to use. you just heat it up, weld, cool verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slow.
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Old Dec 31, 2003 | 07:31 PM
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Car: 88 RS
Engine: some what of a 350
Transmission: dont got one
did you tick weld then?
cause your talking about rods
and since well im a welder i could probably do this no problem

but what method did you use
i would think you could use tig but i dont have mch experience with cast irons
ive heard stories though

but wouldnt stick welding give it to much distortion
and if so what were ya running?


and to manage the problem of lack of rpm's
why dont you get bigger turbo's
like two of the T3 super 60's or maybe a big fatty one like a T88 or something

and also how much did this whole indevour cost you? (ie price of turbos, intercooler, fuel set up,.. and most of all how much was your intake)

Last edited by Friday128; Dec 31, 2003 at 07:36 PM.
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Old Dec 31, 2003 | 08:42 PM
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From: Ontario, Canada
Car: 1988 Firebird S/E
Engine: 406Ci Vortec SBC
Transmission: TH-350/3500stall
Axle/Gears: 7.5" Auburn 4.10 Posi-Traction
Nice setup. I doubt if the turbos are the main thing causing the power band to fall off at 4500 rpm.

More like the stock TPI manifold, stock TPI cylinder heads
crappy exhaust manifolds and stock camshaft.

A stock motor is a stock motor. Adding turbos does not change the rpm range. ( it just adds power to that range)

I would upgrade every thing else first before replacing the turbos. Start with the exhaust manifolds and cylinder heads. Since you're good at welding what about creating your own free flow thick tubed shorty headers to weld your
turbo mounting flanges on.

Max Port the TPI heads with 2.02- 1.60" valves, Get a Turbo friendly camshaft with
say 220 deg@.050 intake duration and 216deg exhaust ground on 114 centers
Trash the TPI manifold in favour of a modified LT-1 EFI intake.

This will create and motor that makes much more hp
(even without the turbos) and likes more rpm.
A motor like this will buzz to 6000rpm.
I'll bet the turbos will keep right up.

A water/ Alcohol injection system will allow more ignition timing/ power and reliability ( supress detonation) even with the cast pistons.
You could then open up the waste gates for more boost. Even with a 9:1 cr.
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Old Jan 1, 2004 | 02:06 AM
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Car: 88 RS
Engine: some what of a 350
Transmission: dont got one
what kind lines and setup are you running for your oil feed and return lines?

does it react well to the turbos or would you wish you palce them farther down on the pan?
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Old Jan 1, 2004 | 05:55 PM
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From: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Car: 1992 B4C 1LE
Engine: Proaction 412, Accel singleplane
Transmission: built 700R4 w/custom converter
Axle/Gears: stock w/later 4th gen torsen pos
I like the return lines, the more striaight up and down the better, I would even consider making them straighter.
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Old Jan 2, 2004 | 12:11 AM
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Engine: Vortec 4200 Inline 6 PT70 Turbo..
Transmission: 4L65E
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Damnit...I like it Sounds cheap dollar wise as you descibed it and that rocks. Those kind of power numbers could easily see LOW 12's with the right gear and traction.
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Old Jan 2, 2004 | 12:59 AM
  #11  
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killer setup! :hail:
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Old Jan 2, 2004 | 01:23 AM
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From: In the corner of my mind!
Car: 1989 TTA #1240
Engine: 3.8 SFI turbo
Transmission: 2004r
Axle/Gears: 3.27
You said you blocked off the rear of the manifolds? Why not make it a single. It's cheaper to buy one good larger turbo than two


The pistons will hold under moderate boost, the rings are usually the catalyst in blowing the motor. Worry about airflow not boost. Open up the ports(dont have to go big, could even keep same size valves. Open up the intake and TB and you'll see a big difference.

Good job
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Old Jan 2, 2004 | 01:01 PM
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Car: 88 RS
Engine: some what of a 350
Transmission: dont got one
so are you running both turbos off one manifold?
im confused here
are you guys tlaking about intake manifold or exhaust manifold?
im guessing exhaust
cause if you running twin's then why arent you running one from each exhaust manifold
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Old Jan 2, 2004 | 11:12 PM
  #14  
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From: clearwater
Car: trans-am
Engine: tpi
NIIIIICE!!!! I have been waiting to see a sucessfull jy turbo story. I have a friend who will give me unlimited access to his junkyard parts, including turbos but he does not have any for volvo. He has some 1980s thunderbird turbos from a 2.3L 4 cylinder ford. He also has some various 80s dodge minivan 4 cylinder turbos, there are a few others but I dont know what the heck they are and he cant remember. I was wondering what jy turbos people had used and what might work nice on my 5.0 tpi. I would rather use 1 turbo, (half the work, right?) What single jy turbo / intercooler combo sounds good? I am not willing to give up my a/c yet to cram 2 turbos in my car.
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Old Jan 6, 2004 | 12:56 PM
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Car: 1988 Formula
Engine: Twin Turbo .60/.63 305
Transmission: T-5 5 speed
That's a sweet setup man, looks very clean.
How big of a return line is that? have you had problems with it being rubber?
What type of fittings are you using to tap into the pan? And how did you end up going about tapping into the pan?
This is getting me all fired up to finish the last few things on my car.

pj

Also man, do you have any other pics of it in the car? any pics of the routing for the intercoolers? what type of hose did you use for the throttle body connection? does it hold up to boost well?
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Old Jan 6, 2004 | 05:57 PM
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From: Boosted Land
Car: 92 Z28
Engine: Boosted LSX
I e-mail the guy this link so Im really hoping he chimes in and shows back up with more info..
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Old Jan 8, 2004 | 05:01 PM
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Cool
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Old Jan 10, 2004 | 03:28 PM
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From: SE PA, USA
Car: 89 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: Intercooled Twin Turbo LQ4
Transmission: Tremec TKO 600
Glad to see the interest in my engine. Sorry for not responding sooner, but I am actually in the middle of restoring the body of my car right now and have been tied up in that. I hope to answer all the questions asked in this post, but first I want to thank tpi383 for starting this thread for me and posting the pics.

First off, the engine is a stock 5.7 tpi original to my 89 IROC-Z. The turbo system is intercooled. I used two jy (junkyard) intercoolers from 89 Ford Probe GTs. They mount under the car just in front of the front wheels, and are angeled forward to aid in flow thru them. When you look under the front of the car you see the intercoolers- it looks pretty neat. I also trimmed the inner fender skirts to allow the air to exit into the front well area after it passes thru the intercoolers. Charge temps drop to approx 110° on an 80° day at full boost. I will always recommend and intercooler on a turbocharged application, as intercoolers have numerous benefits (more power, less heat load on the engine, prevents detonation, etc).

As far as the exhaust manifolds, I also heard all the stories. Many people told me I need to use a heating oven, special wire, and special methods to weld to the cast. I had no formal welding training, but I didn't listen to the naysayers, and went ahead and welded the manifolds up myself. I figured since I was not investing big money on the turbos and other components, I could afford to experiment a little. First I cut off the outlet of the manifold where the stock exhaust attaches to. Then I used an acetylene torch to cut a hole in the front upper part of the manifold, were I welded the turbo pedestals to. I bought the turbo mounting flanges off eBay. All the welding was done with a MIG welder. It welded Ok, you can see it in the pictures. I let the manifold air cool after welding. Obviously, I had to block off the original outlet of the manifolds to force all the exhaust to exit out thru the turbo. There is one turbo bolted to each manifold- I am not driving both turbos from the same manifold. Out of the turbos I made downpipes and fabbed a new y-pipe to mate to the factory exhaust. The engine is very quiet when connected to the full exhaust. I added an electronic cut-out in place of the original cat so I can open the exhaust from the drivers seat. Its great to cruise with the open exhaust because everyone can hear the turbos whistle when you drive by. Even with the open exhaust, it is still not very loud because a turbocharger is a surprisingly effective muffler.

As far as oil lines, I used braided -4 AN lines for the inlet. I T'd off from the oil pressure sender just above the oil filter, then T'd agian to each turbo. This is more than adequate, a turbo only requires a very small amount of oil (too much pressure can force the oil past the seals- some guys even run restrictors in the feed line to prevent this). You can see some of the feed lines in the pics. Turbo oil drains are very important, and is a common spot for people to make a mistake. I did a lot of research, and everyone says the same thing. Drains must be as close to vertical as possible and must enter the oil pan ABOVE the oil level in the sump. The reasons for this is that oil exiting the turbo is churned into a foam due to the high RPMs- turbos can spin over 120,000rpm! If the oil has to drain into the pan below the oil level, it will back up in the line and cause the turbo to leak and burn oil. Oil drains should always be larger than the feeds, since there is not very much pressure in the drain. My drains are 1/2" inside diameter rubber hose designed to carry oil. It is similar to power steering pressure hose and has a fabric outer cover to prevent abrasion. This oil drain line is perfect for the application- the hose is cheap, very durable and can be purchased at any auto parts store. I removed the oil pan to braze brass hose barbs into the pan for the drains. This was actually the main reason I pulled the motor to install this system (the only other reason I pulled the motor was to paint it and make it look pretty). I also water cooled the turbos. The turbos I used came factory with water jackets in them, but not all turbos have them. The watercooling isn't absolutly necessary, but it is a benefit. It just adds a little to the complexity (even more hoses to route).

Some guys were wondering why I ran two turbos instead of one larger unit. That is actually a very good question. If I did the project again, I would probably go with a single set-up. It would probably be a little easier to do, plus it would be more efficient and possibly make more power. However, I'm not sure what junkyard turbo I would use, as it would require a pretty big one. Possibly a diesel turbo (like off a power stroker) would work, but I would have to do some research on that (I dont think a power stroke turbo would be cheap, even at a junkyard, but maybe about the same as buying two smaller turbos)(as a side note, a powerstroke intercooler may work if placed in front of the radiator). Also, two smaller turbos can sometimes be packaged a little easier than one big one. If I used one big turbo, all the plumbing would need to be of a larger size. For instance, the downpipe would need to be one 3.5" in diameter pipe instead of two 2.5" like I used- It might be hard to find room to run a pipe that size to the rest of the exhaust. You would also need to run one big pipe for the intercooler- these cars are tight and it may be hard to plumb without cutting everything up. These are just thoughts- Im not saying it would actually be a problem. Twin set-ups do get somewhat complex, with the plumbing running everywhere, but I think that looks cool. Finally, it is feels better to tell people your car has twin turbos- it just has a nice ring to it.

I like the turbos I used on my car, but I would probably use a slightly larger T3 than the ones I used. I feel the Ford SVO 2.3 turbos would work great, but get the ones from a manual trans t-bird if you are using a 350. The manual trans cars had a slightly larger exhaust turbine housings with a .60a/r (a/r stands for area/radius ratio- a measurement used to size turbocharger turbine and compressor housings). My turbos use the .48a/r on the exhaust side and it would be of benefit to make then slightly larger- I would accept some low RPM lag for more top end performance, especially with the 3.70 rear gears I'm running. The TB03 turbos used on the Chrysler engines are basically the same size as the ones I used (with .42 intake a/r and .48 exhaust a/r) and would be another jy turbo option. I like the Volvo and Saab TB03 just because the compressor inlet and outlet can take a standard hose connection, the ford and chryslers used bolt -on apapters which may make plumbing a little more difficult. Some of this info I gave about the jy turbos may not hold out in every instance, but the info I gave is accurate to my knowlege.

One of you said something about keeping the A/C with a turbo set-up. I would have loved to do that, but that would be pretty hard to do. Even if the A/C compressor is mounted on the driver side like in the older cars (I believe the compressor was moved to the passenger side in 88 when converted to serpentine belts), the main problem I can see is you only have the option of running a single turbo on the passenger side. It would be hard to run the downpipe from the turbo past the exhaust manifold and then around the A/C evaporator box, as space would be limited. If you put the turbo on the driver's side and had the a/c compressor on the passenger side, the steering shaft would not allow an adequate sized downpipe to be used. I'm certainly not saying it is impossible, just that it would pose some new problems.

Someone asked about the intake manifold- it is the factory TPI plenum, runners, and manifold. The runners are sanded smooth with 600 grit sand paper and polished with jewler's rouge compound (first red, then white, finished with Mother's hand aluminum polish). The plenum is polished on the front half, then the flames were taped off and painted with rustoleum industrial emanel. The manifold base was just painted silver.

Cost? My goal was to out-perform a bolt-on supercharger while costing less. I think I reached my goal. The turbos cost $350 for the pair, and I rebuilt them- the rebuild kits cost $65 ea. Probe intercoolers cost $20 for the one and $70 for the other (different jy,very different prices!). The rest of the turbo system was more expensive than the main hardware. Those braided lines are nice, but add up quick at over $15 for most of the fittings. You could also have hydraulic lines made at a farm supply store and maybe save a little on that. The exhaust and intake plumbing was, surprisingly, the most expensive part of the project. I bought a bunch of mandrel U-bends from JC Whitney and used that to make my entire intake and exhaust- I just cut it, fit it, then tacked it together and removed the parts to complete the welding. I would figure about $650 for the oil, fuel, intake, and exhaust plumbing (plus a ton of time!). The fuel system and ignition were also a pricy part of the system. Fuel system, with the bigger injectors, fuel pump, and vortech FMU was around $575 (all purchased used off eBay). The MSD BTM (boost timing master) and 6AL cost around $350 (the BTM was used). And of course dont forget the silicon hoses and clamps used on the intercooler plumbing- that also adds up quick- I figure $220. You could save money by just using radiator hose and worm clamps, but that doesn't look very professional. I put in two auto-meter gauges (boost and oil temp) and moved the battery to the spare tire well for space reasons. I could add up to $2700, but the are misc fittings, wiring, etc, etc. Figure I spent around $3000. Still a little cheaper than a supercharger kit, with a lot more 'coolness'.

Balael6 asked about the connection to the TB. I used the stock 'accordian' hose at first. It worked great, or so I thought. When I had it on a chassiss dyno with the hood up, that thing blew up three times its normal size- it stuck 10" above the top of the manifold! Everone that seen it figured I was running very high boost, but it was only 6 or 7psi max. I recently replaced it with a 3" mandrel bent pipe, and it made that blow-off valve sound much better, I guess because that rubber hose had been absorbing the pressure spikes.

Finally, as far as pictures, I have more, but you seen the best ones in TPI383's original post. I am upset at myself for not taking more, and now I have the car all apart for a restoration. It is completly apart- I decided to paint the engine compartment , so I even have the engine out. So I cannot really take any more pictures until I get the car back together. However, I plan to completly assemble the intake, intercooler and exhaust while the engine is on the stand so you can see all the plumbing. I will try to post that picture, but it may be a while before I can even take that pic.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to answer all the questions.

Last edited by 89JYturbo; Jan 10, 2004 at 03:31 PM.
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Old Jan 12, 2004 | 02:34 AM
  #19  
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nice setup. I gotta give ya props for this one. Very Very nicely done. As for running two turbos, yeah it may have been harder than just one but here's a couple things to think about:
Rather than running one big turbo, running two smaller turbos can spool up faster and so it gives you more bottom end. The only problem with smaller turbos is you cannot create the same amounts of boost at higher RPMs than you could with a larger turbo.

So it all depends on what kind of application you're using your turbos for. Running two smaller turbos gives you more bottom end but less top end where one larger turbo gives you less bottom end but more top end. I've also seen whats known as twin sequential turbos where there are two smaller turbos that spool tow larger turbos. Gives you bottom end AND top end

I did a research paper for a history class a couple months ago on turbochargers
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Old Jan 12, 2004 | 12:17 PM
  #20  
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From: SE PA, USA
Car: 89 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: Intercooled Twin Turbo LQ4
Transmission: Tremec TKO 600
When it comes to hardware selection for a performance application, I guess there is always a compromise. Turbocharger selection and size is certainly no different.
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Old Jan 13, 2004 | 03:14 PM
  #21  
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From: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Car: 1992 B4C 1LE
Engine: Proaction 412, Accel singleplane
Transmission: built 700R4 w/custom converter
Axle/Gears: stock w/later 4th gen torsen pos
Originally posted by 89JYturbo
When it comes to hardware selection for a performance application, I guess there is always a compromise. Turbocharger selection and size is certainly no different.
Thats what hotrodding has always been about.
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Old Feb 6, 2004 | 07:16 AM
  #22  
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From: Boosted Land
Car: 92 Z28
Engine: Boosted LSX
bump....

for those of you who wanted better pic's of the manifolds..

Im ceramic coating them now. and will post after pic's also.





Last edited by FSTFBDY; Mar 19, 2004 at 11:20 PM.
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Old Mar 20, 2004 | 10:31 PM
  #23  
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From: Oakville, Ct
Car: 1991Firebird T/A
Engine: 350
Transmission: Modified Viper t-56
Axle/Gears: dana 44, 3.55
what manifolds are those??

are they the stock tpi mani's?

Steve
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Old Mar 21, 2004 | 06:30 AM
  #24  
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From: Boosted Land
Car: 92 Z28
Engine: Boosted LSX
Yes stock ones modified
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Old May 3, 2004 | 10:59 PM
  #25  
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Car: 5.3L turbo 2800lbs RWD
Engine: Prefer 3L Iron & 5.3L Aluminum
Transmission: 4l80e
Axle/Gears: 3.512
Ive got a question or two or three.
are you running serpentine or Vbelts?
do you have power steering? power brakes?

I think im going to make my manifolds like that. what kind of mig welder, pure argon? .030 solid core?
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Old May 4, 2004 | 05:33 PM
  #26  
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From: SE PA, USA
Car: 89 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: Intercooled Twin Turbo LQ4
Transmission: Tremec TKO 600
I'm using an accessory drive I procured from a salvage yard 87 carbureted Z28. It uses the 5 rib belt for the alternator, and two standard v-belts on the P/S pump. There is no A/C or smog pump. I also modified the alternator brackets to mount the alternator lower (I now use the lower-most accessory hole in the front of the cylinder head as the main pivot bolt for the alternator).

The braking system is the stock power assist type, with a few of the lines modified for clearance with the exhaust. I made new lines to fit between the MC and the combo valve, as the LH turbo outlet was too close to the factory lines.

I'm not exactly sure of the specs on my welding equipment- I think the tire is a .032" flux core, and the gas was argon. I will double check tomorro at work and let you know if this is incorrect. Many people suggest heating the manifold in an oven, but I just let mine air cool, and did not have any cracking problems after a year of driving. I had no formal welding training, so don't bank on my welding suggestions!
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Old May 4, 2004 | 09:05 PM
  #27  
THEGENERAL's Avatar
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From: Staunton,illinois
Car: 1966 impala , 1998 sebring vert,1978 buick regal turbo, 1991 chevy silverado 3/4ton 4x4 lifted
Engine: 283, 2.5,3.8 turbo 350
Transmission: powerglide,auto overdrive, th350,4L80
man those manifolds look awsome ....good work ...keep it up
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Old May 7, 2004 | 06:38 PM
  #28  
Kingtal0n's Avatar
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From: Fl
Car: 5.3L turbo 2800lbs RWD
Engine: Prefer 3L Iron & 5.3L Aluminum
Transmission: 4l80e
Axle/Gears: 3.512
Another question, you fail to mention what BOV's you are running, where you got them and how much they cost? and are there 2 of them?
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Old May 7, 2004 | 09:50 PM
  #29  
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From: SE PA, USA
Car: 89 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: Intercooled Twin Turbo LQ4
Transmission: Tremec TKO 600
I was running a single Blitz BOV. I didn't like the sound, so I switched it to a TurboXS RFL BOV. I have the car all apart for restoration, so it will be a bit befroe I get to try out the new BOV. The Blitz valve was about $125 if I remember correclty (purchased used off of eBay).
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Old Sep 4, 2004 | 12:20 AM
  #30  
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From: Faribault, Minnesota
Car: 1989 IROC-Z
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
Wow..this has been the most informative post on jy turbo build up I have seen on this board!

Would u recommend using 2.3 Tbird turbos for a 383? Im building a TT383 this winter and it will be hopefully a junkyard build up like yours!

Also where do u find rebuild kits for turbos?

Lastly how hard was it to tune ur EFI? What ECM are u using?

thanks
Jason
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Old Sep 4, 2004 | 09:55 AM
  #31  
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From: Boosted Land
Car: 92 Z28
Engine: Boosted LSX
I myself was gona put 2 60/63 T3's on a 406. but desided to go with a Single Big Turbo instead.
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Old Sep 4, 2004 | 12:17 PM
  #32  
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From: SE PA, USA
Car: 89 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: Intercooled Twin Turbo LQ4
Transmission: Tremec TKO 600
I think the larger T3 turbos (the .60A/R compressor, .63A/R turbine versions found on manual trans cars) would be well suited to a 383. I haven't actually mapped them personally to the 383, but many are using them for the 350cid range with good results. If you want to see some real impressive results from turbos like these, visit www.toohighpsi.com. They are a Ford crew, but impressive none-the-less.

I purchased my rebuild kits from TurboCity in Florida. They cost around $90 each IIRC. If I had it to do over, I would have went to a turbo shop somewhat local to me (Blouh Turbo in Lebanon, PA). I could have gotten the kits cheaper, and they are very helpful. Check to see if you can find a turbo shop locally, if not TurboCity has good kits with good instructions. Check with a diesel truck shop in your area- they will know where to find a good turbo shop because almost all diesel engines use turbochargers.

As for the tuning, it didn't give me much of a poblem. I am doing it the simple way though- using an FMU. The FMU, in case you don't already know, is simply a boost refrenced fuel pressure regulator. As boost increases, it starts to close off the fuel return line to raise pressure. I have the 8:1 ratio plate in my Vortec Super FMU, and the fuel curve appears to be very close. I used my factory O2 sensor and a datalogging scan tool to make sure the mixture stayed in the .880v range. I suggest using a wide band A/F meter (like from Innovate Motorsports)if you want to dial it in perfectly. I run a Vortec 50/70 inline fuel pump, as the stock pump may not be capable of supplying the needed fuel volume at a high pressure. The FMU drives fuel pressure to around 100psi at 6psi boost. Base ignition timing is set to +4°,with an MSD BTM pulling out 3/4° per pound of boost for pump gas. I also run Ford SVO 24# fuel injectors. Oh yes, and the computer program has not been touched- it is completely stock.
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Old Sep 4, 2004 | 02:01 PM
  #33  
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From: Faribault, Minnesota
Car: 1989 IROC-Z
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
wow so there really isnt much tuning...I know I will have to have my chip redone to suit my 383.

Now for the turbos that u were talking about (60/63) are those ones that are stock on a car or are they aftermarket?

Thanks for the web site I'm goin to go float around there for a lil bit.

Jason
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Old Sep 4, 2004 | 03:07 PM
  #34  
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From: SE PA, USA
Car: 89 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: Intercooled Twin Turbo LQ4
Transmission: Tremec TKO 600
Please dont get me wrong, the tuning of a turbocharged engine is key for good performance and reliability. But for me, the mild twin turbo system done on a budget using an otherwise stock engine, tuning didn't require anything fancy. In all non-boost situations, it is nice to have the factory prom for driveability, then the FMU provides the needed fuel under boost. Like you mentioned, you will probably need a custom chip anyway since you will be running larger displacement.

As far as the 60/63 T3s, they were available only on the manual trans t-birds in certain years. They were installed factory. However, they are readily available in the aftermarket as well. Check on eBay- it shouldn't be too much trouble to turn up a pair. BTW, from what I've heard, you want to stay away from the IHI turbos used on certain years of t-birds because they are too small for larger displacement applications.
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Old Sep 5, 2004 | 01:42 PM
  #35  
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From: Faribault, Minnesota
Car: 1989 IROC-Z
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
Ok thanks for the great info. I dug around a lil bit on ebay and did find a few out there for a pretty decent price.

Would you recommend makin my own headers or modifing the stock manifolds like you did? I have the stockers lying around from my 305 that I could use or I could just buy a weld up kit for the headers and make my own...either way doesnt matter but which is a better way to go?
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Old Sep 5, 2004 | 04:57 PM
  #36  
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From: SE PA, USA
Car: 89 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: Intercooled Twin Turbo LQ4
Transmission: Tremec TKO 600
Each way would have advantages. A well designed header may have more power potential, but may leak quicker/warp if the flanges are not heavy enough (3/8" minimum, 1/2" would be ideal). The turbocharger is pretty heavy, and as a rule turbo manifolds must endure more heat stress due to the back pressure induced by the turbine (exhaust manifold pressure is usaully higher than intake manifold boost). Of course the modified stock manifolds will be easier to fabricate, and done correctly will be more reliable. I chose this route because it was cheapest and easiest. Unless you're going for all out performance, I don't think you will notice a power difference either. Notice that the modified stock manifolds are very close in overall design to the Banks manifolds. The Banks manifolds are capable of over 800hp which proves the 'log' manifold design's effectiveness. You could also easily add the waste-gate ports to the front of the modified stock manifolds if you decide to use an external gate. Of course, you could just buy the Banks manifolds, IIRC they want $800-900 for them though.

Here is a pic of the banks manifolds- notice the design similarities to a modified stock manifold:
Attached Thumbnails 89 TwinTurbo Iroc-banks-manifolds.jpg  

Last edited by 89JYturbo; Sep 5, 2004 at 05:00 PM.
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Old Sep 5, 2004 | 08:42 PM
  #37  
Kingtal0n's Avatar
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From: Fl
Car: 5.3L turbo 2800lbs RWD
Engine: Prefer 3L Iron & 5.3L Aluminum
Transmission: 4l80e
Axle/Gears: 3.512
Mine

my manifolds! i mean HIS manifolds.. I mean MY copies of HIS manifolds...

Im thinking of selling my twin turbo setup, it works great but... I need to rebuild the motor and cant afford it right now, so Im actually considering instead of selling the whole car Ill just sell the turbo setup complete and use that cash to rebuild the motor...

If you want more pics, http://www.geocities.com/kingtaling

there is a complete list of every part I used for my turbo setup, including info on obtaining it and where I got it from and how it was used. Good luck guys.
Attached Thumbnails 89 TwinTurbo Iroc-manfild.jpg  
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Old Sep 5, 2004 | 08:48 PM
  #38  
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From: Fl
Car: 5.3L turbo 2800lbs RWD
Engine: Prefer 3L Iron & 5.3L Aluminum
Transmission: 4l80e
Axle/Gears: 3.512
Originally posted by Kingtal0n
Ive got a question or two or three.
are you running serpentine or Vbelts?
do you have power steering? power brakes?

I think im going to make my manifolds like that. what kind of mig welder, pure argon? .030 solid core?
Just one more thing. A funny thing, it was 5-04-04 when I posted the above, today is 9-5-04 exactly 4 months later, and the turbo setup has been on, run, made some serious power, blew my motor, LOL what a trip! amazing looking back only a few months and I didnt even know how A turbo worked or how I was going to connect it to the motor. Just goes to show you that ANYONE can do this, or anything for that matter, if they really want to do the research and push themselves. My biggest failure, was not enough money (as it says on my site) if I had only a mere $200 or so more cash to spend on the project It would still be going strong.
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Old Sep 5, 2004 | 09:30 PM
  #39  
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From: College Park, MD
I can relate, sort of. I ordered the BBSDesigns S/S twin turbo kit to put on the stock L98 until I could build an engine, then a week later my L98 drank lots of water and now I need to build an engine, heh.

I'm still going through with the project (even though I'm low on funds), but now it's going to be a boosted rebuilt L98 with better internals.

I'd say if there's any way you can swing it, keep the car as current and just save up money to rebuild it, I'm sure you'll really miss the twin turbos if you go back N/A.
As for all the custom home made turbo kits you guys have the resources to make, keep it up, it's inspirational!
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