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adding 78/9 turbo setup to 1987 231 v6 in a regal?

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techg8

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Mar 1, 2009
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I am considering purchasing an 87 regal with 231 6cyl in good running condition, about 75k miles.

The idea would be to add a carbed turbo setup to the running engine. I have a complete 78 or 79 engine core, and a functional oddfire v6 with a turbo6 carbed setup on it.

My question is, can a 78-79 turbo setup be swapped onto the 87 231 v6? What issues if any might I run into? I am aware that the hood will need some clearance for the turbo to fit.

This is not a project for max power, rather for the fun of it. And to see what I can squeeze out of a carbed turbo 6.

thanks for any assistance.
 
Search CharlieF1 on this board for good, solid hot air car info. I think he has a thread on Hot Air cars linked in his signature.

You'll also find a lot of just plain Hot Air from him, but that's the price you must pay......... :ROFLMAO:
 
its a challange to say the least when it comes to the power dept.... but for the swap, its pretty straight forward. Do you plan on keeping the system with emissions control etc etc, or are you going to strip it down for a basic system?
 
Thanks for your replies.

My 78-9 engine core has a knock sensor and turbo timing unit attached to the dist. It did not come with a CCC harness (it was supposedly pulled from an 82 car). I should take more of a look at exactly what ive got on the engine stand. I do know the manifolds and block code to 78-79

I suppose if I wanted to CCC the thing I could modify the existing CCC harness from the 87 231, if it indeed were a carbed system.

whats your opinion - which would be a better route and why? CCC or non CCC? Seems to me non computer might be plain easier.
 
that depends largely on who you talk to.... most guys here prefer the ultra stock run like the factory type of instal and system. that uses the original CCC and the knock sensor etc etc etc... they run real nice and seem to have great performance (for a carb turbo). if your wanting something that just all fits and runs nice, this would be the way to go. but honestly for the work.... you might consider a 87 turbo system. Most people who run carb turbo either want full originality of the particular car... or are plain nuts and are out to prove points.

There is the other few select couple of us... Me, Charlie, Matt, Adam being some of the guys that stripped the system down and made it a real performer - though it came with a ton of work. it comes down to a matter of personal choice.

I myself am 100% hybrid... no G-body here for me, so i went the stripped down all out performance version. I prefer it in this way because the limitations of the carb turbo system can be eliminated and corrected if your willing to venture off the beaten Buick path. In the end, very little of the original buick turbo stuff actually remains. and on mine, I can count easily... the left right exhaust manifolds... and the up pipe to the turbo... oh and the AC bracket system. The rest is all swapped in parts or aftermarket pieces. Just depends on what your trying to do... I am trying to get 10s maybe even 9s from this dinosaur of a turbo system - others just want it to run right.... :P
 
TurboTGuy said:
You'll also find a lot of just plain Hot Air from him, but that's the price you must pay......... :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...

Not as much hot air as you'll get from Guy though.:smuggrin:

The only thing is the 78 uses a low port head and the 79 up use the high port head. The intakes and heads don't interchange except as heads up units. They never made one for an odd fire so where you got that is a bit of a mystery. The simplest way to do it is the stock 79-83 set up with a Holley carb for boost reference and the J&S electronics control unit for detonation issues. The most expensive part will be the control box from J&S.
 
No hot air here Charlie, I just blow smoke......... :woot:
 
checked some casting numbers.

Both setups I have appear to be 78 style.
pass Exhaust manifold 1256846-2 and-1
Block 1261438
intakes 1257407
plenum 1258703

My goal would be to get whatever performance I could tune out of it. driveability of course, but emissions arent a concern for me, nor is restoring a car back to originality, obviously.

That oddfire setup I bought out of someones jeep - It had a blown headgasket. I regasketed the setup and put it in my 83 Cutlass for a short while. Its now on the stand. I didnt like how noisy and shaky the oddfire was. Sounded like a jeep. but it didrun and boost, although detonation was a real problem.

So back to the regal - Sounds like I would be looking at a head and intake etc swap to be able to use the 78 parts on the 87 engine.
Is it possible to modify the ports on the 78 manifolds to fit or is it a question of bolt pattern?
Maybe I am better off trying to score a 79+ turbo setup?
Maybe I should just build up the complete 78 engine and swap it in?

PS I do have an edelbrock 5487 cam and lifters etc. that I was saving for a project like this.
 
since it seems you are at a disadvantage with the odd fire stuff. its not worth the time honestly to fit the odd fire intake to the highport heads. I can good price you an intake and exhaust if you need it. Detonation will always be a problem with this system. Thats part of the limitations we go after when we start swapping all kinds of aftermarket pieces in. hot air + hot fuel charge = detonation in a system that compresses everything at the same time, top it off with an ignition system that isnt the fastest or the smartest and you have a handful when you begin looking for maximum power. Agh the joys of a carb turbo system.
 
dr_frankenstein said:
since it seems you are at a disadvantage with the odd fire stuff. its not worth the time honestly to fit the odd fire intake to the highport heads. I can good price you an intake and exhaust if you need it. Detonation will always be a problem with this system. Thats part of the limitations we go after when we start swapping all kinds of aftermarket pieces in. hot air + hot fuel charge = detonation in a system that compresses everything at the same time, top it off with an ignition system that isnt the fastest or the smartest and you have a handful when you begin looking for maximum power. Agh the joys of a carb turbo system.
Click to expand...

I am sorry I wasnt clearer. I have 2 engines, each with a 78 turbo setup, intake and exhaust on it.

The 67 oddfire (225ci or whatever) engine has later (than 67) 231 heads on it as well as the 78 pieces.
The other engine appears to be a complete 78 231 turbo engine.

So I essentially have two 1978 turbo setups.

I gather that the exhaust ports on 79+ 231 heads are different sizes than on the 78 heads that I have. So the 78 exhaust manifoilds I have will not work on the 87 231 I am considering in the regal.

Is it then a matter of swapping the 78 heads onto the 87 engine?
 
Last edited:
techg8 said:
IIs it then a matter of swapping the 78 heads onto the 87 engine?
Click to expand...
this would be a large step backwards in performance.... it will run... but you will find it was not worth the work. The stock intake is one of the largest problems in the carb turbo system, and you compound this issue with the low port heads and intake. But if your dedicated to doing it... yes it will swap on.
 
Thanks for your replies. I understand what you were saying about the intake now.

I am trying to get my head around the complexities of the job, so I do appreciate your input.


I am not married to the idea of using my 78 stuff, but I do have it so its an attractive idea.

Did you mention you have a hi port intake and exh manifold you might part with?
 
I ran an older setup for years in my old sand car.
fully studded,o-ringed and ran pure AV gas I could run 18-22 psi depending on ambient air temp.
that engine ran very hard and probably still will If I had something to put it in.
I thought about doing the same thing you are but with a full MSD setup with the boost retard box and billet distributor and install a new MSD fuel injection setup on it with a wideband correction.
 
The intake and headers/exhaust parts are all you'd need if you want to put it on an 87 engine and heads.
 
I'm soo glad us guys have already played with and beat these things to death in the past that we can help out now. Ok ok I have not contributed yet...... I will.
 
I had fun with one of the Drawthrough systems. It was from a 1978 3.8 Riviera. Installed it on a 1984 3.0 engine. I only ever had the system, but no wiring. For engine management I used a throttle body injector from a 350, with 2-BAR MAP. This ECM had a knock sensor.
It was fun, but the timing gear was plastic and it failed and ruined the engine. I have plans for this in the future. It's too unusual not to use it!

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