Check out THIS!! Turbo!!!!!

[TTypeRiv]

Here are some pics of my turbo that I removed from my Riviera. Long story short, I fried it.

But long story, I had done a custom turbo install on my 1987 Buick Riviera. This took some time, but it was well worth it. While I was doing the installation with a friend, he mentioned that he had an oil cooler from a ford turbo coupe. So I stopped by his garage and picked it up. After I had everything for the cooler run, he asked me if I had cleaned out the cooler. I said no, but it shouldn't be a problem. We both knew which running car it came from and it was hanging on the wall where nothing really could get to it. Well, something did and built a mud nest inside. So when I started the car for the first time with the turbo, the turbo wasn't getting oil. So the bearings quickly went on that turbo. I fixed the cooler and cleaned it out, but that didn't stop the terrible noise coming from the bearings. So I pulled that turbo, sold it on ebay and bought a second stock turbo. I installed this and ran it for about 5000 miles. Car ran well and I enjoied it. But I started losing boost. I was only running 8lbs since it is not really set up for a turbo. But slowly it started burning oil and losing boost, 6lbs, then 5lbs, and so on. So I decided that I should get yet a third turbo. When I pulled the turbo off that was losing boost, I noticed that the intake fins were destroyed!!! I couldn't figure out what happened to them. Then I noticed a nut in the mass air flow sensor. This nut was stock inbetween the mass air flow sensor and the intake of the turbo and just eventually destroyed the intake fins. From what I can tell, the nut came from the first turbo off the end of the intake wheels. And evidently I didn't see it when I put the second one on. But none the less, this is one of the worst turbos I have seen. I am sure there are worse, but this one is good.

So needless to say, I am selling this turbo. If you would like to purchase it, I have it for sale on ebay. I also have many other GN goodies for sale. Check out my auction page:
http://motors.search.ebay.com/_W0QQfrppZ50QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQrdZ0QQsassZzef66
or my thread:
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152228


And also to note. I have purchased a T-34 that I am in the process on installing. Just a few things were different that I had to change. But hopefully I will have the Riv up and running again!

 

[TTypeRiv]

second photo

 

[85 TR]

im amazed someones looked wores than mine , i pluged my valve cover to intake with a rubber plug that had a pin throuhg it to expand the ruber and that fell into the turbo and took good care of the turbine but not as bad as your's

 

[TTypeRiv]

Originally posted by 85 TR
im amazed someones looked wores than mine , i pluged my valve cover to intake with a rubber plug that had a pin throuhg it to expand the ruber and that fell into the turbo and took good care of the turbine but not as bad as your's

Yeah, I just figured that since I bought a cheap used turbo that the bearings were bad and that was the cause of the lost boost and smoke. So I just kept running the car. Guess I should have taken it apart earlier...

 

[BuickTV6]

TTypeRiv: just a quick question. I looked at your car pics on cardomain, and I am impressed with the setup. Just curious as to how it ran and performed with the stock hotair turbo? Was it pretty quick?

 

[TTypeRiv]

Originally posted by BuickTV6
TTypeRiv: just a quick question. I looked at your car pics on cardomain, and I am impressed with the setup. Just curious as to how it ran and performed with the stock hotair turbo? Was it pretty quick?

I was impressed with the performance that the stock turbo added. Even with the fins getting chewed up. I never really ran it at the track, but it always did well around town. My car stock with out the turbo ran a 16.9. And I figure that the turbo took off about a second and a half. Just how it felt from what I could tell. so I figured mid 15s. With the T-34 I am hoping it will break into the 14s. That was my goal from the beginning. Oh, and the motor is the stock 165,000 mile motor. The tranny has been rebuilt, but just back to stock. So overall, I think it does pretty good.

 

[racemybuick]

wow! with all that custom piping, you can go with whatever stinking turbo you want!!!! That looks totally awesome!!! crank in come ALKY and crank up the boost dude!!!!

John

 

[Hotair85]

TtypeRiv:

I was checking your setup out and had a few questions about it, as I think I might go out and buy a Riv/Le Sabre of that vintage and do the same thing as you! My first question was where did you tap into oil pressure. Second was how did you get the waste gate to work? I understand (correct me if I'm wrong) that the GN's ECM tells the waste gate when to pop via the MAP reading (I think). I think it acheives this through a little vacuum block with a valve of some sort in it that opens/closes off vacuum to the actuator. Did you use that vacuum block and get a 3-bar MAP or something? Or did you simply use a boost controller? Also, I'm curious as to what kind of piping you used. It almost looks like flex pipe of some sort in the pics. But it could just be my eyes. I'd appreciate it if you'd post something answering my questions.

Thanx!

 

[TTypeRiv]

Originally posted by Hotair85
TtypeRiv:

I was checking your setup out and had a few questions about it, as I think I might go out and buy a Riv/Le Sabre of that vintage and do the same thing as you! My first question was where did you tap into oil pressure. Second was how did you get the waste gate to work? I understand (correct me if I'm wrong) that the GN's ECM tells the waste gate when to pop via the MAP reading (I think). I think it acheives this through a little vacuum block with a valve of some sort in it that opens/closes off vacuum to the actuator. Did you use that vacuum block and get a 3-bar MAP or something? Or did you simply use a boost controller? Also, I'm curious as to what kind of piping you used. It almost looks like flex pipe of some sort in the pics. But it could just be my eyes. I'd appreciate it if you'd post something answering my questions.

Thanx!

Hey, I am glad to answer your questions. I wish someone would have answered some of mine when I was doing it. I tired posting on the board, but no one really answered. Anyway....

For the oil line, I tapped into where the oil pressure sending unit screws on. It is over on the pass side down by the frame. I just pulled the oil pressure sending unit out and used some 1/8" piping from a hardware store and a T to connect the oil pressure sending unit back up and an oil line. I ran this oil line, which ended up being about 5' long, over to the top of the turbo. If you notice, the turbo is "clocked" in that it doesn't have the same orientation as the regular 85 does. I needed the intake and exhaust to be at the same side. And the oil return I ran back down the same way in front of my engine and drilled a hole in my oil pan. I am having a little trouble with this leaking right now, but I think it jsut needs tightened.

The wastegate is just the stock wastegate from an 85. I used the wastegate solenoid from an 85. Yes, that does pick up from the MAP sensor. But I searched through the 85 wiring diagram and found that the MAP sensor for a GN is on the same circut as the charcoal canister. So I tapped into the wiring for my charcoal canister and used that to power the wastegate solenoid. And that worked okay. But it wasn't very responsive. I was getting boost after I would let off for a little bit. So I went to a manual boost controler and that works great. It was just a cheap one from ebay, but it works fine.

I also had to unhook the vaccum line going to the transmission. The one that controls the vaccum modulator. This isn't really a problem. I talked to my tranny shop and they said that the modulator is only on there to soften the shifts to make it a more pleasurable driving experience. So it does shift a little hard. Espically when its cold. But I don't really care, I mean, come on, it has a turbo. But I also had to put one way vaccum valves like are on the GN in the other vaccum lines so that they would not get boost when I hit the boost. This seems to work fine too.

As far as the piping, that is what the exhaust shop used. I just mounted the turbo and took the car to my exhaust shop and he did the rest. He did a really nice job running everything. Yes, he used a section of flexible exhaust piping to keep the engine from ripping the turbo off under torque. But it still torques the turbo pretty good. So I think I am going to try replacing the motor mounts, or just chaining the engine.

I hope that helps you out a bit. If you have any other questions, please let me know. And I can take more detailed pics if you want. Just holler.