Differences between non tubo and turbo 3.8 engine?

[maddboost]

What are the differences in the 3.8 liter non turbo engine and the 3.8 liter turbo engine in a 87 Regal? Does the turbo have lower compression because of larger combustion chambers or dished pistons? Anybody converted a non turbo 3.8 to a turbo 3.8?

 

[750H.P.V6]

maddboost,

On '86-'87 engines the compression ratio from the factory is around 8:1. Without looking it up I beleive it's advertised at 8.2:1. The engines are basically the same except the pistons and crankshaft. Block, heads and rods interchange. You could install all the turbo externals on a non-turbo engine but the longevity would be less. I hope this answers your question.

Good Luck

Neal

 

[Ormand]

To convert a non-turbo CAR to a turbo is a fair PITA, and not because of the engine. There are so many other differences between the set-ups, like the wiring harness and the fuel tank. If you already had a turbo car, and were just going to use the engine, then it would not be so bad. Just get the engine rebuilt, using pistons for a turbo, and other parts to match the power level you expect.