F body Hybrid
- Thread starter boostleak
- Start date
turbolimited
Bone Stock :)
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
Get the TTA motor mount kit from HR parts and stuff. gonna be pricey, but worth it. It includes the mounts for the engine block, and the two frame pad mounts. They're fun to change too... 
turbolimited
Bone Stock :)
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
there's a list on here somewhere, but from memory, you'll need an engine wiring harness for a TTA, or a Casper's kit for your stock G-body wiring harness to mate up to your F-Body, tranny cross member for the 200 4R and torque arm. Then you have to think about what heads to run. If you run GN heads, this will require you to run GN headers, which will cause problems with downpipe clearance, heater box clearance, etc. If you run TTA heads, You'll have to round up a set of TTA headers - which are getting pricey. That is pretty much it in a nutshell. The rest of the stuff is relatively straight forward. Good luck!
here's a link to a fellow board member with some extra TTA (style) heads for sale:
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196156&page=2&pp=10
here's a link to a fellow board member with some extra TTA (style) heads for sale:
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196156&page=2&pp=10
JRNYMNDAVID
MACSTURBOTA
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2006
boostleak said:
Buick 3.8L Turbo Charged Engine Swap into F-Body
Dave|Xoxide Jun 16 2006 - 2:23pm
Q: Can I swap a Buick 3.8L Turbocharged engine into my F-body?
A: Steve Kaminski Turbo High Performance (Dept. CC, 2 Derby Dr., Sewell NJ 08080, 609/881-3235) does engine conversions of Buick V-6s into third generation F-cars. Some engine components used in the limited production 20th-anniversary turbo Trans Am (TA) are different than those used in the original (and far more common) Buick Grand National (GN). These revisions were needed to fit the turbo Buick into the third generation F-cars narrower engine bay.
The TA turbo engine's cylinder heads are from the '86 Buick FWD Le Sabre (PN 25536701, casting no. 22536702). This head design uses individual stud mounted rockers in place of the original Buick V-6's shaft mounted rocker arms, so virtually every vauletrain part from the pushrods on up won't interchange. However, becuase this head and similarly designed siblings were common in FWD applications, GM still stocks most parts, and they are not that hard to find in the salvage yard. The TA short-blocks use different pistons to compensate for the Le Sabre heads' smaller combustion chamber volume; standard GM pistons would bump the compression from about 8.0:1 to 9.0:1--acceptabe on premium pump gas at stock boost levels.
Turbo TA's require different exhaust manifolds (PN 25536214, right hand, discontinued; 25536215, left hand) than GN engines. With one side discontinued, custom headers are needed.
Original GN heads fit the F-car engine bay by deleting the A/C system-but custom headers are still needed. Retain proper serpentine belt operation with a Chevy V-8/90-degree V-6 belt idler pully (PN 10055890) that bolts in place of the GM R-4 radial A/C compressor. Replace the A/C evaporator, heater core, and evaporatior covers with the non-A/C heater core, heater core box, and related accessories (part numbers vary by year).
Although the GN TH200-R4 interfaces with the existing TH700-R4 shifter and shifter cable, installation of the Buick trans in an F-car requires the unique turbo TA trans support crossmember (PN 12396766) with cushions (547704, lowe; 547702 upper; three each required). The existing V-8 rear suspension torque arm interfaces with the standard F-cars trans mount (PN 17989705) and the turbo V-6 trans support crossmember via special brackets (PN 12396758 , outer; 12396756, inner). The trans support crossmember and torque arm are no longer availabe from GM.
Alternativly, mate the Chevy V-8 TH700-R4 trans case to the Buick/Olds/Pontiac engine block using TCI Automotive (Dept. CC, 1 Equion Blvd., Ashland, MS 38603, 601/224-8972) adapter plate (TCI PN 230001)--the existing trans crossmember and torque arm brackets bolt up with no additional mods. The Buick computer can control the 700 trans, but the Chevy computer won't run the Buick engine. The 700 is stronger than the TH200-R4 and Kaminski claims the turbo engines run quicker with the Chevy trans.
Kaminski offers stronger, thicker engine mounting barckets in place of the now discontinued GM items. The rubber/metal engine mounts that bolt up to the frame are still available from GM (PN 2213326, two required). The accelerator control cable is the same as used on the Chevy TPI V-8 F-cars (PN 14080202), but the TV cable (PN 25532115) and the cruise-control servo cable (PN 25525358) are specific to the turbo Buick-all cables are still available.
The existing V-8 radiator works. GN radiators had an internal engine oil cooler, but the TA used a cooler similar to the Camaro/Firebird V-8 sandwhich style cooler. On the Buick, the cooler and a special adapter were sandwhiched between the Buick oil filter and the oil pump cover. Key parts for a Buick system are not available-go with a universal aftermarket cooler.
You can still get the ECM module (its the same as the turbo GN, PN 1227148), turbo TA Engine/ECM harness (PN 12069323), and EPROM calibrator (part numbers vary-see your dealer)
{FROM F-BODY.COM}
JRNYMNDAVID
MACSTURBOTA
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2006
turbolimited said:
TTA HEADERS ARE DISCONTINUED!
You'll have to make a custom set or "try" to find a used set[good luck!]
turbolimited
Bone Stock :)
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
Thus the reason they are so pricey - that is if you can even find a decent set of used ones laying around.JRNYMNDAVID said:
UR50SLO
The Reaper
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2001
Another view...
Don't want to step on toes here but there's a cheap way to do this too.
You can use the GN (Frame pads) off any 3.8L G body.
HR parts poly engine mounts for the G-Body work excellent.
GN heads and headers work fine.. no fab work needed.
I'd take off the v8 or v6 mounts you had on your crossmember, mount the engine and frame pads on the block&Trans. Mock up where your trans is going to mount under the car and firewall clearance.. Tac weld the frame pads in place once everything is alligned and streight. pull the engine/trans back out and weld the frame pads to the cross member.
You'll need to make a custom torqe arm bracket off the transmission crossmember you'll need to make too. (not that hard)
GN wire harness fits and works great too. I have a list of conversion to wire it up here. (somewhere) lol...
I've done two of these... the one was runing 10.90's on pump gas the other 11.50's .. both owners helped with the cars and knew alot more when it was done and were more comfortable working on it afterwards.
E-mail me if you've got questions on the swap... it's definatly worth the extra work.... I now own the one I built that ran 10.90's
~Scott
UR50SLO@aol.com
Be glad to help
Don't want to step on toes here but there's a cheap way to do this too.
You can use the GN (Frame pads) off any 3.8L G body.
HR parts poly engine mounts for the G-Body work excellent.
GN heads and headers work fine.. no fab work needed.
I'd take off the v8 or v6 mounts you had on your crossmember, mount the engine and frame pads on the block&Trans. Mock up where your trans is going to mount under the car and firewall clearance.. Tac weld the frame pads in place once everything is alligned and streight. pull the engine/trans back out and weld the frame pads to the cross member.
You'll need to make a custom torqe arm bracket off the transmission crossmember you'll need to make too. (not that hard)
GN wire harness fits and works great too. I have a list of conversion to wire it up here. (somewhere) lol...
I've done two of these... the one was runing 10.90's on pump gas the other 11.50's .. both owners helped with the cars and knew alot more when it was done and were more comfortable working on it afterwards.
E-mail me if you've got questions on the swap... it's definatly worth the extra work.... I now own the one I built that ran 10.90's
~Scott
UR50SLO@aol.com
Be glad to help
If you really are interested in doing this conversion call me or email me. I have done many swaps from 3rd. & 4th gen F-bodies to G-bodies,El Caminos to a brand new 92 corvette. I have NOS heads. I build the brackets & mounts. I can even make the headers and downpipe.
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/features/0109gmhtp_v6_buick_turbo_charged/
Steve Kaminski
(856)881-3235
skturbo@aol.com
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/features/0109gmhtp_v6_buick_turbo_charged/
Steve Kaminski
(856)881-3235
skturbo@aol.com
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UR50SLO
The Reaper
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2001
Don't let the guy's in the Trasmission section see that comment!
Definatly a wrong answer there. Stock GN headers work great in the F-body. No fitment problems at all with stock GN heads/headers. Downpipe is tight unless you remove and re-inforce some sheet metal there on the pass. side unibody (down low) where it's not noticeable. We had a 3 1/2 DP on the Camaro.
We used the South Side Machiene lift bars on our Camaro. That deletes the torque arm all together! SSM is now out of buisness. :frown: I do have the dementions and plans if someone would want to dupicate their product for the 82-92F-body.
www.Spohn.net makes a crossmember for the torque arm bracket now. Avalible from them or Hawks 3'd Gen.
Alot of good information in that write up with part numbers... but some of the info needs to be updated.
Any progress?
~Scott
turbolimited
Bone Stock :)
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
I saw a very nice 79 or 80 white TA at Bowling Green about 3 years ago. It was parked in vendor row, but I have no idea whose it is. I can say for certain that at least one has been done before, but I don't know what all was required and whether any of the 3rd gen tricks will work on a 2nd gen F-body.
Nick
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