Great News!

[John84GN]

BFH, TurboRegal84, and all those who gave me such good advise about "help, what to do next"...I just got word from the turbo manufacturer, and they are going to warrenty their turbo, and a new one is already in the mail at no cost to me!!! Well, I guess I'll be back on the road soon, and I just wanted to know if their are any important "tid-bits", or things that aren't obvious, that I need to know upon re-installation. Also, is there a "break-in procedure"?

A list of mods that I have also purchased:
ATR downpipe
ATR up-pipe
Turbolink
93 oct chip
160 thermo
knock guage
boost guage
fuel press guage
adj. wastegate
gutted cat

Does all this sound like I'm on the right track?...thanks for everything.

 

[TType84]

Yea.. make sure you break it in with a nice long 18psi assisted burnout..

as long as its getting oil then theres nothig to break in..

what you have right there should be good for some low 13s with a stock turbo, i dunno which turbo you have but shoot for 12s.

im about to have an ATR dp as well.

 

[TType84]

oh yea.. you need an adjustable fuel pressure regulator..

 

[Buick From Hell]

ALSO--

How about a plug for the turbo vendor?

 

[TurboRegal84]

Glad to hear that!


For Break-in....there really is none...Just make sure that you have some clean fresh oil, and that you disconnect the Orange ECM wire and crank the car over a few times to coat the turbo with some oil.

I usually dont do this crank over thing, but when your dealing when a new Turbo its just for safety...I did it when I was putting on my 33, and a turbo is worth ALOT more then a few extra turns on the starter!

 

[IRaceAV6]

Replace your oil feed line to that new turbo

Take a look at your old oil feed line and you'll see how gunked up it is. Why would you want to reuse an oil feed line with a bunch of crud in it?

The old adage "You can me now... or pay later" holds so true with this suggestion.

 

[John84GN]

thanks guy's...I have a nuther question...well two...alright THREE...This damn downpipe...I have been trying for two hours to get this stupid thing in, and I still can't do it

1. Does the downpipe have to be cut and welded (with the new flange for the cat) before it can be "maneuvered" through the engine compartment? Or does it get cut first, installed and then welded?!? HELP!!!

2. Is the way to find out where that flange gets welded onto the DP to just "eye it up" with the old one, or are there like, measurements involved?

NOTE: I have removed nothing...and I'm NOT taking off the
header!!!! There has to be another way... Thanks

3. How serious is not replacing the oil feed line, and where do I get another one, if I should. I have heard of getting a SS braided one; is that better, and who do I get it from?

 

[Nocooler]

The downpipe is a nice tight fit. I opted to remove the x-over and the passenger side header, to free up some space. I don't have A/C either so moving that may be necessary.

Jeremy

 

[TurboRegal84]

John...have you tried to get the Downpipe in from both the top of the car, and the bottom of the car?

I have never seen or had an ATR One Peice DP on my car, but I do know that my 2 peice 3" DP was snug..The bottom end went in kinda tight, but then the top fit on with ease!

 

[6 to go]

I just put an ATR DP on my 84 and, with the header off and the AC
compressor dropped out of the way, it slides right in, with no problem. Why would you want to cut up a nice DP just to save an hour or so of labor? IMHO.

 

[John84GN]

I appreciate all the responces, but can someone...specifically...answer the questions that I asked...I hope I'm not being too blunt or rude, I don't mean to be... Thanks

 

[crazygn]

I cant help yea much , because i just pulled the header and put the down pipe in that way. I am just running open down pipe.

As far as the oil feed line if you have the money get a new one or if you dont have any money i would pull it and blow it out with air.I would think any performance buick stores will have the oil line.

 

[John84GN]

I GOT HER RUNNING!!!!!
Man I never thought I'd feel this good! When I first took her up the road, there was a TON of blue smoke that came out, I guess that was all the oil that was in the intake because of the blown seals in the old turbo. I havn't gone WOT yet, I guess I'm a little gun shy. Everything seems to be fine, except the awful smell of oil, and whatever else seemed to drip onto my crossover pipe. That downpipe was a bear...I had to dismantle, like the whole passenger side of the motor...anyway...it's in, and seems to be working just like I thought it would. I'm gonna bring it to buick on monday, and let them give it the "ole once over" before I decide to do any mudstain huntin! Thanks for all the help guy's and I hope to see ya'll in the "fish/kill section

 

[crazygn]

Good job glad to hear its running for you. Have fun with it now.

 

[John84GN]

I just got the car back from buick, and they said that it was good-to-go, with the exception of the boost. The guy said that the car was excellent at half throttle, but at WOT the boost was in the 25-28 range, IS THAT POSSIBLE?!? He said that at WOT the car would "pop" adn would have no power. Now, I have an adjustable wastegate, and I guess now would be a good time to install it...huh? Is there any reason for "over-boost"...all I did was put in a new turbo (same size...warrenty issue)

Question 1 What is the STOCK boost on an 84/85 Hot-air

Question 2 What should the boost be set at with my mods
(if any different than stock)

 

[Nocooler]

Okay,
1st - You're lucky you still have head gaskets!!
2nd - Why are you taking your car to a buick dealer? They have no clue what so ever.

Stock boost should be 12-14psi.....start with that. If it is over boosting, take a look at the vacuum lines.

 

[crazygn]

Do you have a adj fuel press reg, if not i would not play with the boost and leave it low till you get one. If it was running at 25-28psi i would think you would have been getting some really bad knock if you had a knock gauge.

 

[John84GN]

Nocooler...I know, I couldn't believe it either...I don't think that the reading he gave me is correct, because he also told me that stock boost is in the 7-8 psi range .. I knew then that he was bluffing. Also, I don't know who to bring it too...I just figured that they made the car, if anyone should know anything about it, that they would...guess not . I think I got all the vaccuum lines on correctly, but this was the reason I brought it to them in the first place. Those diagrams on gnttype.org are a lil confusing. I have NO KNOCK. NONE WHATSOEVER...so this is what has me so puzzled. I have a Turbolink, and I'm just not too sure how to use the darn thing yet...I got it all working properly, but I'm just not too sure what all the #'s mean yet?!? I also have a boost gauge, and a knock guage that will be installed tommorrow, along with the adjustable wastegate.

crazygn...I do not have an adj. fuel press reg, and like I said...NO KNOCK!!! Just under about 3/4 throttle, the car will pop, not constantly, but just one pop, followed by a loss of power, and then the car is right back, like it never happened (now I'm not abusing the car, this only happened once for me, and once at the buick dealership...I'm babying the car till this gets worked out)

Thanks for the help...in advance.

 

[TurboRegal84]

Originally posted by John84GN
Nocooler...I know, I couldn't believe it either...I don't think that the reading he gave me is correct, because he also told me that stock boost is in the 7-8 psi range

For the 84-85 Cars that stock boost was 8-10psi....They came from the factory blowing 12psi at the most......

Why did the guy see so much knock?

Well if there is oil left in the intake then sure as hell it will knock like crazy...I know after I blew my turbo and dumped alot of oil in the intake.... it took about 45 mins of driving to get all of the oil out/burnt out of the intake.

Dont go WOT until you get a knock gauge hooked up...you just got it back together again..I'd hate to see you rip it all apart again!

 

[John84GN]

TurboRegal84...There is NO Audible KNOCK!...As far as the guage goes...that might be a different story...we'll know tomm. night...the "pop" that occured was more of a balloon pop than a knock...if that helps.