I'm a Newbie...

[91Bird305]

I am not sure if Brian (Turbobuick on AIM and Motown Muscle) is on here but he, but I know fly89gta (Tony), along with a large group of turbo guys, recommended me here to do some research before I started this project.

I am lookin to swap in a 86-87 GN engine. Just curious if anyone locally has done this before with an Fbody. I have talked to others who have and it doesn't seem that hard. With the 86-87 GN engine everything pretty much bolts up but I will loose my A/C due to the type of heads the GN engine uses. Which is really no big deal since my A/C has been gone for 2 years now. I figure I would go to Gary Cook for some aftermarket headers and a custom downpipe and have them coated. Everyone says he does great work. But do I really need custom headers made or can I go with the stock ones from the GN or TTA and have them coated? My exhaust I have now is a full 3" cat-back. Not sure on the size intercooler yet. Is a stock intercooler safe enough or would I want to go bigger?
I wanted to fully port and polish the heads, 5 angle valve job. Port matched intake. And I am not absolutely sure on a cam size yet since I have just touched base on that. I have had a couple guys recommend a few numbers
212/206 or 210/210 or 214-210 cam
I want to go with billet main caps, rebuild the engine from top to bottom so I know everything is gonna work right when I drop it in.
Also, not sure on what size turbo I would have. I do have this database sheet of a list of different turbos and what their hp ratings are with side notes. I am guessing with the work I want to do, maybe go with a TE-60 but I could be wrong. Thats why I am asking u guys. I am sticking with the 700r4 since I already had it beefed up. But of course I would have to go with a different stall since the one in there now is just a 2200 and I am not sure which one to go with just yet. I think with the TE60, the mininum recommended was a 2800. So I would maybe wanna go with a 2800-3000. I will also have to pick up the adaptar from TCI. I heard MSD 50's were good for injectors. And I saw that Racetronix sells a real nice Walbro GSS340M with a hotwire kit.

I know I am probably missing things on here that I will need. Like for instance, I am not sure if I really need to go with forged pistons or not. I heard the stock crank is pretty good but I am not sure if it will hold with what I want with this setup. My suspension is pretty much setup with a few minor things for the strip. And my rear end is so far down the list of things to get done that I am not even gonna focus on that. LoL But the GM 10 bolt I have in there now has GM Motive 3:42 gears, and an SLP limited slip differential.

Anyways, your probably gonna see me lurking around here a lot now. I just seen a post for a TTA wiring harness for sale. So thats a +. I figure I am deffiently gonna need that.
Any suggestions to the swap? Did I go over board anywhere or have I missed anything (I know I must have).

 

[1badTTA]

Originally posted by 91Bird305
Any suggestions to the swap? Did I go over board anywhere or have I missed anything (I know I must have).

First thing you need to tell us is what are your plans for the car as far as performance goes? Do you want to run low 12's or mid 10's?? Do you want it as streetable as possible or is this a pure racecar?

A stock TTA will run into the 12's with very minor mods such as fuel pump and regulator, more boost, a good chip, and a good tune (see my sig along with others).

Let us know what you are wanting.

 

[1badTTA]

Also, there are alot of TTA specific parts available right now you should probably jump on if you plan to use TTA heads. HTH

 

[Racetronix]

You would require the Racetronix TTA fuel pump system as the connections and layout of the harness are different for the f-body.

http://www.racetronix.com/Racetronix-TTA_Pump_Kit.html

 

[91Bird305]

Originally posted by Racetronix
You would require the Racetronix TTA fuel pump system as the connections and layout of the harness are different for the f-body.

http://www.racetronix.com/Racetronix-TTA_Pump_Kit.html

Yup! Thats the one I wanted. Are u Jack? Tony told me to talk to u when I was ready to buy the fuel pump + hotwire kit.

First thing you need to tell us is what are your plans for the car as far as performance goes? Do you want to run low 12's or mid 10's?? Do you want it as streetable as possible or is this a pure racecar?

I want it to run mid-low 11's possibly. But this would be a summer daily driver. I bring it out of winter storage around April/May and drive it till end of August, beginning of Novemeber. So basically, this is a street car.

I am not sure if I am gonna use the TTA heads or not. As of now, if I can find a complete GN engine then I will probably just go with the GN heads have have the ported and polished. No sense of me paying for the GN heads and then just getting rid of them for the TTA heads to save my A/C. Atleast, thats the way I look at it. From what I have read, have the TTA heads or the GN heads doesn't really matter once there ported/polished.

 

[jasons kwik 6]

1BadTTA, what kind of chip and boost did you use when you ran your times? Great numbers.

 

[1badTTA]

Originally posted by jasons kwik 6
1BadTTA, what kind of chip and boost did you use when you ran your times? Great numbers.

I have never seen more than 18psi without blowing a HG (whole nother story) and was running 17psi at the track. I have a 8psoition chip that was burned by Mike Licht??? (labeled Arnold1)

I bought my TTA already set to run, it had already run 12.4@110 with MT sportsmanpros and I have taken it to 111.XXX on regular radials.

I enjoy the "budjet racing" idea of trying to get my TTA into the 11's on stock parts (with 91octane and propane) and will not spend lots of money untill it is really neaded.

11's on propane will make me immortal!!!!!!!!

 

[1badTTA]

BTW, I went to the tract the first time and ran 14's and high 13's, went back with a scan tool and ran low 13's all night and with enough tuning was able to run into the 12's. (I have 110mph timeslips from the last 3 outings.)

 

[fly89gta]

Glad to see you made it over here, these guys know their stuff

 

[leirch]

Hey Eric. This is Brendan(leirch) from thirdgen.org, I am doing this conversion as we speak.

I am almost finished. I started the motor up this Saturday. You can see pictures at www.geocities.com/leirch_/gnstuff

I found a complete 86 gn setup for 2000 bucks. EVERYTHING under the hood(radiator, accessories, wiring harness). Its a 70k mile motor.

I had a 200r4 in my car from last year when I still had my 383 stroker motor in.

I had that 200r4 rebuilt by Janis Transmission(shifts GREAT so far).

I spliced the camaro wiring in with the buick wiring. I got both schematics and had both harnesses on the floor. I ran into a couple of wiring problems, but I have them all figured out.

I'm using the gn heads also. The headers and crossover fit very well. We are in the process of making a custom downpipe.

Oh yea, I know from reading on Thirdgen that you are from around Toledo? I'm down near Lima, OH.

 

[turbotaone]

Hey Brendan, is that downpipe going to work for you ? I hope so,
especially since you had to sit and wait for over an hour to get it.
Sorry about that, I'm usually quite punctual.

James

 

[91Bird305]

Originally posted by leirch
Hey Eric. This is Brendan(leirch) from thirdgen.org, I am doing this conversion as we speak.

I am almost finished. I started the motor up this Saturday. You can see pictures at www.geocities.com/leirch_/gnstuff

I found a complete 86 gn setup for 2000 bucks. EVERYTHING under the hood(radiator, accessories, wiring harness). Its a 70k mile motor.

I had a 200r4 in my car from last year when I still had my 383 stroker motor in.

I had that 200r4 rebuilt by Janis Transmission(shifts GREAT so far).

I spliced the camaro wiring in with the buick wiring. I got both schematics and had both harnesses on the floor. I ran into a couple of wiring problems, but I have them all figured out.

I'm using the gn heads also. The headers and crossover fit very well. We are in the process of making a custom downpipe.

Oh yea, I know from reading on Thirdgen that you are from around Toledo? I'm down near Lima, OH.

Wow. It is good to find someone near by that is doing/done this swap in their thirdgen. I live near Flint, Michigan but I go to Central Michigan Univ. in Mount Pleasant, about 100 miles north of Flint.
Thanks for the info and I will deffiently be following up on things with you and see where u ran into snags and do's and don'ts for this swap. Who are u having make your downpipe?

 

[leirch]

James, the downpipe won't fit. I was hoping it would around the GN heads. But I'm finding that it won't. We will have to make a custom downpipe. Which isn't really that big of a deal.

Its was nice meeting you none the less

Eric, I have everything up and running. Throttle response is awsome and fires right up. Still need to finish the downpipe though... And my rear end is trashed at the moment also. Alot of banging and clanking going on from it.

 

[turbota633]

turbo 3.8 swap

hey, i'm considering doing this swap,but am not sure if i want to,depends on how easy this can be done,if someone who is quite knowledgeable on this stuff could e-mail me,id apreciate it-big_red_83_99@yahoo.com thanks in advance.
joe
-tta#633