I'm Back..let the wrenching begin !!

[Mr. Upholsterer]

wrenching it..

I inked up the heads, and the intake, everything lines up perfectly.. It's on now...and all torqued down.. Does anybody have one of these running without a MSD box with boost control...?? I have a vac controlled distributor .. I have the diagram from holley on how to hook up the carb..but would like to hear from somebody who actually has done it . Don't forget I don't have a computer on this car anymore.. Have some rusty custom made tube headers that are in need of some welding, have to bolt up that turbo and see how everything fits....Just hope those tubes arn't paper thin....almost afraid of sandblasting them...they might dissapear....Have a trick though...use extra fine sand and back off on the amount of sand to air..so it comes out very fine and with more speed, does very little damage to anything...almost like glass beading..
Anybody know where to get a good price on some window sweeps..?? I see on E-bay they want over 80 bucks for just one...

 

[mat231v6]

steelrubber has a good price on dew sweeps thats where i got mine but keep in mind i have a hybrid. check www.steelerubber.com - Automotive rubber parts and weatherstripping for restoration cars, trucks and street rods.

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

wrenching it..

Thanks, will give them a call on Monday. I notice there is a temp sensor in the plendum chamber, and one in the intake too...Why 2 of them...was there 2 different temp guages ??

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

wrenching it..

How do you get this thing apart ?? It was spinning before winter last year and now its almost frozen...Has just been sitting in my basement....put some oil in it and nothing happened.. It was suppose to have been rebuilt not too long ago..by GM too..all the blades look good its just too tight...

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

wrenching it..

You know what guys...I think I just want to send this core somewhere and exchange it for a rebuilt on..really don't want to play with it.. What is a good place that rebuilds them ??

 

[charlief1]

See if you can get hold of Aj. He's just opened a shop to do rebuilds and mods for the CT and HA cars. I think he got swamped though.

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

tubro core

I have a question on what I am working on now..hope anybody can help. On the turbo I have, I have dissambled it down to its core. It wouldn't even move / turn...So I took that little hold down nut off above the blade..Now it turns but is still stiff, air from my compressor will not turn it. This unit was rebuilt from GM once allready. There is no damage to the fins on either end and there is no play in it at all, either up and down or sideways...Shouldn't there be some kind of play so it does spin?? I have tried squirting in oil and pentrating oil and it did get a little more free but still has no play at all.. What should I do ?? Should I hit out the shaft with a Brass drift and check to see if the shaft is corrored?? Then just emery paper it?? I called up a local place that fixes these and they wanted $375 to fix it...I could of bought a new on on e-bay for $200 dollars a few months ago but seeing the rebuilt tag on mine I passed it up..

 

[charlief1]

Sounds like it has some crud in it Vince. Get hold of dr_frankenstien (Aj) and see if he can help you.

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

wrenching it..

Just gave him a shout...

 

[charlief1]

If you need his number tell me. He may be out in the dessert testing again. I haven't heared from him in a week or two.

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

wrenching it..

Thats OK...I can wait...I feel that it is something simple wrong with it maybe just carbon buildup or something.....judging on how tight this thing but still turns, it must still be like new inside..... I have reversed my valve covers, put the right side on the left..the right side had a little plate on it...it just fits perfectly under my plendum chamber...just have to bolt a angle bracket to it and then bolt it to the plendum chamber and it should be real secure...plan on welding the hole in the top and placing a removeable breather right on the end....had to remove my cruise diaphram because there was no room for it. I don't think I have ever seen a turbo conversion like I am doing around here. I guess somebody has to start..

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

Turbo oil

Took the core of the turbo apart today, it was pretty easy, of course there was hardly anything wrong with it except some carbon buildup. Its back together and seems to be working pretty well. One question though...where do I pickup the oil to go to the turbo ?? Do these cars have a oil pressure switch right by the oil filter with a wire on it so I can put a T fitting on there and pick it up ?? 83 Buick Regal

 

[charlief1]

Oil comes from a T fitting where the oil sending unit is. It's a 3 way fitting that has 1 male and 2 females so you can screw the sending unit in as well as the feed for the turbo.

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

The Fun Begins

Charlie, is the oil sending unit on an 83 Regal right behind the intake manifold with a blue wire on it ?? This was only a trial fit, have since painted the valve cover black. Looks like I will be needing a 90 Degree bend on my rear water hose fitting ..only have a few inches to the fire wall.
Any coments on the work I have done so far ?? I have attached a L bracket to the side of the Plendum chamber to give it some added support. A chrome breather will go on the pipe I welded into the valve cover. Will add the turbo next. Then weld up some old tube headers I have after I sand blast them....I guess there is no way to get the valve cover off without taking off the manifold above it..

 

[charlief1]

Not bad looking Vince. The only oil sending unit is on the front of the block. Behind and below the lower hose inlet. The one on the back of the block is the knock sensor.

 

[mikemcvaney]

I don’t want you to get too far, but are you sure you have the right intake for your heads. Charlie told me about this that the ports where redesigned in 79. Don’t worry if you know you have the right intake. Here are some pic showing the difference. look at the top of the manifold near the top of the ports.

I can get a 1978 intake for a turbo motor do you need the intake only or thre plenumalso ? Mike

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

wrenching it..

This buick was a non turbo but computer controlled carb...I didn't think there was even a knock sensor on the car..I think I will pull it out and see if I see oil on the end of it along with a little hole in it.. I have seen some of these short oil feed lines approx 1 foot and always where it could attach to..will let you know...
One more question though...since that left side exhaust pipe wraps over to the right side of the motor wouldn't that cause a lot of heat to enter the passenger compartment ?? Shouldn't that pipe be covered with insulating wrap to keep the the heat down?
I took a ride in an old 427 Vette with the wrong headers in it and they were almost touching the vett floor..The heat in that car was unbearable..

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

turbo assembly

Charlie you were right about that being a knock sensor behind the manifold..I saw the Oil pressure switch above the oil filter and seeing 3 wires comming from kind of threw me... I was thinking it was a cam location sensor or something.., but when I pulled off the rubber boot I could see it was the oil sensor unit..
Putting together the turbo now..found out I am missing the clamps that hold the turbo together..see photo..there was only bolts with washers under them holding the thing together when I recieved it. Does anybody have 3 of these they want to sell..?? I have a list of turbo rebuilders in the US and I will keep calling around but so far no luck.

 

[charlief1]

Rons turbo service in Utah or G pop shop should have them Vince.

 

[Mr. Upholsterer]

turbo assembly

Waiting for a answer back from G-pop....new delima...I have these exhaust manifolds made of tubes...looks like the left side one is almost the same as my cast exhaust side...well as far as the way the crossover pipe bolts up to it...Is there any reason I should replace this with the tube one ?? Also on the right side of the motor...man its tight and I have air....Is there any way I can keep the air conditioner and still run these exhaust pipes...?? Looks like I can run the up pipe to the turbo...but the down pipe...I don't think so without removing the air conditioning unit.. Has anybody ever seen a turbo with air...if so how did they run the pipes ??