Need Help

8

86Limited

New Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2003
I have an 84 Riviera turbo ( 30000 miles in perfect running order) that I will be putting on my 86 front wheel drive Lesabre, it has a 3.8 VIN 3 with 67000 miles and is dieing to be turbocharged! Anyway I was wondering if you guys could help me out in what I need for a custom setup and if you think it's worth it. I need opinions, I was looking for around two months for a quality stock turbo and finally found one. I'm hoping to have it done by this spring. The guy who sold it to me said to run it at low boost, run larger injectors, do a fuel pump upgrade and so much more I was stupid to not write it down. :( If anyone could reply in a good or bad way it would be a lot of help. Thanks! :D
 
The crank in your car is a rolled fillet like the turbo cranks although it has a smaller bolt pattern for the flywheel. Probably won't matter. Same rods as the turbo motor. Block looks just as beefy in the main area and it's a roller cam motor. The only thing I would worry about would be the pistons. No idea how well they would hold up. I'd say run the popular Walbro 340 fuel pump, you already have the 237 fuel pressure regulator so you're good there. Find some stock GN injectors, have a chip burned for your application. The rest would be fabrication of exhaust, intake, and oil lines. I say go for it. With a stock turbo and a good tune you probably can't hurt the motor.

Good luck in getting the tranny to hold up though. Run some 165 tires up front :) .
 
I looked at new 100 lb valve springs and timing chain that fit the turbo Buicks and turbo Trans Ams that seem like they'll fit. (Anyone know for sure?) That'll probably be part of the tune up. I think I'll just leave the pistons. I don't think it's worth changing them right now. As for the tranny I'll probably go through one a month by how weak it is but it depends on how much power the motor makes of course, these FWD trannys are plentiful though. Thanks a lot for the input! :D
 
Not too sure on the valvesprings since it's a roller cam. It probably needs more pressure but not sure.
 
about turbo engine convert

I think the wiring harness and computer need to be swapped out.Some of the sensors may need changed also.So that a performance chip could be made to make it run right.Don,t know if the headers will work may have to customize them for turbo to fit under the hood.
 
I think I'll have to get a lot of tuning done since it's CUSTOMIZED:rolleyes: but if I did have all the dough for DFI or F.A.S.T. I wouldn't have to worry much. I probably will just have a chip burnt or something. Just found out that my computer has the same part number as the intercooled years but the chips are different I wonder if they would work but probably not :confused: . We'll have to see! Does anybody know where the oil feed and return go? I'll probably find out when I go to the shop. Step one is done just have to gather more information so I don't sound like a goober when I go and get the thing put together. I can't wait to get rolling on this project!
 
You have to make your own feed and return lines. The return can go to the pan or you can drill a hole in the block where the stock 87 returns go. The feed can be done in the stock way with a distribution block from the oil pressure sender unit.

Computer is the same. Sensors should be exactly the same. A stock 87 GN chip with stock injectors should work fine.

Just remembered your MAF sensor is different. I know it's smaller and a stock 86-87 GN MAF will work. Yours might work but it also could be calibrated differently.

BTW, drunk post. :)
 
Would that MAF translator (with LT1 MAF os Impy SS ) work? For the translator what do you have to do? Just plug and play or splice and dice then see what happens? Or is it the Translator plus that needs a wire cut? Also what's up with the Racetronics fuel injectors and 340 fuel pump kit? Why are the injectors so cheap? Has anyone used them? Can my chip be burnt for them or should I just get another one of those too? Is the Walbro 340 really what I need? Anyone use that too? I 'm probably going to get them anyways but I just need to know the whole pros and cons thing if any. Sorry for all the questions it's just a need to know thing of course. :)
 
I am in the same boat as you. I am looking to do a turbo instalation on my 1987 Buick Riviera T-Type. It is my daily driver with 150,000 miles and should be fun to play around with. I have already done a Walbro 307 fuel pump, 32 lb injectors, fuel pressure regulator, and a Superchips performance chip. The only problem I am going to run into is my superchip was made before I thought about doing the turbo, so I think I will just put the stock one back in. But other than that, I think everything should go pretty smooth. Oh, and I have installed Nordskog Digital Boost Guage and Air Fuel Ratio Guage to match my digital dash and touch screen. I think it should make for a nice driving setup. Any ideas would be appreciated and I will keep you updated on my progress.
 
Your car has the same engine like mine and that's awesome! Do you have pictures? I think that these first generation FWD 3.8s have lots of room under the hood for a turbo and that GM probably tryed it too back then. Also how does your car run right now with your current mods? Fast, slow, lean, rich or is it tuned that you don't notice much difference? Would you think the Walbro 340 is too big because Racetronix has a great deal on it?Anyways, if you want an intercooler as well I hear that a Supra turbo one would be fine. Is your dash a digital green display like mine? If so I need to see this! Or if not I'd still like to see it anyways!:D
 
Yeah, it should have the same engine. And I don't think my car or yours will have any problem with room. Looks like just some custom mounting and exhaust work should do the trick. And from what I hear, that GM did try a FWD turbo in the late 80's as a prototype. But that is just rumor. Right now my car doesn't run to bad. Our cars are failry heavy, but I am running somewhere around a 17 flat. I have the fuel set a little bit rich with my regulator as I can see on my air fuel ratio guage. But that is better than lean and burning a vavle. And the only reason I went with the 307 was b/c I found one cheap. I don't know how much difference is between that and the 340, but I think the 307 is a lot better than stock. So it should work for what I am doing. But the 340 should work as well. And I have been thinking about an intercooler, but I want to get the turbo done first, then go from there. As far as my dash, it is the green display, but I am not sure if it is the same as yours. But I have the touch screen control center as well which is just awsome in itself, I think. I have a couple old pics of my car before I got it painted. They are at

http://www.cardomain.com/id/ttyperiv

Anyway, let me know what you think. And if you have any useful info, please share...
 
Car is BEAUTIFUL!:D I really like that year and how your car is going to live up to the name T-TYPE! I'm out of useful info until I start buying all these little parts and putting them on. But when things go wrong I will have to mention them!
 
Congratulations, I'm still in trouble with my car. Just changed one of the accumulator springs in my transmission and went through two coil packs. These are finally a couple major things the car had to go through. But the turbo is still looking me in the eye waiting and waiting. I'm probably going to install it over the winter. Have you changed the fuel delivery or maf. How's the exhaust holding up? How's it running? let me know more I have to go. Looking good
 
Hey, everything is going well. Right now I am waiting on a custom computer chip. But everything else is fine. I started by installing a Walbro 307 high pressure fuel pump, GN injectors, and adjustable fuel pressure regulator. The turbo install was all custom as far as brackets and piping, but it went well overall. For the exhaust I took it to a local exhaust shop. The kept the stock crossover and capped it off where it would normally go into the cat, the tapped into the corssover and ran that to the turbo for the exhaust in. The exhaust out, or downpipe was run across the front of the car and down the passenger side of the engine bay to the stock system. It all looks good and works great. I had to put a section of flexable exhaust pipe in the "up" pipe b/c the engine would rock too much under load and possibly break free from the turbo. This flex pipe seems to be the key to preventing that. If you have any other specific questions, please let me know. Good Luck!
 
Originally posted by TTypeRiv
I started by installing a Walbro 307 high pressure fuel pump, ...
Click to expand...

The 307 is low pressure for N/A motors.
FP must be kept under 60PSI / factory safety bypass pressure setting to prevent degraded output. We would never sell a 307 to someone with a FI (turbo) motor.
 
Originally posted by Racetronix
The 307 is low pressure for N/A motors.
FP must be kept under 60PSI / factory safety bypass pressure setting to prevent degraded output. We would never sell a 307 to someone with a FI (turbo) motor.
Click to expand...

Well, I guess I didn't mean high pressure. but it is higher flow 255 l/hr I belive. But the adjustable fuel pressure regulator and that pump allow me to get the right F/A mixture
 
A lot of people run the 307 fuel pump, yeah the 340 has some more capacity, but i think the 307 fits the bill for most people...



N8
 
Originally posted by fullahotair
A lot of people run the 307 fuel pump, yeah the 340 has some more capacity, but i think the 307 fits the bill for most people...


http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65317&highlight=walbro+307



N8
Click to expand...

Thanks for finding that for me Nate,

But none-the-less, my car runs fine running the 307. Making 12-16 lbs boost right now and have plenty of fuel pressure to go. Still have yet to play around too much, but I think the 307 is just the key for my near-stock setup.
 
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