Please help my slow car

[redhotrod]

Hi guys and gals,
I got alot of time and money in this car, and its upsetting me I can't get into 13 second quarter mile times.
Last winter I got this car, the motor was pulled out and apart and I put in the best parts I could internally, (comp cams 212, comp valve springs, oil booster plate) the heads and intake I ported myself to the size of the intake gasket ports, and I also ported the stock turbo. Also have dual electric fans. I have the walbro 340, adjustable fuel pressure regulator set to 42, stock fuel injectors, adjustable wastegate set to 12 psi, (any more knock comes in after a short hard run). I gutted out the cat. converter and still have the original style pipes with summit mufflers( gonna get hooker exhaust). Have all the necessary gauges(30psi boost, knock, oil, water) and turbolink. I do have a 87 ecm with red armstrong chip but still trying to tune the original ecm with a joe lubrant 93 chip. I always run sunoco 94 and sometimes douce with xylene. Best time to date is a 14.9 sec run.
I think what is wrong is my motor is ported to much. I probably need a bigger turbo with bigger injectors and a higher stall converter. The car seems to go good on the high end, but the bottom end torque doesn't quite push it hard enough off the start.
Please give me some pointers. Any help is much appreciated. I want to see at least low 13's next year!

 

[buickpower]

hmm..

Do you have a scan tool? That may help you to tune your car better. Also, it may help to hotwire the fuel pump if you haven't already, as even though the pump is larger, it still may be flowing an inadequate volume due to its too low voltage signal.

 

[cool 84]

I've said it before, a well tuned, unopened hotair will go 13.9-14.0. The parts are there, sounds like there are problems/tuning issues. For one, the bottom end should not be soft but that cam is pretty big for a stock turbo'd motor. What exactly did you do when you ported the heads? Did you just port match them or did you do a full on port job with bowl work?

Do you have any turbolink files to share? Are you running the 84 MAF with the 87 computer? That will make it soft on the bottom end. What's your mph and 60'? You're going to need a good 19psi of boost to run good so figure out why it's detonating at such low boost. Stock injectors tired or dirty?

 

[b4black]

Focus on the knock at 12 psi. That's you're #1 problem.


Maybe the soft bottom end is slow spool up. What psi do you leave at? I would put the converter next on the list once you get the knock solved.

 

[boostmaster]

Looking @ your combo I see a number of problems for your concern. First off, too big a camshaft for your application, your car is a slug on the bottom end because your cam does'nt even start working until about 3000-3500 rpm but by that time the tired stock turbo is out of air and will not flow enough for your port matched heads and cam. A miss match combo is even worse than no combo at all and is at worse is even harder to tune. Get a bigger turbo and more stall and you'll be in there.

 

[redhotrod]

thats exactly what I thought Boostmaster! Should I go with the ta-60 turbo with a 3000 stall converter and 40lb injectors?
I do have the old turbolink, everything looks good on there, just can't get rid of knock after 12 psi.
And yes, still running the original ecm with a new joe lubrant 93 chip and the original factory 84 MAF but with a 9" k&n filter.
At the track, i build boost to around 4-5 psi and let the brake off easy. I believe my 60' times were 2.4 with regular 215 65 15 street tires. can't remember the top end mph, i wanna say in the 80's.
as for the heads, just a gasket match job and smoothed out the runners, same with the intake and turbo. I believe the knock I am getting is from the air building heat ingested by the stock turbo.
Boostmaster, let me know what would work best with this camshaft. I really want to see some good times next year.

 

[boostmaster]

Ta 60 w/ 3000-3200 stall would be fine along with the 40lbers but you'll have to upgrade your downpipe to accomodate the extra air flow. Many people on this board will dissagree but there is no advantage performance wise other greater chip availabilty and extra data from upgrading the ecm. Got that from Joe Lubrant himself wich many will agree is an excellent chip burner. But many people like the extra data and faster baud rate to give them even greater information for tuning. I plan on doing the upgrade someday myself but it's not a priority to run fast, but it should be taken into account that someday soon no one will be burning hot air chips.

 

[racemybuick]

GET BIGGER INJECTORS!

I cant believe nobody emphasized the larger injectors! Those stock 28 lb'ers cannot possibly flow enough for your car to get off the line with that cam/porting....You have sooo much air running into that motor, there is probably not enough fuel to match! Do you have an Air/Fuel ratio guage?
I agree about getting a larger turbo, but the 60 is pretty darn big, and as I understand, there will be some throttlebody boring required. Everyone I have talked to greatly appreciates the power the T33 has given them. I personally am fixed on getting that www.Precisionte.com TA49, or something just like it, and a set of 42.5 ers with a chip from my man JIM TESTA. I am currently trying to pay for college, so my car is up on blocks for a while, but when I graduate this year, I am going for the gold and dumping some serious time and $$ into this beast to ge those 11.99 slips, but as far as I know, I need the turbo, injectors, at least a 3000 stall conv., and the 87 ecm/maf and translator.
I hope to be in the low 12's by the summertime, if I can get the motor togethr and the tranny rebuilt to take a beating. Until then, I am watching and collecting ideas from the pits!

good luck!

John42.5 ers