TA49 to PT61 Upgrade

[AKTURBOTA]

Previously my TTA with a TA49 and 36# fuel injectors ran a best of 11.79 @ 114.7 with a 60' of 1.61. Usually the car ran in the 12.0’s to 11.90's. In my quest to better my ET and MPH I purchased a PT61 turbo with 60# injectors. The following are the mods to my TTA:

Extender Chip - 23/19 timing
MAF Translator Plus
PT61 P-Trim Turbo
60# Mototroininjectors
Walbro 340 Fuel Pump
Action Fab 3” downpipe
freeflowing exhaust with testpipe
62mm throttle body
ported plenum
1" plenum spacer
adj fuel pressure regulator
ATR bleed valve to control boost
PTS 9/11 Torque Converter (Advertised 2800 stall)
LT1 MAF Sensor
Translator Plus
K&N 8" Air Filter on 3" Stainless Steel MAF pipe
110# valve springs
BFG Drag Radials on the stock rims
Spohn Adjustable Torque Arm
Global West Subframe Connectors
Spohn Adj Panhard Rod
Spohn Lower Control Arms
On the street I run 92 Chevron unleaded premium
At the strip I run Sunoco NOS Supreme Racing Fuel (117 octane)
Turbo Link 4.0 used as my data logger


I have run the car twice with the PT61 and have lackluster results. The first time was with the ULTRA Chip and it was running very rich. It ran 12.40 to 12.50 at 113 mph with 60’ time in the 2.0’s. The car was running very rich so I purchased an Extender chip along with a MAF Translator Plus so that I can adjust the A/F ratio and ignition timing. I went to the track yesterday 6/26/05 it was equally unimpressive.
I was only able to turn a 12.50-60 at 113-114 with my short times in the 2.0-2.1's. I can understand the poor short times are attributable to the stall speed of the torque converter (2900 rpm) and that I need the stall to be 3400-3500 to properly spool the turbo, but the mph with this turbo should be in the 120 mph range. My boost was set at 22-24 psi and the O2 volts were in the 790's the end of the quartermile, so I feel that it may be a little on the rich side of the fuel curve. The T-Plus was set for 2 percent rich for the base fueling (this was done to get the cruise BLM’s close to 128) with no changed for WOT and 4 degrees retarded for the base spark with no change for WOT.

With the smaller 800CFM TA 49 the car was consistently producing low twelve/high eleven second time slips with a Caspers Ultrachip with the #4 chip selected (20 degrees of timing at WOT). I don't understand what is holding the engine from developing the horspower that the PT61 (900CFM and 600HP max horsepower) can generate. I am perplexed...any ideas on what is wrong would be most welcome.

 

[azgn]

more boost, more timing, less fuel and prolly less octane if you are going to run less than 25 lbs boost.......you need something else to tune with besides the 02 (wideband, egt)

amazing what a little change will do to a tune.........there is a sweet spot there, but ya gotta find it again

it should go faster with the 61, but you'll need some boost



( I have serious doubts that it'll ever make 600 HP on a 231 cu motor, however.........)

 

[grey1]

I picked up 6mph going from a 44 to a pt61 @ 22lbs. No ****.

 

[DonnieShort]

I had a PT61 with the P trim wheel and the first time at the track with that turbo was an experience to say the least. It took me at least 5-6 passes to finally be able to launch that thing. You definitly have to stand on it at the line to get the boost up if you are lacking converter and from what you wrote you need alot more converter to spool it better. I had switched from a 52 that chewed up the exhaust wheel and had it built into the PT61 P trim. That turbo ( the 52 ) matched my converter a little better than the PT61 did. I had a n/l Vigilante with the 0 pump, but even with the 52 it could have used a little more stall and for sure with the 61. Standing on it at the line was the trick for me and you'll have to run alot more boost than 22-24psi to hit 120 with that turbo. I was launching at 13-15psi on slicks and getting mid to high 1.5's on the 60'. I know it's touted as being 10 second capable but on a bolt on only car I have my doubts. You having a TTA might get there ( to 120 mph ) over a equally modded GN but you'll have to push it to @ 28psi boost to do it. With that said, 120 mph might be a little ambitious but on a perfect tune who knows? The sweet spot for that turbo is 26-30psi, at least that's what PTE told me last summer when the PT61 craze hit.

 

[Mike Licht]

You have the timing back pretty far. What is the actual part number on the chip, putting the timing back with that 117 will do wonders.
Mike

 

[2QUIK6]

My GT61 likes 24# of boost and 24 degrees of timing the best with alky. With C116 I could crank the timing on up to about 26 degree but really did not make much difference. Ran 11.6x in terribly humid weather with it.
Are you very rich on the bottom end at take off? And then the boost hits hard around the 60' mark?

 

[Marc87GN]

I'm trying to run high 11s @ about 115+ with the PT6152. Will i be able to do with a a locked 9X12 converter, VPE Stage 3 heads(212 cfm @ .450) & ported intake at about 20 psi? I know I would need more boost with stock heads, but I should need less, I would think, with Ported heads. Anyone using ported heads & PT/GT61?

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

ATR bleed valve to control boost

A simple ball and spring style boost controller will increase your spoolup, i know RJC sells these, my boost came up so fast with my stock turbo, i had to take it off because i couldnt control my tires from frying on the pavement

If you dont figure it out, put the 49 back on and the caspers chip if the car runs what it used to then there isnt anything wrong with the car... its the new combo!

Then again maybe mike can burn you a new chip and get it alot better than it is right now.

BW

 

[JC'sGN]

Like Donnie said, if you expect bigger numbers from this turbo you need 26 plus.... lbs.
and more timing, like 26 / 23 especially with 117 oct..

 

[SloGN]

guys


i have the GT61-52 turbo with a 3200 9x11 stall converter. my previous setup was a 2800 stall with a te-34 turbo.

the best my car ran with the te-34 on pump gas/alky @ 2o psi was 8.30's with a 60' ft times in the 1.85 range on street tires mph was 82 mph


with the new combo i ran a best of 8.006 @ 88.5 mph with a 60' ft of 1.84
that was on street tires with 21 degrees of timing with pump gas with about 2 degrees of knock

IMO i think your gonna need a higher stall convertor to see that turbo shine and those guys are right 24-25 psi makes that puppy go