TA61 questions.

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

BW- we need to get together on mine. I really think I can tighten up my converter. I have no MPH, but the car is a madman down low. Wasnt Scott running a 2400 stall in the 400 when he went 10.96 with the 6152?? You've never steered me wrong.

Yeah, it was a very tight neil chance convertor, almost as tight as a stock one.

It was mph'ing at 122 i think, maybe a 123 with the 6152.

Just try that .85 housing and a fresh transmission, that will help some in the mph department. Your car doesnt weigh 5000lbs does it? :wink:

I will be living less than 5 miles from the track

BW :smile:

 

[ttypewe4jim]

I will be living less than 5 miles from the track

Man I would be TOTALLY broke if I lived that close to the track :biggrin: I would be there every day they where open lol


your a lucky mofo lol

 

[buttonfly]

I will be living less than 5 miles from the track

BW :smile:

Good to know, so does that mean I have a place to limp it to if I break at the track?? Better yet a place for a beer after a friday night at the track! :wink:

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Yes and yes, Jimmy im already broke with all these buicks :wink:

BW

 

[TTipe]

Ta61

I'm not trying to imply anything.For the most part people stand to gain from the experiences of others.If folks present their imformation comprehensively then the imformation is valuable.The last time I really ran the car was in Aug 1997 and it ran a 12.012 @ 117.5 with a TE34 (56mm) wheel,40 lbs,fender dump,delta gate and 1.5 stretch running cam 2 purple on bfg 275/50/15's with the stock converter.Same longblock (heads,intake etc) as present.I just could not hook it.The car has gone 11.9's at 116.5.Same combo as above.No track prep therefore no hook.I had to leave soft to hook at all.I suspect the car may have gone 11.6's with some hook (just my opinion).I was not inclined to change the cam back then ( maybe to something like an Erson 202/202 but a small change) because I saw lots of problems on the horizon.A cam may cost me some trap speed but "pounded out" valve seats/ debris in the engine could cost more trap speed and a pile of loot.I think a converter that multiplies torque well may lose almost no trap speed to some lockers.Individuals in this community have been able to measure "slippage" on various converters to compare.I can tell you that my present converter is a good torque multiplier by the research of others (butt meter does not count).I'm looking at going to speed density to get rid of the maf and o2 in the manifold.I've also got some little die grinder tricks going on along with manifold gaskets (I just used permatex copper to seal them up but I have a small leak).I think the Ta61 is a great turbo for street/strip.I was told by "Chopper" that Ta61 is comparable to 6152e.Now that I have the time I'm going for a timeslip this season.

 

[scojack_2001]

I wish when folks would post about their performance that they would devulge "open" or "closed" exhaust.Scojack what did your old combo look like?There are various other mods/conditions which affect turbo performance which are not being discussed;ie leaking exhaust manifolds,fat calibration etc etc.These posts would be a lot better if more imfo was disclosed.

My old combo was a loaner PTE TE-61, used MSD50s, ported stock IC (no Dutt neck at the time), and my current 9.5" 32-3400 stall from ProTorque. Basic other upgrades including a 3" THDP. Im sure it was running absolutely pig rich at 18psi MAX...

My cars current setup, as it sits, includes a Limit TE-62 with the .63 PTE housing; and I hear this is almost identical to the TE-61 except for the turbine side. Also went to a Dutt neck stock IC, and I added a PLX SM-AFR standalone wideband. Pretty much all other stuff stayed the same. Still running the THDP and always through a Hooker catback w/ AeroChamber mufflers. Never ran a cutout on a upgraded turbo on my car, only the stocker.

Im still running the original 109 motor my car left the factory with, including the untouched heads and cam (as far as I know). The wideband is what really woke my car up. It was night and day. I went from 12.1@110 to 11.5@115 for about $250 total to install the wideband. Not bad in my book.

Nothing special about my car or setup. My car weighs 3700lbs. with me in it.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I'll add some stuff. The combo I mentioned originally, will be built by a pro. No leaks. Stock headers, no leaks as well. My original post, is 'providing everythings doing what it supposed to be doing.' Bone stock 73,000 mile heads too.

 

[meanchicken]

Spend a little more and get the heads and intake ported....you won't regret it....:biggrin:

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I was already researching that route. Eventually I will indeed end up with a better heads/intake/tb combo.. but traction is my main concern for now. I couldn't hook if God himself came down, and WILLED it to happen. And that was with a stock setup. I gotta get this crap to hook first, before I move on to that stuff lol. i sware, if I could leave on 10 psi, NOONE would stand a chance against me lol.

 

[scojack_2001]

I was already researching that route. Eventually I will indeed end up with a better heads/intake/tb combo.. but traction is my main concern for now. I couldn't hook if God himself came down, and WILLED it to happen. And that was with a stock setup. I gotta get this crap to hook first, before I move on to that stuff lol. i sware, if I could leave on 10 psi, NOONE would stand a chance against me lol.

Read my above post. I have maybe, maybe $500 in my rear suspension (not including tires) and I cut high 1.5 60's. My car is also a full weigth street car with working everything and a full interior (currently minus a headliner). Thats on 16" GTAs with 245/50 front tires and a 36mm front swaybar. I run 17psi in my MT 255/50/16 DRs when I race.

And Im running high 11.40s with BONE STOCK 110,000 mile heads and cam. I wouldnt worry about head and/or cam unless you have to. Only thing I did was add some Comp 980 valvesprings and a timing chain.

There arent any "magic" parts in my combo that I know of...

 

[meanchicken]

I guess the reason why I'm advocating porting the heads and intake is....if the engine is already being built, then why not?
It's easy and cost effective to get done while the other work is being done.

The heads become the limiting factor to the breathing once the factory inlet and exhaust restrictions are addressed and the turbo size has been bumped up a couple notches.....

Can always pull back on the boost some, or feather the peddle during launch and the first 60 to deal with the traction issue until the suspension is dialed in better.....

A wise old Turbo Buick guru once told me that my budget ported stockers can carry me into the 10's if so desired.

I'm staying in the 11's capable realm, but having the room to grow should I get more greedy is nice to have.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I hear ya. I agree that "while it's out..." is always the best time, I gotta save a little money. I will eventually end up with it though in the far future.

And those 1.5's scojack. That was on a track? I don't go on tracks usually. I just want street traction. And it's hard too...

 

[jetmech]

at 24psi, rest is in sig. on a pt.61

 

[TTipe]

Ta61

Jetmech,are you running alky as well?

 

[scojack_2001]

I hear ya. I agree that "while it's out..." is always the best time, I gotta save a little money. I will eventually end up with it though in the far future.

And those 1.5's scojack. That was on a track? I don't go on tracks usually. I just want street traction. And it's hard too...

Yes those short times are on tracks. My car generally doesnt spin on the street. I keep some MTs on it at all times. I can brakeboost my GN at 20-30mph and it just goes straight.

Now if I put some worn down DRs on it (BFGs for instance), I can smoke them for 300ft. from a 2500rpm launch. The MTs have no problem but they're relatively new.

 

[TTipe]

Ta61 & MAF/Speed Density

Anyone have guess about how much pressure drop there is across an 3.5" LS1 maf ? (there's a lot of calculations involved since I have no flow bench) I'm trying to reduce my spool time (with a closed 3" straight shot) by going speed density (getting rid of the maf and single wire 02) if the gains are perceivable.I'm working thru the possibilities of exhaust manifold leaks before changing anything else.I don't see any possible air intake issues.Thanks for any comments you might have.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Not enough to worry about. If you're wanting to ditch the maf altogether, do what I did. Buy the maf tube from bmr. 4 inches in diameter, and no maf. Theres a cobalt ss maf stickin out inside the tube. no real maf though. 4 inches from the turbo to the air filter.