Thoughts on my setup.

[Mike E]

New guy here, well not new but I haven't ever posted before. I'm not new to buicks or turbo cars but this will be my first turbo buick. I used to have a 72 GS clone and a twin turbo 2000 mustang GT street car.

The car: 86 T-type Wh1. I wouldn't be using this car for a sbc build but it's got 174K miles on it and the motor is toast and has been out of the car for at least 5 years. It has t-tops, but I plan to do a full cage, so I'm not real worried about that.

The motor: Me and a friend built this motor almost 6 years ago and it's never been fired. I'll have to go through it because its been sitting so long. I'm sure I'll put new valve springs in it and possibly a new cam because thoughts on turbo cams have been changed quite a bit since then.
Stock 2 bolt 350 block with steel splayed 4 bolt caps, deck plugs and lifter valley vent plugs.
Eagle 4130 3.75" stroke crank
Eagle 5.7 rods w/ L19 bolts
Ross custom pistons 9:1
Brodix Track1 heads from CNC motorsports in FLA I think they flowed 290 @.550" lift
Don't have the exact cam specs, but it's a cam motion hyraulic roller w/ 22?/23? with 0 degrees of overlap and roughly .580 lift.
Vic Jr. intake that I converted to EFI years ago
83lb./hr. siemens injectors
Accufab 75mm mustang TB with an elbow.
Moroso 7qt. pan
Speed-pro bank to bank setup (may send to fast for an update)
Weldon 2025 pump, regulator and Dial-a-flow.

Turbo setup:
Garret Ht3b with ~72mm compressor wheel (because it's reverse rotation, I'm kinda stuck with it until I decide to build new headers.
1 5/8" primaries 2 1/2" cross over built by Travis quillen at young's performance.
Racegate
HKS bov
Custom air to air made from the largest a/a core that spearco offered at the time.

Trans:
th400 for now w/ a brake. I'll probably buy a new PTC converter for it

The T-type is stock right now. I'll have to put a cage in it and new strange brakes all around. Probably 35 spline axles and spool in the stock 8.5 housing with big 9" bearings. Whatever rear suspension is hot right now.

Any input is appreciated on car setup, possible engine changes, or whatever. I'll run the car locally with as big of a MT radial as I can fit under it. Future plans will involve a better block and rotating assy, 98-106 turbo, Water to air cooler behind the dash, Powerglide and a mini tub. But that's way on down the road. I sold my turbo mustang about a year ago and have been without a hot rod since then. I'm itching to get back to the track and have some fun. I think it will run 5.80's when setup right.

 

[John Wilde]

Mike I think this sounds like a great project.
I d not know much about your turbo but I would prefer a more standard unit.
Can you post some pictures of your headers so we know what you have to work with?

Thanks in advance,

 

[Mike E]

I would rather have a standard style turbo also. We built this setup originally for a friend with a mid 80's camaro, so the headers are set up for that. I'll have to redo some of the crossover to get around the steering box in the regal. The way the headers were built, using a different turbo will pretty much require a new passenger side header. I hate to trash these since they have never been ran. I used to work at Young's Performance and we built this motor to try out the HT3B turbo and the owner of the car never got it running to do any testing, so that's why it's on there. I'll get some pics tomorrow, but they are somewhat like turbo buick headers.

If I changed the turbo and camshaft, what would you reccomend in a T6 flange turbo?

 

[John Wilde]

I would rather have a standard style turbo also. We built this setup originally for a friend with a mid 80's camaro, so the headers are set up for that. I'll have to redo some of the crossover to get around the steering box in the regal. The way the headers were built, using a different turbo will pretty much require a new passenger side header. I hate to trash these since they have never been ran. I used to work at Young's Performance and we built this motor to try out the HT3B turbo and the owner of the car never got it running to do any testing, so that's why it's on there. I'll get some pics tomorrow, but they are somewhat like turbo buick headers.

If I changed the turbo and camshaft, what would you reccomend in a T6 flange turbo?

Mike,

There is nothing wrong with running what you have first.
Go out and have some fun with the set up.
Ultimately when you redo the passenger side please update the flange
to a T6 you will be much happier.
I am not sure if you know Dusty Bradford but he would be an excellent resource for you.

Best regards,

 

[Mike E]

I got curious and had to go check out the headers. I could actually chop the headers after the collector and build a conventional crossover.

Everybody likes pics right.

 

[Mike E]

A couple more.

 

[John Wilde]

Wow are those close to being equal length?
That seems like a lot of work, especially considering the space constraints
in a stock framed car.

 

[Mike E]

They were originally built for an 86 camaro with a rack and pinion conversion. The motor is sitting in a 68 chevelle frame in those pictures, so I'm sure a g-body will be close. I think the headers were built with plug access in mind with the camaro. We were using a stock k-member and with those monsterous strut towers, there just wasn't any other way to do it. There is probably 3" difference between the longest and shortest primaries.

 

[Mike E]

Found the cam specs

232/226 on a 114
.565" lift

 

[John Wilde]

That is enough for this iteration of the car.
How about some pictures of the car going together?

 

[Mike E]

That is enough for this iteration of the car.
How about some pictures of the car going together?

As soon as I can go pick it up, I will get some pictures up.

 

[Dusty Bradford]

5.80's won't happen with that 72mm turbo unless your really light. If you plan to relocate anything I'd go ahead and make the T6 change and put at least an 80mm on it. The stock block should hold but it's pushing it.

Cam and combo is fine for your goals.

You should be able to fit the 325/50 radial on the car. The 295/65 might fit but I prefer a frame notch and mini-tub to tuck that tall tire inside the fender well so you can keep the rear end height down. Geometry is much better this way.

I've known Travis for a while and I think lives somewhere up towards Lawrenceburg. If your close to him, he's be a big help.

 

[Mike E]

5.80's won't happen with that 72mm turbo unless your really light. If you plan to relocate anything I'd go ahead and make the T6 change and put at least an 80mm on it. The stock block should hold but it's pushing it.

Cam and combo is fine for your goals.

You should be able to fit the 325/50 radial on the car. The 295/65 might fit but I prefer a frame notch and mini-tub to tuck that tall tire inside the fender well so you can keep the rear end height down. Geometry is much better this way.

I've known Travis for a while and I think lives somewhere up towards Lawrenceburg. If your close to him, he's be a big help.

I think it's a 72mm, but may be in the high 70's. I'll pull the compressor housing off and measure it to be sure. We got it from turbo specialties in birmingham years ago and Reed (the owner at the time) said it would do 1000 on this motor. But everything else he sold us seemed to fall short.

What backspacing and width wheel would I need to run the 295 with a stock width rearend? I'll notch the frame and mini-tub it.

I've probably met you before, but wouldn't know it. I went to college with Travis and worked with him at Young's Performance for a couple years. He told me about your old motor a long time ago. The motor is pretty much identical to Alan Dudley's first turbo small block that they made 1300 with a 100mm. Travis lives up towards Athens, but works up towards lawrenceburg.

The wh1 t-type used to be owned by Russel Hunt. You may or may not know him and he might still be a member here. Last I knew he had a twin turbo olds powered dragster.

 

[GNBRETT]

BTW, Sweet set-up! Make sure you post pics and numbers when it's complete!

 

[Dusty Bradford]

I think it's a 72mm, but may be in the high 70's. I'll pull the compressor housing off and measure it to be sure. We got it from turbo specialties in birmingham years ago and Reed (the owner at the time) said it would do 1000 on this motor. But everything else he sold us seemed to fall short.

What backspacing and width wheel would I need to run the 295 with a stock width rearend? I'll notch the frame and mini-tub it.

I've probably met you before, but wouldn't know it. I went to college with Travis and worked with him at Young's Performance for a couple years. He told me about your old motor a long time ago. The motor is pretty much identical to Alan Dudley's first turbo small block that they made 1300 with a 100mm. Travis lives up towards Athens, but works up towards lawrenceburg.

The wh1 t-type used to be owned by Russel Hunt. You may or may not know him and he might still be a member here. Last I knew he had a twin turbo olds powered dragster.

I've probably seen you in Young's, just can't remember. You may have seen Quick 79's videos on here. He has went 5.95 with a 75mm S400 so you can get close. I know his had more in it but he had a 1.32 a/r to help get the exhaust out. You can get close depending on your turbine and a/r.

You'll need a 15x10 with 5.5bs. I have a 15x11 with 6bs that fits as well.

My motor was also like Dudley's old set-up except I have a DART block. Dudley made 1300 on the dyno with the stock block but you may remember the caps were really moving around. I would feel comfortable to 1000 with a good block with good caps and a partial block fill.

I've been friends with Russell for a long time..great guy.