I have a bone stock 87 GN. I don't know a damn thing about forced induction. I'm old school muscle. How do you adjust the boost? Also I just got a scanmaster tool. I need to know how to tune the car. So if anyone can point me in the right direction that would be great.
Turbo Newbie
- Thread starter Spot1984
- Start date
87GN&98VET
Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2002
Welcome to the club. Research this forum and check out gnttype.org. Lots of good info there too. Use the recipes - they're proven. You can make the stock wastegate adjustable by cutting the rod in the middle, cut out some material, thread both sides with a die, and use a long nut to reattach. Measure the stock length before cutting to set your baseline. Shorter rod length will increase boost. Small changes only unless you like changing head gaskets. And don't do anything without hooking up the scan master first. Upgrade your fuel pump and get an adjustable fuel pressure regulator before you start upping the boost. Stock fuel system can't support much more than stock boost level.
Good luck,
Sean
Good luck,
Sean
good advice. First thing I did was fuel pump and hot wire. Research here, and gnttype.org. The turbo/forced induction thing is a whole new animal. I'd suggest reading a book called "maximum boost" to get familiar with the ins and outs, the stuff you read here will make more since.
and ask questions, it's easy and you'll be set straight. This forum isn't like other forums I've seen. These people are very knowledgeable and don't mind helping.
and ask questions, it's easy and you'll be set straight. This forum isn't like other forums I've seen. These people are very knowledgeable and don't mind helping.
RegalT-type85
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2010
This is a great site for you!!!!!, btw NICE NOVA!383 huh? very nice. I have a Nova and CHEVELLE SS 402 myself. I have the 85 TR but not intercooled. You should Get a Fuel pump&hotwire kit(racetronix.com). TT Chip(turbo tweak.com) A bigger& better exhaust Downpipe all the way back atleast 2.5'' Along with a 3x9'' air filter, i would go with AEM dryflow myself(AEM.com) That alone should wake her up oh and a scan tool (turbotweak.com or fullthrottlespeed.com look up SCAN MASTER)Top item, again this is a great site, good people, ask for any help you will get it.
GNBRETT
Pelennor Fields
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
Welcome to the club. U'll spend a lot of time and money here. Just click on the search button and type away. There are a kazillion articles on basic build ups and how much they will cost. And how fast you can go.
$4k will get you an under the hood blower for a Mustang for example and yield 100hp to the wheels. Not bad I guess. $4k into ur GN will yield probably 200hp to the wheels or likely more if you buy used parts.
Just click on the search button and type away. There are a kazillion articles on basic build ups and how much they will cost. And how fast you can go.$4k will get you an under the hood blower for a Mustang for example and yield 100hp to the wheels. Not bad I guess. $4k into ur GN will yield probably 200hp to the wheels or likely more if you buy used parts.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2006
I use to be old school muscle too. Then one day I took a ride in a nicely modded Grand National. The rest is history...................
Click the link below and read everything ten times then read it again. LOL!
Vortex Turbo Buick Performance
We'll be here when you have question. Allot of great knowledgeable people here always willing to lend a hand and give advice.
Cheers!
The rest is history...................Click the link below and read everything ten times then read it again. LOL!
Vortex Turbo Buick Performance
We'll be here when you have question. Allot of great knowledgeable people here always willing to lend a hand and give advice.
Cheers!
Spot, welcome.
I see in your sig you have some bowties. As a bowtie guy myself I'll say this now, a turbo Buick is NOTHING like a Chevy. In fact go ahead and break out your timing light, tell me how do you set the initial timing advance on a turbo Buick. :tongue:
All jokes aside, your biggest enemy is knock...aka detonation. It can happen from running crappy gas or inadequate fuel pressure/volume. On your Scanmaster, one side says "knock retard"...if you're ever in the boost and you see any numbers start popping up, take your foot off the pedal until you can determine why. If you don't, at best you'll be replacing head gaskets...at worst you'll be picking up your engine's internals off the highway. Always remember that.
I'll try and keep this short, but to tune your car you basically tune for no knock...to start off, make sure you have the right fuel pressure at idle w/o the vaccum line/boost line attached to the fuel pressure regulator. Once that's done, attach the line and ZIP TIE it on so it doesn't come off under boost. The zip tie is important.
Then make sure you do a "spring cleaning" on the car (do a search here of it) so you can ensure it's up to snuff. Then once that's done, and if the car doesn't already have these things you're going to need:
A hot wire kit for the fuel pump $35
An aftermarket fuel pump $100 +
An aftermarket boost gauge (the stock one sucks - don't use it) $60-$80
A knock alarm (goes off if the knock detector thinks t senses knock - has a loud audible beep that tells you to get off the pedal) $51
A Turbo Tweak chip...the chip is adjustable and it allows you to adjust ignition timing and fuel curves all from the seat of the car...it beats swapping jets on Holleys and turning the distributor to change timing....$75
And if you don't have an adjustable fuel pressure regulator on the end of the fuel rail, count on buying one of those too....$120 + When you do this you'll also want to buy the Caspers temporary fuel pressure gauge that hooks on the end of the fuel rail...$40.
...and fill up the tank with the best fuel you can buy...if it's only 92-93 octane that's ok for now, but if you can fill up on 110, go for it.
Then head to the track. Stock boost should be like 14-15 PSI....hook up your Scanmaster and set it on top of the gauge cluster surround so you can view it out the corner of your eye....make a pass...watch for knock...any knock, pull out of the pedal.
If no knock, up the boost 1 lb and make another run...watch for knock...
If you use all the parts mentioned above, you should be able to maybe get it up to 16-17 PSI safely, again watching for knock....always tune for ZERO knock.
If you've gotten zero knock so far, and if you still want more boost, then you can considering purchasing an Alky kit for $540 that will allow you to continue to safely turn up the boost 1 lb at a time on pump gas again watching for knock...depending on conditions you may be able to get it upwards of 24 psi w/o problems, but all cars are different. The other option is race fuel.
Also you may want to consider upgrading injectors too. Since the chip is burned to the injectors, consider buying a set of injectors/chip combo.
Oh yeah, adjusting boost is done by shortening the wastegate actuator rod. Some actuator rods are adjustable, the stockers I don't think are but I've heard you can make them adjustable.
Hopefully this will help you some. Remember always, knock is the #1 killer of turbo Buick engines.
p.s. I own a Nova too...mine's a 69 model, just has a mildly built 350 in it.
I see in your sig you have some bowties. As a bowtie guy myself I'll say this now, a turbo Buick is NOTHING like a Chevy. In fact go ahead and break out your timing light, tell me how do you set the initial timing advance on a turbo Buick. :tongue:
All jokes aside, your biggest enemy is knock...aka detonation. It can happen from running crappy gas or inadequate fuel pressure/volume. On your Scanmaster, one side says "knock retard"...if you're ever in the boost and you see any numbers start popping up, take your foot off the pedal until you can determine why. If you don't, at best you'll be replacing head gaskets...at worst you'll be picking up your engine's internals off the highway. Always remember that.
I'll try and keep this short, but to tune your car you basically tune for no knock...to start off, make sure you have the right fuel pressure at idle w/o the vaccum line/boost line attached to the fuel pressure regulator. Once that's done, attach the line and ZIP TIE it on so it doesn't come off under boost. The zip tie is important.
Then make sure you do a "spring cleaning" on the car (do a search here of it) so you can ensure it's up to snuff. Then once that's done, and if the car doesn't already have these things you're going to need:
A hot wire kit for the fuel pump $35
An aftermarket fuel pump $100 +
An aftermarket boost gauge (the stock one sucks - don't use it) $60-$80
A knock alarm (goes off if the knock detector thinks t senses knock - has a loud audible beep that tells you to get off the pedal) $51
A Turbo Tweak chip...the chip is adjustable and it allows you to adjust ignition timing and fuel curves all from the seat of the car...it beats swapping jets on Holleys and turning the distributor to change timing....$75
And if you don't have an adjustable fuel pressure regulator on the end of the fuel rail, count on buying one of those too....$120 + When you do this you'll also want to buy the Caspers temporary fuel pressure gauge that hooks on the end of the fuel rail...$40.
...and fill up the tank with the best fuel you can buy...if it's only 92-93 octane that's ok for now, but if you can fill up on 110, go for it.
Then head to the track. Stock boost should be like 14-15 PSI....hook up your Scanmaster and set it on top of the gauge cluster surround so you can view it out the corner of your eye....make a pass...watch for knock...any knock, pull out of the pedal.
If no knock, up the boost 1 lb and make another run...watch for knock...
If you use all the parts mentioned above, you should be able to maybe get it up to 16-17 PSI safely, again watching for knock....always tune for ZERO knock.
If you've gotten zero knock so far, and if you still want more boost, then you can considering purchasing an Alky kit for $540 that will allow you to continue to safely turn up the boost 1 lb at a time on pump gas again watching for knock...depending on conditions you may be able to get it upwards of 24 psi w/o problems, but all cars are different. The other option is race fuel.
Also you may want to consider upgrading injectors too. Since the chip is burned to the injectors, consider buying a set of injectors/chip combo.
Oh yeah, adjusting boost is done by shortening the wastegate actuator rod. Some actuator rods are adjustable, the stockers I don't think are but I've heard you can make them adjustable.
Hopefully this will help you some. Remember always, knock is the #1 killer of turbo Buick engines.
p.s. I own a Nova too...mine's a 69 model, just has a mildly built 350 in it.
