will 3.73 gear help stock GN

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Bigblok71

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Joined
Jan 19, 2012
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16
I am a newby and I have an 87 GN. Until I get the bug real bad I would like to start slow with my mods. Car is all original 29k miles I have e-mailed Eric at Turbotweak and he says any more than a chip change is going to get me into considerably money because of the engine needing octane. He is talking supplement fuel etc. etc. My question is for the fist go around what do you think of just a turbotweak chip and a 3.73 gear ? or anything I can do and still run high octane pump gas ? HELP.
 
it all depends what your goals are and whats you budget
i think what he ment by supplent fuel would be alky injection which that plus a few other mods can make for a prety quick car for not to much money depending on what your you think to much money is
 
Forget the gear change, Go to Turbo Tweak website, and get a 255 lph fuel pump and a hotwire for the pump. Next, get an adjustable fuel pressure regulator, and then a 93 octane street chip for stock injectors. Get a K and N cone air filter with a 3" outlet and mount it directly to the maf. This will not cost very much money, but will wake that regal up.
 
didn't really want to go with alky injection. the chip, pump, k&n, sounds good but why not add 3.73 gear change also ?
 
didn't really want to go with alky injection. the chip, pump, k&n, sounds good but why not add 3.73 gear change also ?

3.42 is fine. Even 9 and 10 second cars mostly run the 3.42. Pump, chip, regulator, K&N cone, drag radials and ALKY you'll be going 12's easy. I went 13.0 @ 104 in my old 3700# GN with just a chip, K&N, fuel pump(hotwired), regulator and drag radials on pump 93.
 
A Duttwieler intercooler neck is another great addition to these cars that is dirt cheap for what it will do for you. Also, a good 2800 stall converter will really make it come alive. You will probably want to go with a bigger injector with the Duttwieler neck, because it will be moving a whole lot more air through the motor. How fast do you want to go with it?
 
If you are going with a TT Chip, just get a chip/injector combo. Get the 60lbers with a TT chip, hotwire kit and a fuel pump. These upgrades alone will supply you enough fuel for a pretty fast car, and will set you up for down the road. Its an investment that you should make if you plan to upgrade the car. You should also invest in a scanmaster to help tune and monitor your knock.
 
didn't really want to go with alky injection. the chip, pump, k&n, sounds good but why not add 3.73 gear change also ?

Because a 3.73 gear will slow your car down.

With the stock longblock, its been proven time an time again that a taller tire will run more mph in the 1/4. If you switch to 3.73 gears, you'll have a tough time running over 107 mph with a 26" tire, while the stock gears will run over 110 mph.

This motor hates to rev over 5000 RPM's. 3.73's will put you there way before the traps, even with a mild tune.

Also, with street tire, you can turn up the boost until just about any tire spins, so putting in a gear that makes it easier to spin the tires, doesn't help you. Only with too tall slicks will a 3.73 be faster than 3.42's.
 
Thanks to everyone I am learning a ton. How much of all these things can I do on 93 octane with no injection ?
 
Agreed. No to 3.73's I ran them for a year or so about 20 years ago, then switched back and gained performance. What ever you know about hot rodding a normally aspirated engine.......forget it and listen to "us guys" on here. It'll save you a TON of money. Go with alcohol injection from Alky Control (Razor on this web site) The alcohol will allow you to turn the boost up and make alot more power on pump gas. Ditto on a Turbo Tweak chip and matched 65 lb injectors. 3000 stall converter will net you alot more than gear EVER could. Turbo, downpipe (3"), 2.5" exhaust system (Pypes is a great affordable system), fuel pump and hot wire kit, K&N cone filter, injectors, chip, intercooler will get you DEEP in the 11's with a completely stock engine. You're gonna NEED good drag radials, too. These cars are HARD on tires for some wierd reason;)
 
Thanks to everyone I am learning a ton. How much of all these things can I do on 93 octane with no injection ?

Fuel pump and a K&N are a must, as is a free flowing, low backpressure exhaust.

Little things like a dutweiller intercooler neck and a ported Turbo elbow will make the car quicker on 93 octane and with race gas.
 
Yes,, all my past hot rods have been big rpm small blocks or big cubic inch big blocks, all naturally aspirated. This is my first turbo !! All "you guys" help is greatly appreciated. I know less than Zero about alky injection. It just sounds complicated and expensive. Do you only inject during a pass ? like you would N2o ?
 
Alky injection is progressive. It is completely controlled by a computer, and you do not have to do anything but hold on. It is always on and ready to go. It is actually not complicated. Julio (Razor) has created a system that is incredibly simple to install and use. I installed my own and I am only 17.

Nix
 
the 3.73 gear will load the motor less than the stock gear and turbos need to have a loaded down motor to creat boost.....great example try to rev your car in park or neutral all the way to redline and you wont see even one pound of boost on a accurate boost gauge
 
Hey big block 71, I know where you're coming from. All my previous hot rods were small block chevy stuff. Just hang out with us and it will become very clear. These cars are the most fun I have ever had with hot rodding. I'm fairly new to these also. Just keep reading and asking questions.
 
there are plenty of guys that go fast without the 3.42 gear.without getting into a debate on the gear subject,i don't think it should be your first mod.getting more boost into the motor with the proper fuel will be your biggest performance increase.i really like the stock turbo,converter,fuel pump,tt chip,alky injection combo behind a good trans.
 
Not many people going with a 3.73 gear. Fewer have success with it. I seem to be one of the few who have done well with it, and I'm telling you not to do it. Unless you have a 32" rear tire that we don't know about, your money will be better spent elsewhere. Take your time, and learn here before you buy stuff that you'll outgrow in a year. These cars are freaks. They're not like most other cars. I'm going to tell you straight up. The number one magic bullet that you can throw at them, to make them faster, is "KNOWLEDGE". Take your time, and enjoy the ride. Your closer to running an eleven second time slip than you think.

Happy spooling.

Mike Barnard
 
On a side note:
The 3.73 gear was a more popular swap in the 90s. People would go to bigger turbos, in search of more power. This hurt streetability. Rather than getting a looser converter to match their turbo, they'd get a lower gear to make it more streetable. Unfortunately for them, the torque of these engines likes something to push against, and the lower gear just slowed them down. Looking back, turbo and converter technology has come a long ways. Now days, You can have a ten second car that drives much like a stocker. Ask me how I know.:D

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/my-87-gn-cruise-air-10-55-et-21-mpg.370097/

Happy spooling.

Mike Barnard
 
Thanks Every one for all your input. Give me an opinion on this. TT chip and 42lb injectors ? or TT Chip and bigger injectors ? why ???
 
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