Turbo-4 '89 Mustang roadrace coupe.

[Bob Holmes]

Turbo stuff:

[Bob Holmes]

More test fitting:

[TheSilverBuick]

Where's the wind up key?

[Russell]

I think Randal is calling you out!

[milner351]

Fantastic!

[Bob Holmes]

Mixed bag of a weekend.

Went up to Chico to observe a turbocharged 300ci LS engine's first start and dyno tuning. The engine is built for Bonneville, so big turbo. Lots of issues, so it did not meet its goals. Everyone involved is frustrated, sometimes things just go "to hell in a hand basket." Engine is off to its home camp and everyone is regrouping. At the same time, sometimes you learn the most when you fail.

I would really, really recommend that if you are going to dyno your engine, that you take the time to at least run it in first. Make sure that the plumbing is correct, that the wiring is correct, that there are no leaks, etc and that IT FIRES. At $150 an hour (the rate we see here) it does not make $$ sense to do final assembly on the "pump."

Sunday was better. Started mocking up the "hot" side of the engine. I'm always amazed at how much time the simple things take. Cleaning all the bolt holes, and the bolts. Making sure that everything aligns, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning...cleaning.

I'd like to build a heat shield, so I mocked one up with some card stock. Still fiddling with it.

[mlcraven]

Gawd...hot rodders, customizers and metal fabricators generally would be lost without cardboard.

[Bob Holmes]

Looks like the transmission won't be done until next week. Bummer, had really planned on installing it in the car this weekend.

I'll get the engine done and then work some on the exterior...as well as just clean the thing. Sitting for three years makes for a crusty looking vehicle.

[SuperBuickGuy]

what's a week plus or minus... this gives you a chance to catch the silly things you'd miss if you'd stuffed it in this weekend

[Scott Liggett]

Engine is looking good. Couple questions: What turbo are you running? What boost are you hoping to make with it? Are you using an.aftermarket efi controller?

[Bob Holmes]

Scott, its a stock SVO T3. The car currently uses a Haltech box, although we plan to change to a DIYautotune MS based box. Our car is limited to about 300rwhp/300rwtq by the series rules that limit power based on the weight of the vehicle. We make that limit on 9psi, using E85 as fuel. Its at its peak at 5,800 rpm, although it will carry that number out for quite an additional range. The car was built to run in endurance events...up to 25 hours straight at Thunderhill...so there are real benefits to limiting how tight we spin the engine.

My strategy, given that its a roadracing as opposed to LSR or drag car, is to make the car as drivable as possible. I want to make my numbers with as little throttle lag and as little boost as possible. We've been successful due to the change to E85, a huge freaking intercooler, excellent head and cam work, and a smaller turbo.

I would, however, say that I'd build the engine a little differently if I had decided on E85 early on in the planning process. When I build an E85 specific engine, there will definitely be more compression. Currently I'm running 8.5:1, new engine will be built with 2-3 more points.

[Bob Holmes]

Two steps forward, one step back.

Started final assembly after taking some time to check a few things on the cam timing. The cam seller doesn't give you the cam specs, given the competition in this particular market, so we grabbed the degree wheel and the dial indicator and checked it for ourselves.

Scott Courtney went by Cummins and picked up new studs and bolts for the turbo to manifold flange. I'll need to cut the length down to fit. Hopefully they'll stay tight better than the last set. I'm still trying to decide whether or not to use a gasket, the last couple of have blown out.

Then, we started mounting the intake side and I pulled the threads out of two holes on the lower. Damn. So I've decided to just epoxy in some studs. As often as we take these things apart and put them back together a stud is a better solution.

Let's hope that everything is going into the car next weekend.

[mustang13]

Hopefully it will be a good couple weeks of progress on both left, and right coasts with 2.3L work. I hope this Gulf colored beast will stay together so it can run some laps in anger soon.

[Bob Holmes]

Well, still waiting on the transmission, one of the parts he needed hadn't arrived yet. A necessary upgrade on these tranmissions is a cluster support plate. We're waiting for that to arrive.

I've continued to fiddle with the engine, while fitting the water supply and oil drain to the turbo, I noticed a couple of scorch marks on the insulation sleeves for the braided lines. Looks like I need to make a couple of heat shields for those.

We couldn't find the all the bolts for the exhaust manifold, so, after visiting 4 hardware stores I finally gathered up enough m10x1.50 70mm long bolts to put it back on. Unfortunately I'll have to drill them all for safety wire, one of my least favorite tasks.

So...we didn't make Knott's. Bummer.

[Bob Holmes]

Sometimes delay is good. Due to the wait for the transmlssion, I sent my injectors to my buddy Stacy, Dalzellracing.com, to have them cleaned. He just called and told me that three of the 4 stuck open. At 98pph, they would have made a mess, or broken things, if we had tried to start the engine.