A Fabricobbler's Guide to the Turbo Buick Galaxy- Cutlass Rehash

[81cutlass]

Any final decisions on what tunable ECU?

I was pretty set on the Dynamic setup

EBL SFI-6 Flash

However it's discontinued... 🙁

So I need to save up and just get the Holley harness for Term X.

MS3 has their $1500 plug and play system but holley software is just more supported.

I know it's the right decision but I cringe when I spend big chunks of money....

Plug & Play Holley EFI Package for 1986-87 Turbo Buick Engines with Casper's Electronics Wiring Harness

Plug & Play Holley EFI Wiring Harness (Casper's Electronics) / Holley ECU Package for 1986-87 Turbo Buick V6 Grand National, Regal T-Type or '89 Turbo Trans Am Vehicles! Compatible with HP, Dominator, Terminator X and XMax ECUs (SELECT BELOW) We have been a direct Holley EFI certified dealer and...

fullthrottlespeed.com

 

[81cutlass]

I guess more on the Term X and why I am tempted-

It can do flex fuel input on a Term X so I can run on junk 87 and just fill up e85, I already have a flex sensor in the fuel rail
I can run a small digi dash on a term X
It's closed loop
It has great software support

Spending the additional $1500 on a term X vs. a dynamic system hurts but the Dynamic system requires me to buy a +$200 tablet for tuning, a +$250 flex fuel gauge to convert the 50-150hz signal to 5V so I can manually switch the tune from flex to 87, and then I have to learn how to use it.

 

[liquidh8]

I just saw the EBL-SFI-6 was discontinued, demand I suppose, bummer. Have you thought about the ECU-GN? I've heard good things, but have not played with it first hand.

 

[81cutlass]

I've been in a buying dry streak most of the summer but I stumbled on the set of speedline ws6 wheels last week for the fireturd and now this 4.1 block.

I stumbled on a kbid estate auction about 40 miles east of me. It had some c1 Corvette and sbc stuff and some Buick v6 stuff. The smokey yunick and weiand intakes, erson valve covers and long tubes went for around fair market value but there was a complete Buick v6 with an OEM 4 barrel aka 4.1 and an unlabeled block in the ad.

I had a buddy put $50 on the complete 4.1 and $20 on the block. I was able to catch 4.1 on the block in a corner of a photo and thought with another one in the garage and a few hot rod v6 Buick parts there's a good chance the block was ok.

I lost the auction on the complete 4.1 at $56 as I don't have room or a need for it but I got the block for $6.51. yup, I was the only bid at $5+ fees

The auction had all the timing covers, pans, heads, cranks, and other stuff out of this engine but the sellers didn't know what they were doing and split them apart so I could a put a complete short block together for maybe $35 bucks but it wasn't worth the hassle.

I haven't checked if it's a virgin bore but as the 4.1 block in the cutlass is already 40 over and I dingle balled a rust smear out, if I decide to put decent pistons in it there's nothing really to bore out. So this was a cheap insurance policy.

 

[liquidh8]

Very cool, having a spare is always good as these 4.1L blocks are easy to come by anymore, they do pop up, just not as often as they once did, at least not by me.

 

[WAGOOON]

I just saw the EBL-SFI-6 was discontinued, demand I suppose, bummer. Have you thought about the ECU-GN? I've heard good things, but have not played with it first hand.

ECUGN is the one I use. Great unit and excellent support from turbotweak. It’s all turbo buick specific which makes it easy.

 

[81cutlass]

Dropped the trans and ordered a torque converter

And started on the 8.5 rear.

Dad stole the 7.5 rear out of the fbird when it went to the junk yard. I was going to sell it but no takers. I cut the ends off and stole the disks.

I'm cutting 1.625 out of each side of the 8.5 S10 rear, welding the f body 7.5" ends in, and dropping in a pair of moser 30 spline axles. All junk I have laying around.

S10 rear was in the 2+2 but was too wide. I needed to use the 7.5 f body ends because the S10 8.5 has 1.62" wheel bearings and cars have 1.4".

 

[85Frankencar]

What year s10 did that 8.5 come out of? Didn’t know s10s had 8.5s…nice score too on the 4.1! Found a near complete 3.8 turbo block on eBay for stupid cheap a few months back ($800 shipped was starting bid), but funds didn’t exist at the time for it…😕Came with block, heads, turbo, headers. Guy didn’t know what he had…

 

[81cutlass]

What year s10 did that 8.5 come out of? Didn’t know s10s had 8.5s…nice score too on the 4.1! Found a near complete 3.8 turbo block on eBay for stupid cheap a few months back ($800 shipped was starting bid), but funds didn’t exist at the time for it…😕Came with block, heads, turbo, headers. Guy didn’t know what he had…

97-04 Zr2, the lifted versions on 31's.

The zr2 versions are a dime a dozen up north. GM sold a lot of zr2's up here and they rusted out.

zq8 and stick blazers with the tow package also did. They are worth a good amount because they are the same width as normal s10. zr2 are pretty undesireable for swaps.

 

[81cutlass]

Dropped the 7.5 and mocked up the 8.5 yesterday

Need to order some parts but everything fits decent.

I need to move the lower shock mount, add a bump stops and finalize caliper angle before I pull the rear out and weld everything solid