Not an engine swap, just a Turbo build PICTURE HEAVY

Ok guys, well if any of you remember me, I started a thread about 3 years ago on my 86 Monte SS. It was all original and I purchased an LT1 and started building it. Well, I got the LT1 all built and a guy came in and saw it and HAD to have it for his '94 Z28. He made me an offer I couldnt refuse, so I sold it for a decent little profit. I was a little burned out on the car anyways at that point, so I put her back in the corner all stripped down and didnt touch it for about 2 years.



Fast forward to 2012...


I decided that instead of sinking a bunch of money into the Monte, I'd do something different. Something that people would point and make fun of until they heard and saw it run. I decided to turbo the factory 305. I pulled it all apart, and the rings and bearings looked alright. So I cleaned it up, took all the BS smog sh*t off it. threw new MLS gaskets on it, threw a Summit 1103 cam in it, and put her pack together. Thats all thats done to the Motor.
Summit 1103 Cam and lifter kit
Edelbrock Torker Intake Manifold (not pictured yet)
Factory 305 H.O. heads and rockers
Factory HEI ignition






Now, I knew going to a TPI setup would be a lot easier and make more sense, but I had just picked up an Edelbrock 1405 600cfm carb with manual choke for the free. I've always hated Edelbrock. Have bought several new and tried to give them a chance. But they all sucked. Turned out i just didnt know what I was doing with them. The best advice I can give on this subject is: They arent a Holley, so dont tune them like a Holley

Nobody ever does Edelbrock carbs for Blow-thru, but i figured it couldnt be that difficult. Turns out the worst part is that nobody makes nitrophyl floats for them, and the brass floats crush under boost. Did a little (a lot) of internet research, and no biggy, I just modified a set of Chrysler Thermoquad Nitrofyl floats for it. Got them from my Carquest dealer. Part number is FL4. Desolder the float arms off your old floats, cut and trim up the FL4 arms so you can graft on the old arms, drill and rivet, then a dab of solder to keep it from moving. Only do 1 at a time so you can have a factory brass one to go off of. The angles of the arms to the floats HAVE to be the same.










After the floats, its all easy going from there. Drill/tap some brass vacuum barbs into the top of the carb plate above the fuel bowls for bowl vent extensions. Run a line from there into your intake charge pipe. I bent some brake line around and epoxied it into the charge pipe. This pressurizes the fuel bowls with a much better source than the factory bowl vents can. (If you'd like to know more details about this, message me about it or search for "bowl vent extensions" on theturboforums.com)
Install the big needle and seats from Edelbrock, and buy a bunch of Jets and metering rods for the massive amount of tuning you will soon be doing.

To be continued...

Re: Not an engine swapjust a Turbo build

I picked up a little baby Borg Warner s256 from a swap meet. I knew it was going to be on the small side, but for less than $50 I couldnt pass it up. Has enough shaft play to think about, but not enough to justify not using it for this heap. It is a t3 housing, but from what I've researched its about as big of a t3 as was ever made. Still too small, but its not like stock 305's make any power anyways. 55mm Compressor inducer. You wouldn't believe me if I told you the terrible breathing 305 actually fits right within the compressor map of this mini turbo, would you? Didn't think so. But it does. The lack of volumetric efficiency (mostly from the cylinder heads I believe) and the low RPM's I'm pushing it to (Shifts at 5000rpm) makes it fit nicely within it's boundaries.

Next up was to build the hot side for the turbo. I was initially playing around with the idea of making my own shorty headers. Then I remembered that I'm really not that great of a welder. So I walked down to this 1978 Nova Rally Sport parts car we had sitting behind the shop. I popped the hood and there sat 2 perfectly good factory exhaust manifolds. They were free and looked like they would go great with this ghetto/junkyard project. So I pulled them off and threw them on my engine upside down. Ordered some pipe and flex joints off Summit and got the welder out. What happened next wasnt pretty, but there were not leaks.





Nothing a little header wrap cant clean up...




Homemade catch can system out of an aluminum water bottle and some fittings that were on clearance through SummitRacing. And a little petcock to drain it... Funny looking, but for a grand total of $16 (including the $8shipped filter off Ebay)

Re: Not an engine swapjust a Turbo build

Next up was the fuel system. I ran -6an pushlock hose from the tank up to the Fuel Pressure Regulator. Then -6 from there to the carb with a Russel inline fuel filter in between. Then from the reglator back to the tank I ran -8AN Pushlock hose for a return. I drilled/tapped into the tank with a 1/2NPT bulkhead. The return must be large with my setup, because the pump is designed to flow at 60psi, but I'm only going to be using 6-22psi (6psi base + boost pressure). The regulator raises the fuel pressure with boost 1:1.

Fuel System Parts:
Walbro GSL392 Inline High volume pump
Mallory 4309 Fuel Pressure regulator
Russel 650133 Fillter
Universal Fuel pump relay kit



I'm running a CSU carb bonnet that I got off eBay for $60. They go for over $200 new, and this one had been cut and modified, but I got a buddy who tig welds and he cut it up and rewelded it back to near-stock. Bought one of those cheap 3" intercooler piping kits off Ebay with the bends and couplers. Got a 60mm Wastegate off eBay. It isnt a name brand, but I'm very impressed with the quality. With the factory spring it came with it went to 6psi of boost. I adjusted it up to 8psi. Then I bought a large Tial blue spring to put in with the factory small one it came with. That put my boost up to 11psi. That still wasnt enough for me, so I bought a cheap Manual Boost Controller off eBay and I got it set to around 15psi now.




Then came a CXRacing intercooler (also off eBay). This is the only pic I have of it so far.

Re: Not an engine swapjust a Turbo build

As for the body, it wasnt in very good condition. I'm a mechanic, not a body man. But for this project i thought it would be stupid to do all this shadetree/junkyard stuff and then spend a bunch of money on body work and a paint job. So I went to Harbor Freight and bought a bunch of cheap sandpaper, some spray can primer, and a $14 HVLP paint gun. Then I went to Walmart and bought a gallon of Rustoleum white enamel. I'm sure you have all seen the Rustoleum paint threads that all started on the Mopar site... Well I wasnt about to spend days rolling that sh*t on. So I thinned the hell out of it with Acetone and sprayed her. It was my first ever car paint job, and from 10 feet she is beautiful. Dont get any closer than that though...

From start to finish

richp85elco said:

man thats freaking sweet! thanks for taking the time to share, im looking into going turbo soon as well and your build makes it a little less intimidating

Click to expand...

Yea I've never quite done anything like this before. I mean, I've built engines, transmissions, rearends, etc, but to fabricate the whole setup yourself, then get to take it out and stomp on it... Totally different feeling of accomplishment. Before this I had only dreamed of having a turbo on a v8. 😛

I will say that I spent about 1 whole month of misery with my Innovate MTX-L wideband and a box of jets and metering rods. Tuning this thing was the real PITA. But now it starts and idles perfect, cruises at an AFR of 13.5-14, and at WOT it sticks right to 11.2. Which is right where I want it.