1985 T type questions

[95' regal gs]

I just signed up here the other day, though I've visited this site more than once in the last year. I figured since I just became the proud new owner of a 1985 WH1 (1 of 525 according to my research) I'd better start getting serious about my master plans for turbo regal insanity. I've been reading alot about on-center and off-center blocks, I know what the difference between the two is. But what I want to know is which block came with which cars (i.e. which would my car have?). Also, what is the difference between the 14 bolt and 20 bolt oil pans besides the 6 bolts? The reason I ask that is I don't have the motor for my car yet nor have I seen it but there is a twenty bolt oil pan in the trunk. Which would my car have had? Whew, enough question marks!! I look forward to basking in all the knowledge which you crazy turbo guys will surely bombard me with. Thanks.

 

[GNBeswick]

Im pretty sure all 3.8 turbo engines from the factory are all off-center. The only on-center blocks were stage I or II, and that was only some of them. If you have an 85, its possible you could have the 20 bolt pan. Some time in 85 they switched over from 14 bolt to 20 bolt....so some have 14 and some have 20. You just have to look at the pan. As far as a difference besides the number of bolts, I've heard that an 85 20 bolt is stronger than an 84-85 14 bolt, but by how much if any I have no idea. Hope I at least partially answered your questions.

 

[BRAD_PADGETT]

I have studied this topic as well figuiring out which block I have. Mine is an 85 249 block with a 20 bolt pan. My conclusion on the differences in the blocks is that there is none unless you are trying to do something stupid. Like break into the low elevens or the tens. Then you would need an 87 109 block. Check out GNTTYPE.ORG on this subject. My 2 cents. Brad

 

[95' regal gs]

Well sh**balls Batman, tens are my goal. I was thinking stroker kit with some good ported iron heads or maybe some mild port aluminums. You don't think I could do that with this block and a girdle and billet main caps? I swear I read somewhere on here that the hotair blocks were okay untill you got to the really fast stuff, like 9's.

 

[GNBeswick]

Well it's certainly possible with a hotair block. Just more of a risk than a 109. I think the weakness in the hotair block is the lifter valley. But you're going to be throwing lots of money at the car if it's 10s you want.

 

[turbofish38]

Every 85 turbo car I have owned has had the 20 bolt pan. So I'm guessing since you have a 20 bolt in the trunk and since your car is a 1985 than you should have had the 20 bolt block. Most likely the 249 casting that Brad says. From what I've seen the 14 bolt and the 20 bolt hot air blocks pretty much have the same lifter valley. If you dont have a block I would start with the 109 casting only because the IC guys have proven it bullet proof into the 10's.

 

[95' regal gs]

I will have the motor, but its out of the car right now and the guy I bought the car from hasn't gotten it to me yet ( no problem though, Im not going to work on the car for awhile yet). If I'm going for bullet proof then I'll just keep the other motor as a spare. I'll start fresh with a 109 block. Thanks for all the info guys.

By the way, has anyone used the stroker kit that's on Cotton's web site? Its in the fifteen hundred range, which isn't cheap buts its less than the twenty five hundred range ones I've seen.