FWD SFI intake manifold+HA turbo set up?

[CamoDeafie]

looking at an 87 Buick Century equipped with the LG3 FWD 3.8 v6, it has the SFI intake manifold (red Sequential Fuel Injection V6 Medallion); I wonder if it is possible to put together a Hot AIr set up directly onto the TB, and have the MAF sensor ahead of the turbo intake? its either that or do TUrbokinetic's LG3 intercooled SFI set up in the hybrid section...what do you guys say? I figure the SFI intake is more open than the HA intake manifolds you guys have...?

 

[1dollardog]

The fwd intake has to be turned around backward to work on the rwd block which puts the tb toward the firewall and creates clearence issues. I think other than that it should work.

 

[CamoDeafie]

right, im looking to turn the FWD century into a hybrid turbo FWD car......like turbokinetics did...the intake already is facing the transmission bellhousing on the FWD block, so if one were to put it in a RWD block, it;d be facing the same direction (firewall)....the century is local to me, and only $600 right now; engine feels good, transmission shifts good, though when i do the turbocharging, i'm going to look for a 4t65E-HD from a newer car with the limited slip differential kit so it can handle the boost....the stock 440t4 is not quite as beefy from what i've heard. the engine is 8.5:1 CR stock, and roller lifter equipped...so its already pretty much where i can safely put a turbocharger with reasonably low boost levels to wake it up...all in due time of course lol

 

[1dollardog]

That sounds cool. I remember seeing a similar conversion several years ago in a Centry if I remember right. Good luck.

 

[CamoDeafie]

yeah, TUrbokinetic is a friend of mine, he;s done i think 3 turbo buick centuries already....and planning on building another 2 or 3... all have intercooled engines though; I was wondering what would be the cons to running hot air (no intercooler) on a roller block with the SFI intake?

 

[CamoDeafie]

basic basic layout idea for the FWD 3.8 LG3 hot air turbo system...do you guys think this is doable? the red pipes would be under 2" all around all the way up to the turbocharger itself....the downpipe/purple crosshatched pipe would be 3 inches or so...clearly in real world, i;d have to tweak and adjust lengths and actual locations to clear stuff...Im guessing alky injection somewhere would also help the engine alot; along with plumbing oil cooling lines and return line to the oil sender as well?

 

[charlief1]

Check the Hybred section. There's already someone that did this and it works pretty well. He hasn't posted in a while though.

 

[novaderrik]

basic basic layout idea for the FWD 3.8 LG3 hot air turbo system...do you guys think this is doable? the red pipes would be under 2" all around all the way up to the turbocharger itself....the downpipe/purple crosshatched pipe would be 3 inches or so...clearly in real world, i;d have to tweak and adjust lengths and actual locations to clear stuff...Im guessing alky injection somewhere would also help the engine alot; along with plumbing oil cooling lines and return line to the oil sender as well?

the only problem i see with your drawing is that you have the cold air going into the "hot" side of the turbo where the exhaust wants to get out, and the exhaust going out of the "cold" part of the turbo..
and you will want to step the size of the pipe that goes from the front manifold to the turbo, since all the exhaust from all 6 cylinders will be going thru this. i think a 2.5" pipe has as much cross section area as a pair of 2" pipes.
also, i don't think a Century has enough room between the front of the motor and the strut tower to allow for an exhaust pipe to go there, which is one reason why the factory pipe goes over the top of the bellhousing area on the driver's side of the car.

 

[CamoDeafie]

well. I;m a relative noob when it comes to turbo set ups....I've measured the space between the belt and the strut tower....there is just enough space below the "unibody" rail, where the splash shields are for the inner fenders....for a 3" pipe to go with 1 inch or so of space from the pulley, and a few inches of space from the strut system...it would be a very tight squeeze, Oldsmobile did the 4.3 HO diesel v6 concept, designed for the ciera cousin of the century and routed the 3 into one tubular headers from the front bank into the same general area...I was thinking 2" runner pipes into the main 2.5" pipe to go up into the turbine..but since i've not really seen all details of the damn turbo systems' exhaust/intkae routing, i;m not really sure how its going to layout yet.
charlief1, I mentioned the guy TUrbokinetic, he did all of his turbos with intercoolers, none without....after having done a 3.0 carbed turbo set up using one of the older TR manifolds and replacing it with a 3.8 intercoled turbocharger system

 

[charlief1]

This has to be the one you're talking about. You might also want to look at some of the fiero forums. Some very good tech there as well.

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/hybrids/272054-lg3-3-8-turbo-century-build-pictures.html

 

[novaderrik]

might be easier to just use essentially the same routing for the exhaust and have both manifolds go straight towards the turbo right above the bellhousing. this leaves the entire "front" side of the engine wide open so you don't cook your serpentine belt and accessories.
i find it's easier to get the actual parts and set them where you want them to end up and then build from there than it is to draw things on paper withouth aving the actual parts on hand. this makes it easier to visualize what fits where and what you have move/fabricate/rig up to make it work.

 

[CamoDeafie]

after reading up a couple books on turbocharging at the local bookstore; I realized, i am a NOOB....apparently the turbine housing does not put exhaust gases into the intake system....whoops. looks like if i had done this set up as drawn, i;d be spewing exhaust out of the front of the car....and inhaling from the exhaust piping....

 

[WarWagon]

lol Yeah I'd be pointing and uncontrollably laughing too

 

[WarWagon]

That's actually a hell of a great sketch you made I see you Like Art Like I do.

 

[CamoDeafie]

thanks; 'm currently drawing u a better sketch with proper locations for the pipes and figuring out where the crossovers will be...

 

[CamoDeafie]

verrry rough idea of how the set up would look....
this is essentially the engine bay that I would be putting the turbo system in

and the same engine bay after he put in his intercooled turbo set up, a Turbokinetics GTK i think? note: the project car shown in these 2 pictures, is his "cheap but safe turbo build" and so far hes put i think roughly $1400 or so into it..including the cost of the car (at $400, damn good deal), not counting labor...credit for these 2 photos go to Turbokinetic; this i think is his 3rd turbo Century hes done

 

[WarWagon]

It's all a tight fit, but it works. I like your Ideas keep on it.

 

[CamoDeafie]

so a good size would be say, the TA49 housing? or should i stick to say, a TA33? not going to go into the likes of 76+mm turbos lol