What turbo do 231 Buicks have?

[Matt167]

My dad's boss is giving the Turbo from a Grand National to him, the engine went dead years ago, so he pulled off anything good and got rid of the car, in his box of parts he just dug up again, is the Turbo, and he's giving it to my dad because he has no use for it. what Turbo are they, Air research T04?

[Matt167]

Well, the reason I ask is, now that my dad and I are getting this Turbo, we need somthing to put it on, so my dad wants to put it on my Falcon, I know I'd have to lower the compression but, I think all I'll have to do is replace the head gasket, the old style gaskets are a steel shim, .025 compressed thickness but they are no longer made, Fel Pro and others makes a regular style gasket .049 compressed thickness. I'v been told this will drop my comp by 1 full point, making it 8.2:1 which is perfect I think, or I could get a later 200 or 250 I6 head with the larger cc chamber (62cc instead of 58cc ( I think ), make down tube that can mount the turbo on, use some exhaust tubing to make it route to the top of the carb, but put some flex in it with some braided flex hose like used in some OEM applications, so I can pull the ducting off the carb, run a air filter up to right by the passenger side shock tower. any idea's?

[Matt167]

the block is a 7 bolt main block, it should handle it, I think. don't know if I'm actully going to attempt putting it on, or what were going to do with the Turbo.

[FFR428]

I had a 86 BGN and it used a Garrett turbo in stock trim. It's possible the one your getting was a upgrade possibly if it's not a Garrett.

G.

[Matt167]

I had a 86 BGN and it used a Garrett turbo in stock trim. It's possible the one your getting was a upgrade possibly if it's not a Garrett.

G.

Garret T04?

[FFR428]

Matt I'm sorry I can't remember the exact turbo I used. It was a stage II garrett tho. I sold that car about 7-8 years ago. I gave the guy all the receipts and catalogs I had also. I bought the turbo from ATR. Maybe check some of the Buick turbo forums. I'm sure those guys can tell you exactly what you have. Sorry I could not be more informative.....

G.

[Crude_is_in]

I can't really tell you much about that particular turbo off the top of my head Matt167 but I can check my sources (I've got a few gooders!). But I think that bottom end will hold. As long as you don't boost the heck out of it. What engine is in that Falcon? I'm a Ford guy and I like turbo's (next project is my T-bird and I might drop in a 302 turbo mill). As Road Agent mentioned you need to run a line from an oil passage (probably from a T off the oil pressure sender) to the turbo, and the return should enter the crankcase above the oil level.

If I understood your 2nd post you want to run air from the filter through the turbo then from the turbo into the top of the carb, then to a down tube from the carb to the intake? If this is the case it won't work cause you will blow the charge out the side of the carb and out of the shaft seals. You would need a pressure box that you can put the entire carb in so it has equal pressure around it. If you want to get around the pressure box idea the carb has to go infront of the turbo. (ie. turbo in between the carb and intake). Also theres the waste-gate to mess around with. This is just an adjustment with different spring rates to make sure you don't over boost that motor 'cause that will kill it.

The larger cc head might be better since the whole idea of "a thicker gasket" doesn't sit well with me. I can see nothing but head gasket blow outs with this kinda of talk lol. If you get the larger cc chambers then you can put more boost into the motor without causing detonation.