1970 Duster AlterKtion, 4 Link, LS/T56/Turbo and Minitub

-
Got a few more things done this weekend. Put the gauges in the new gauge cluster. Man classicdash does a nice job. Got the floors welded up for the T56 and got the intercooler mounted. Tonight I got the sound deadening and carpet back in as well. Starting to look like a car again!

20200110_225741.jpg
20200110_225735.jpg
20200111_100226.jpg
20200111_154459.jpg
20200111_154411.jpg
20200111_153411.jpg
20200111_193252.jpg
20200113_184203.jpg
20200113_185659.jpg
 
Last edited:
Spent a little more time on the Duster this weekend. Friday night I started by pulling the gauge cluster out and trying to get the new dash mocked up and start running wires. 50 years old and the speaker was still in tact. Crazy.

20200117_161717.jpg
20200117_164534.jpg
20200117_165347.jpg

20200118_113337.jpg


Once the new dash was test fitted in, I decided I was going to use the factory bulkhead connector hole to run all the wires, but I didnt have a grommet yet so that got paused and I started working on the header to be able to fit an air filter.

20200117_183829.jpg
20200117_183833.jpg
20200117_202346.jpg
 
Last edited:
Saturday I got the header back in with the filter and turbo on and fitted. Talk about TIGHT.

20200117_220909.jpg
20200117_220916.jpg
20200117_220920.jpg


Also a 3" light grommet works perfect to fill the factory square bulkhead connector hole.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/grote-3-hole-grommet-open-grommet-91410/10653159-P

20200119_102839.jpg

20200119_102303.jpg


Next I mounted the new coil brackets and found that I had to raise them about 2 inches to clear the new headers >.< its always something.

20200118_214958.jpg


It really is incredible how much cleaner you can make one of these LS motors look with some aftermarket love and deleted emissions. This is a completely stock LS motor vs how clean the completed motor looks.
20200118_215430.jpg
20200119_102257.jpg

This last picture is with the motor 99% wired up. Still a few little things but I'm pretty happy with how clean its all coming out.

20200119_135645.jpg
 
something to think about... I think that little brace you removed is going to haunt you, that is a long span without support
20200111_154459-jpg.jpg

it keeps the center of the front pieces from jumping around.. and eventually failing somewhere.
 
Oh absolutely if I just left it unsupported! Without that theres no way the hood would even latch haha. But with the intercooler brackets that hood latch is also reattached and supported just as well if not stronger than before.

20200111_154411.jpg
 
This weekend we got the intercooler piping done, the hot side to the turbo done and the downpipe made. Now I just have to decide if I'm going to vent the wastegate to atmosphere or to the downpipe. Also got the battery mounted in the trunk and after taking measurements found I could sneak a killswitch in the top of my wheel well. So now if I am at a hotel or anything like that I can disconnect the battery in case someone breaks in and tries to hotwire the car.

20200125_161142.jpg
20200126_130610.jpg
20200126_105609.jpg
received_202174677494219.jpeg
20200126_112112.jpg
20200126_134309.jpg
20200126_132449.jpg
20200126_142021.jpg
 
I would do my best to not use a foam element air filter. They really are not good at all. I realize you are space limited but there are other options. Flow potential on the inlet side of a turbo is important and fire is a big concern with those. Love the build.
 
The filter is $120 filter that is widely used in the tuner world. I've done a TON of research on filters trying to find something that is acceptable. This one in the pics is the 30$ knockoff for mock up that would do what you say lol the actual filter is green unfortunately but is safe and should work well.

HKS Super Power Flow Intake - 2018 New Version!
 
It’s nice to hear that you’ve done your research. Most people don’t give it a second thought. I am familiar with the HKS filter but have never tried it as the foam element just doesn’t sit well with me. Let us know how it works for you. I was in the same situation with space as you are and asked K&N to build me a couple filters with a low profile and enough surface area and they did for pretty cheap. It was only a few bucks more than buying off the shelf so well worth it.
 
Oh interesting. I didnt know they'd do that. Do you have any pics of your filter? And what was the price if you dont mind me asking? Maybe some dimensions too? If they've built them before maybe they'd have the "part number" in file and it would be easier to have done again. It would be cool to have 1 of each when I go to the dyno and see if theres one that works better than the other.
 
Last edited:
This was a twin turbo setup where the filters faced each other and had to be small. They made me two filters exactly the same and added filter media in the front for more area. Cone shaped, 6” major diameter, 4-1/2 minor diameter, 6” long, 2-1/2” inlet. I think I payed about $60 each but it was a long time ago. Probably won’t work for you but the option to have one made is more what I meant. Here ya go
6FA63BB7-FAA8-42F1-9B17-CAF8039B5B09.jpeg
EF81B43D-5F71-46F8-A956-A406BE5AE2E6.jpeg
 
Yeah thats cheap enough! Did you just call them up? I have about 3" haha

Also! Did you vent your WG to atmosphere or to the downpipe?
 
image.jpg
My daily driver is vented to atmosphere and is too loud. The current build I’m doing is piped to the downpipe because I want it quieter. I’ve done both many times. It’s really a preference deal.
 
K&N was in riverside California at the time and not far from me, (not sure if they still are) so I just walked in and asked. They had no problem doing it.
 
Just sent them an email. This will be daily drivenish. I've never had a turbo car before so I've never heard an LS WG open to atmosphere. I also didnt wanna ugly up my down pipe area haha. But it seems thats the way to go. I'll only be running 16lb of boost so I'd imagine anything above 4000 rpms or so I'll be screaming through that WG.
 
Looking at your pics, try to locate that wastegate right on top of the merge collector. You don’t want priority to one bank over the other, it can cause creep. Maybe consider two, one for each bank.
 
16 pounds on even a stock LS is a hell of a thing. That’ll be fun. I hope you work up to that number, not start there.
 
Yeah, I'll be at a dyno who basically specializes in Holley systems. Its not quite a stock LS either. Going to be running water/meth as well to try and help. We'll work up to that number, but I'm really hoping to get into the 600WHP group. 700 was the goal but I'll be more than happy with over 600. Even that will be stupid in a street car.
 
You are absolutely correct, 600 wheel is a handful on the street and it looks like you have the parts to get there. Make sure you have lots of fuel pump and injector (I always under calculate that for some reason) and you’ll get there. Don’t rely on the water/meth to “keep” the tune safe. Make the tune safe and use the water/meth as redundancy.
 
Quick head math tells me you do not have enough pump. In parallel you will have plenty of pressure but it’s volume you are after at a given pressure. Those pumps have a maximum free flow rate of 70gph (roughly 264lph) and that’s free flow. In parallel at 53 psi you will not have enough volume.
Fuel Pumps and Horsepower – Aeromotive, Inc
Some worthwhile reading. Assume lower BSFC and higher HP and size accordingly.
 
For reference, in my daily driver, I use two 340lph intank pumps with a kenne belle boost-a-pump on top and my 80lb injectors are at 88% duty cycle. And on the dyno it was only barely enough fuel.
 
I use Aeromotive pumps with excellent results. And they do not pay me to say that. Lol I wish they would.
 
-
Back
Top