Spare parts single 318 turbo build

[dusted]

[QUOTE
Block deck and head surface were finished for mls gaskets. Thinking of doing the .027 cometic gaskets. Not too excited about the $80 price for one gasket tho.[/QUOTE]
Believe I paid that for my cometics.

 

[pishta]

Low comp turbo, use regular felpro gaskets....Unless your going gonzo on the boost. Not sure what the strongest gaskets for boost are.

 

[oliver]

Low comp turbo, use regular felpro gaskets....Unless your going gonzo on the boost. Not sure what the strongest gaskets for boost are.

Was thinking to use the .27 mls vs the thicker felpros to bump the compression a little closer to 8:1. Strongest would be copper with grooves on the block for fire rings.

 

[oliver]

More digging today. Found a box with a used HV oil pump and a double roller chain and sprockets (score!).

What do i spy here? a set of large outlet magnum manifolds? Say it ain't so! Would be perfect to point them forward. Maybe ill swap the large mouth ones on my truck and take the small ones for this project... i dunno

What's this intake? Yep, it was in a flood, yep its a crappy manifold... but i do need a single plane for blow through.... I think it will work

I really actually can't believe i have this much junk stowed around.

 

[dusted]

More digging today. Found a box with a used HV oil pump and a double roller chain and sprockets (score!).

View attachment 1715631473

What do i spy here? a set of large outlet magnum manifolds? Say it ain't so! Would be perfect to point them forward. Maybe ill swap the large mouth ones on my truck and take the small ones for this project... i dunno

View attachment 1715631474

What's this intake? Yep, it was in a flood, yep its a crappy manifold... but i do need a single plane for blow through.... I think it will work

View attachment 1715631475

I really actually can't believe i have this much junk stowed around.

Where you in my attic today?

 

[oliver]

Where you in my attic today?

If I knew where your attic was, I would be in it. Hah

 

[oliver]

Compared the weight of the replacement pistons to the originals to see if it's drastically different. The new pistons are a little heavier I think mostly due to the taller compression height. The old pistons would have been almost .120" below the deck! Wow. I'm not going to bother with a balance being only 5 ish% heavier. I've run pistons 7-8% heavier and lighter in other engines without any negatives.

Rods are also out of the engine the crank is from. They are bushed skinny rods with no oil hole. Weird.

 

[oliver]

Alright, measured up the cams I have. Right off the bat one of the cams only had about .25" lift on the lobe, so that's a stocker and it went into the round file. the second cam was .375 ish on the lobe so thats like .560 lift... yeah not happening. hah. The third was .295" on both lobes which is about .440" at the valves, the LSA is roughly 114 degrees. and the duration at .050 was close to 220/232 ish i tried to measure at .012" for advertised but it was not conclusive and i got frustrated. it was anywhere from 270-290 degrees. Maybe its an old 340 cam??? either way thats what im choosing to run.
I file fit the ring set i found, which has very tight gaps of .010 and .012. I like big gaps on turbo motors so i went with .028 on the top and .030 on the 2nd ring, mounted the pistons backwards to get a little more tdc dwell. Installed a no name brand of cam bearings. Threw the crank in, the pistons and rods, and cam. I recalculated the compression ratio with a couple of no-name gaskets i have on hand instead of spending 165 bucks on a pair of cometics and got 7.5:1. HAH. going to be a dog out of boost. Whatever. Cheap right?

 

[oliver]

Got the heads on, the head gaskets are literally unmarked no-name gaskets that measured .58 uncompressed. So figure .52-.54 compressed. That's double thickness I was thinking of running. Free is free tho. I also started mocking up the roller rockers and 273 rockers to see what I wanted to run.... Then I said frick it. This is a cheap beater engine. So I decided on a set of 340 stamped arms that I had. All the other arms ran into the springs with the exception of the 340 stamped. Keep it simple and cheap, right?

 

[oliver]

Got the intake cleaned up and bolted up the the heads. Had to scrounge for hardware but found enough. I was going to use some really nice vintage mickey thompson valve covers bit honestly they were waaayyy too nice for this motor, so I cleaned up the 20 layers of paint off of a set of chrome edelbrock covers that I use for painting cylinder heads. They've got some surface rust but cleaned up decent with steel wool.

I've got to switch timing covers to a later cover to have readable timing marks since this water pump exits the wrong way

 

[oliver]

I know my car is already a 4 speed car, but it being a od a833 it has a very short 1st gear and a huge 1-2 split. Definitely not ideal for a turbo car especially with the 3.9 gear in the rear. I do remember I have a tci (yuck) built 727 and converter sitting in the back somewhere. It was pulled out of a customers 70 challenger before we scrapped it. I also saved the 3rd member out of the same car. Not sure of the gears in that. I'm wondering if they are useable, if I should convert to the 727 and higher rear gears. I'll check out what trans and gears they are tomorrow. Only real reservation I have is the trans did see a flood.

 

[oliver]

So I went into the store room and found the trans under a bunch of other junk. Looks like its an older tci built drag race unit. Reverse manual valve body, bolt in sprag etc.... I dont know if i would want to run that on the street. If i would, id have to buy a valve body and build that. The converter that i remembered didnt go with that transmission. Its a 12" tci streetfighter with a stall rating of 1800-2200 rpms. its actually a good match for the mild cam. Any input? worth going to a/t or stick with the od a833?

 

[oliver]

changed the timing cover, got the oil pan mounted, im really scrounging for hardware. but barely making it work without buying anything. I tossed a bit of oil in it and primed the system and wow! this thing has got some amazing cold oil pressure. 85 psi with the drill turning maybe 350-400 rpms. that's like a 750 rpm idle.

 

[mopar65]

On the valve body i say run it. I used to drive mine all over with the reverse valve body. Just have to shift a lot.lol I have been following your build. Great job and I look forward to hearing how it runs when you are done

 

[TT5.9mag]

I vote keep it a 3 pedal car. It’s so much fun bangin gears in a turbo car even if it isn’t the fastest way to the finish line. Are you trying to tell me you don’t have a close ratio 833 in all that stash?

 

[mopardude318]

Keep the 4 speed. Maybe switch to a non OD unit. Nice build. Looking forward to it.

On the topic of a 5.9 cummins being under turboed, what would you recommend for my ‘02 2500 cummins? Automatic. It really is sluggish.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Keep the 4 speed. Maybe switch to a non OD unit. Nice build. Looking forward to it.

On the topic of a 5.9 cummins being under turboed, what would you recommend for my ‘02 2500 cummins? Automatic. It really is sluggish.

A duramax.

 

[oliver]

On the valve body i say run it. I used to drive mine all over with the reverse valve body. Just have to shift a lot.lol I have been following your build. Great job and I look forward to hearing how it runs when you are done

Thanks! Only thing is that I don't have a shifter to work the trans, I would either have to source a new column and linkage or buy a shifter which is just more $$$.

I vote keep it a 3 pedal car. It’s so much fun bangin gears in a turbo car even if it isn’t the fastest way to the finish line. Are you trying to tell me you don’t have a close ratio 833 in all that stash?

I'm leaning towards keeping it manual. Yeah, no non of 833s. Wish I did. I do have an nv3500 but that would mean I would have no trans tunnel left and no torsion bar x member. Hah

Keep the 4 speed. Maybe switch to a non OD unit. Nice build. Looking forward to it.

On the topic of a 5.9 cummins being under turboed, what would you recommend for my ‘02 2500 cummins? Automatic. It really is sluggish.

I would switch to non od if I can find. Cheap one, and at that time I'd swap in the 3.23 chunk I have. Your truck is gonna need some mods before you do a bigger turbo. A really really really good street combo is a quadzilla adrenaline, 100-125hp injectors, an 57mm s300 or k29 turbo. Of course you need to make sure your trans is built to handle all that extra torque. At minimum a low stall billet single disc converter, billet input shaft, and get a built valve body or get a transgo kit. Actually with those mods you could do away with the billet input and just don't do 15+ psi boosted launches.

 

[oliver]

I realized that the turbo is going to basically be where the alternator is supposed to go. So i went scrounging in my pile for a mini denso to mount on the drivers side up high. I found one from a mid 80's civic and used the factory bracket flipped around to the driver side. Then i scrounged for a belt and found a nice used one that fits perfect. I don't know if i'll have enough space between the adjuster bracket and the heater hose. We'll see.

 

[mopar65]

Keep the 4 speed. Maybe switch to a non OD unit. Nice build. Looking forward to it.

On the topic of a 5.9 cummins being under turboed, what would you recommend for my ‘02 2500 cummins? Automatic. It really is sluggish.

Your cummins a auto or stick? I had a 2000 3/4 Dodge with the 5.9 and NV4500 transmission. I had a set of 100HP bully dog injectors and a TST comp box on it. Still useing the factory turbo, my truck made enough power to break the transmission. I could smoke the tires in 3rd gear towing my race car. I was pulling back on to the highway after stopping. Had the trailer and car in tow. A car was coming aot faster than I thought so I had to get on it hard to speed up. Needless to say I ripped 4 teeth of the 3rd gear on the counter shaft..after that I turned down the comp box while towing. Lol

 

[mopardude318]

Your cummins a auto or stick? I had a 2000 3/4 Dodge with the 5.9 and NV4500 transmission. I had a set of 100HP bully dog injectors and a TST comp box on it. Still useing the factory turbo, my truck made enough power to break the transmission. I could smoke the tires in 3rd gear towing my race car. I was pulling back on to the highway after stopping. Had the trailer and car in tow. A car was coming aot faster than I thought so I had to get on it hard to speed up. Needless to say I ripped 4 teeth of the 3rd gear on the counter shaft..after that I turned down the comp box while towing. Lol

Nice!!
It’s an auto. 47RE. Jumps in and outa lockup. Has trouble getting outa 2nd gear. From a stop, you Gotta go 3,000 rpm to 30 mph, let off, let it shift, then slowly ease back into it to continue on, or else it’ll shift back down.

Oliver, nice build. I love the spare parts used. Can’t wait to see more.

 

[mopar65]

Nice!!
It’s an auto. 47RE. Jumps in and outa lockup. Has trouble getting outa 2nd gear. From a stop, you Gotta go 3,000 rpm to 30 mph, let off, let it shift, then slowly ease back into it to continue on, or else it’ll shift back down.

Oliver, nice build. I love the spare parts used. Can’t wait to see more.

Being its a automatic. The first thing I would do is install a after market torque converter and valve body before you start adding power to it. Now on the over drive cutting in and out. I woukd install a RFI filter like this.
1994-2005 Dodge Cummins 5.9L BD Diesel APPS Noise Isolator
On my diesel truck sight I am on. I have read wear people have wrapped the alternator wires with aluminum foil and stoped the over drive from cycling.

 

[mopar65]

Also there are upgraded governor pressure solenoids and pressure transducers you can install in your transmission

 

[oliver]

More parts hunting.

found these 2 throttle bodies. Both are equipped with 85lb/hr injectors. Should be good for 5-600 boosted HP. Fast throttle body will be better to use obviously. I cannot remember what these came off of, other than converting to multiport.

Found my super old megasquirt 1 box that was on my turbo volvo drag car.... looks like i put in a ms-2 daughterboard and usb support. Havent run this box in 12-14 years.

I also found 2 wideband o2 setups. No clue on the aluminum box one, will have to look that up. My innovate lc-2 is off of my crown vic street racing car that was parted out. I'll prolly use the lc-2.

I'm thinking i'll break in the cam with the carb, then switch over to efi when i get it running well and sorted. That way i don't muck something up while fiddling with getting the tune ready for start up.

 

[oliver]

Ok. Went digging some more between jobs and found a 741 housing with 2.94 gears in it. This will probably be better than the 3.9's I've got in it now but I'll see once the car is running.

Checked clearance from the alternator to the bypass hose and heater hose and I'm ok. I guess a tiny bit longer belt would be fine but I think this will work