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QwkTrip 11sec Club

Joined: 17 Feb 2004 Posts: 3942 Location: Peoria, IL
1989 Pontiac Firebird
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 8:56 pm Post subject: So this is what 900 Horsepower looks like? |
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I picked up my new purchase this weekend. There was so much stuff that it filled the back of my truck and I had to put the rear axle on a trailer. Everything is documented and it's looking like this was a screaming deal! Here's the list of what I picked up:
- Erik Koenig built (HK Racing Engines) LQ4 iron block turbo motor 398 stroker. Custom cam, ported and polished 317 heads, Jesel rockers, Morel lifters.
- Twin turbo hot parts custom made by Limit Engineering for 4th gen F-body. Stainless headers with twin Precision 76mm T3 P-trim turbos tucked next to engine block. Turbosmart blowoff valve, and wastegates, Eboost2 turbo timer. Cold side tubing with large air-to-air intercooler. Includes MAF sensor.
- Methanol injection system and tank
- Jennings Engineering T56 transmission with cryo treated gears, bronze pads, billet keys, carbon fiber synchronizers, remove bleeder, and Viper mainshaft, Pro 5.0 Power Tower shifter
- McCloud twin disc clutch, and an aluminum flywheel
- seriously beefy driveshaft
- Moser 12 bolt, 3 channel, 3.73 gears, complete brake to brake with 4th gen emergency cables and sway bar
- BMR rear control arms, adjustable panhard rod, and adjustable torque arm
- 4th gen crossmember with remote torque arm mount
- Profab K-member (I sold it back to the seller so I didn't have to drag it home)
- QA1 adjustable coil over struts. Hypercoil rear springs.
- Laptop computer with HP Tuners and unlimited license for any 1999 car
- 4th gen plastic fuel tank with Nasty Performance Stage 3 1100 Hp kit. 2 Walbro 340 in tank pumps, hot wire kit, billet fuel rails, Magnafuel billet fuel pressure regulator w/boost reference, MagnaFuel billet stainless steel fuel filter, Aeroquip -8 braided stainless feed fuel line, -6 braided stainless return fuel line
I can tell you right now that the exhaust pipe downstream of the turbos will not fit my chassis. It splays out for a 4th gen chassis. The turbo headers are very compact, though, and would probably fit any vehicle. Whoever made the hot parts was a total genius with a TIG welder. It is a seriously nice job. The cold side was made by a different shop and that person just wasn't very good. It's made for a 4th gen so I can't use the cold side anyway. The intercooler is very nice but it's the wrong style for my car. I need a side to side and this one is a dual feed with top exit.
So now I have to decide what to do with this turbo kit. I can either make 3rd gen specific parts to complete it for my car, or I can sell it to the 4th gen crowd for a lot of money and make my whole engine swap project pretty cheap. This engine will still make an easy 500 RWHP naturally aspirated and I have an indestructible T56. Basically, it's a choice between a fairly cheap swap with lots of power, or an expensive swap with insane and unusable amount of power. |
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aaron_sK Member
Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 8834 Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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Just looking at it on the floor it almost looks like flipping the headers would be an option. Thirdgen engine bays are like a funnel, get smaller the farther you go down. Turbos for these cars are gonna be either forward, or to the side, not down low like that.
My two cents? Buy a set of LSx swap mounts and crossmember. Drop the longblock and trans in as a unit and then start mocking stuff up. Worst case scenario you have to have something cut and rewelded. |
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QwkTrip 11sec Club

Joined: 17 Feb 2004 Posts: 3942 Location: Peoria, IL
1989 Pontiac Firebird
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| If the turbos don't fit where they are located then I'm selling the whole turbo kit. I can recoup about $5K. |
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iansane Member

Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 5742 Location: Bothell
1991 Pontiac Trans Am
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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The turbos themselves look like they could fit but I'd be flabbergasted if the downpipes fit.
Either way, fricken awesome score. _________________
| Quote: | | Sometimes I actually think I'm slightly retarded in the mouth. |
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QwkTrip 11sec Club

Joined: 17 Feb 2004 Posts: 3942 Location: Peoria, IL
1989 Pontiac Firebird
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| I called Magnuson today and they walked me through what parts I need to make a TVS 2300 supercharger kit for my car with this 398 stroker. It's basically a GTO kit with different intercooler and piping. Very expensive option, though. I was about floored by the price. |
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redlava Member

Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 448 Location: Bremerton
1986 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 5:10 am Post subject: |
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| I would go buy a welder and make that turbo'd motor fit. You will always want more power. |
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IROCDave Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2010 Posts: 957 Location: Snohomish WA
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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| QwkTrip wrote: | | I called Magnuson today and they walked me through what parts I need to make a TVS 2300 supercharger kit for my car with this 398 stroker. It's basically a GTO kit with different intercooler and piping. Very expensive option, though. I was about floored by the price. |
The maggie would be much easier to shohorn into a 3rd gen. Keep an eye on LS1GTO and LSx nation for a good deal on a used settup. |
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RSFreak The other "John"

Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 2946 Location: Renton
1989 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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If it were mine, I'd make the turbo setup work. Why pay more for a super charger when you already have the turbo?!  _________________ '86 Trans Am - 5.0L TPI - LT1 cam - 700R4 - WS6
'85 Camaro Berlinetta - IROC clone
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blue89 Member

Joined: 23 May 2006 Posts: 3482 Location: Bellingham/Eugene
1986 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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BigDaddyVu 12sec Club

Joined: 31 Jan 2004 Posts: 1118 Location: Spokane, Wa
1986 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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QwkTrip 11sec Club

Joined: 17 Feb 2004 Posts: 3942 Location: Peoria, IL
1989 Pontiac Firebird
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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| There is no way those turbos are going to fit. I don't even need to try. I need 30 inches side-to-side and I don't have anything close to that in the Firebird. |
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RSFreak The other "John"

Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 2946 Location: Renton
1989 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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| QwkTrip wrote: | | There is no way those turbos are going to fit. I don't even need to try. I need 30 inches side-to-side and I don't have anything close to that in the Firebird. |
Fab new manifolds that relocate the turbos.  _________________ '86 Trans Am - 5.0L TPI - LT1 cam - 700R4 - WS6
'85 Camaro Berlinetta - IROC clone
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aaron_sK Member
Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 8834 Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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| RSFreak wrote: | | QwkTrip wrote: | | There is no way those turbos are going to fit. I don't even need to try. I need 30 inches side-to-side and I don't have anything close to that in the Firebird. |
Fab new manifolds that relocate the turbos.  |
I agree, John, but I still think he may be able to get away with flipping the mani's and just having new downpipes welded. |
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RSFreak The other "John"

Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 2946 Location: Renton
1989 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 8:11 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds good to me!  _________________ '86 Trans Am - 5.0L TPI - LT1 cam - 700R4 - WS6
'85 Camaro Berlinetta - IROC clone
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aaron_sK Member
Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 8834 Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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And just in case you think I'm BSing you, here's some Canadians doing exactly that...
http://ccfbg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=11284
Looks like they had to bring them forward a bit to clear the shock towers, though. |
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iansane Member

Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 5742 Location: Bothell
1991 Pontiac Trans Am
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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Might have better luck if you just swap sides and keep them low mounted (while facing them forwards). |
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Dewey316 The Lama

Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 7295 Location: Bringing the tech
1990 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| iansane wrote: |
Might have better luck if you just swap sides and keep them low mounted (while facing them forwards). |
That would be tricky with the k-member and accessories. The LSx sits low enough in the engine bar, maybe flipping them to high mount towards the front will work, as long as the turbo is clocked right. |
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iansane Member

Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 5742 Location: Bothell
1991 Pontiac Trans Am
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, you're probably right. I did some more measuring and you'd probably have to run them up high as long as they don't hit the valve cover or acc. I just realize the manifolds I used are the same ones used in the link aaron provided.  |
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aaron_sK Member
Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 8834 Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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I thought you had longtubes on that engine, Ian? |
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iansane Member

Joined: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 5742 Location: Bothell
1991 Pontiac Trans Am
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 12:43 am Post subject: |
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| I do right now. |
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