turbo conversion

[syanyde]

i will be doing a 2.3 nonturbo to turbo conversion in my 92 in the spring time so i am gathering up some of the parts now... which leads me to my big question... what should i be using, or what is the best way to go for turbo programming for a cpu to handle the turbo? should i just find a cpu from maybe a turbo thunderbird or is there a newer better method to all this? please lemme know, im curious to find out what is the way to go.

 

[evintho]

The way to go is to dump the '92 DIS and drop in a TC turbo motor and EEC, then go here.........................

http://www.turboford.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=search

 

[syanyde]

not really going to be an option, at least not right off anyways. im realistically only looking to run about 6psi of boost in the beginning. ive got all the parts, i just need to figure out the programming... isnt there some kind of merkur engine programming i can use from the thunderbird turbo era, seeing as the svo is fairly old by 92?

 

[RustBucket]

It's all old by '92. The last Turbo Coupe rolled out in '88 only two years after the SVO production ended. The Merkur's were done about that time as well.

I don't have the link, and maybe someone behind me does, but there's a Yahoo discussion group dedicated to turbocharged dual-plug motors. You might be able to find it by searching Yahoo Groups for it or digging around here or Turboford. The information is around you just have to find it.

It can be done and while it has a couple of advantages, it has more than its share of disadvantages such as a real low boost tolerance, and no easy way to adjust timing.

 

[syanyde]

alright cool thanks, the plan anyways is more or less to just get it running and then when the funds start movin again from that, do necessary changes to make everything run real smooth. from my understanding there hasnt been a lot of conversions like this one... not really sure on the numbers of that one, but im real interested in trying. my motor only has 62000 original miles on it so ive got some room to play with ;o

 

[Stinger]

The dual plug turbo group won't help...they still use the turbo ecu with the dual plug head...because it's the easy, smart, safe, cheap way to do it...

 

[syanyde]

so ive been reading around big time in the past day about this stuff now and my big question is, do you think that if i can get a say 88 turbo thunderbird ecu, and can swap it in place of my 92 na mustang engine, that i can some how do whatever to balance all the settings and timing and all that stuff, so that it might actually run? i basically just need to have the turbo time tables to my understanding to control the basic timing.. among obvious other parts im going to need to make it all work. the ecu is the biggest worry of mine right now

 

[RustBucket]

Take a look at Stinger's website. He's got a good bit of information there on doing exactly what you're talking about. He's got the goods on the mechanical as well as the electrical that needs to be done to get the older distributor fired TFI engines to work with the not-as-old crank trigger/coil pack wiring found in the 91 and later cars.

Getting the turbo ecu takes alot of the headache out of this swap when using a turbo motor. To start out, if you stay close to the stock TC/SVO setup, you won't need to mess with ECU programming. Later when the boost bug gets ya and the budget allows, you can go bigger and better keeping the same computer with an add-on tuner.

There's some important wiring involved, and if you have the competence to wire a stereo you should'nt have any trouble. Stinger maps it out pretty good in his articles so you have that to fall back on in case you get lost.

 

[Stinger]

so ive been reading around big time in the past day about this stuff now and my big question is, do you think that if i can get a say 88 turbo thunderbird ecu, and can swap it in place of my 92 na mustang engine, that i can some how do whatever to balance all the settings and timing and all that stuff, so that it might actually run? i basically just need to have the turbo time tables to my understanding to control the basic timing.. among obvious other parts im going to need to make it all work. the ecu is the biggest worry of mine right now

That is how you are "supposed" to do it. Swap the turbo ecu into your car. The ECU controls the timing, fuel, etc. so that is covered. Of course you also need the turbo air meter and injectors that match the ECU...as well as the coil.

 

[syanyde]

awesome guys, thanks thats good info. looks like its time to do some reading... and hey by the way, now that i think of it in response to a message above, my head isnt a dual plug i believe... were all heads from 91-93 dual plug or supposed to be in the 4cyl application?

 

[RustBucket]

Yes, 91-93 2.3's in Mustangs were all dual plug.

 

[syanyde]

alright so one more quick question about this conversion... looking at getting some bigger fuel injectors to go with this setup, more fuel will be good with the turbo set up obviously so my question is would 30-35lb injectors fit with my block? or how does that work? not too knowledgeable about fuel injectors so any insight will help. thanks.

 

[Stinger]

You'll need a set of stock turbo injectors which are 35lb.

 

[syanyde]

when i look for these injectors, what application will it be in? 35lb injectors are a v8 size arent they? will i be seeing them for a thunderbird turbo 88 setup or svo or what? just want to get everything covered for spring so i can install all this stuff no problem

also another question, what would be my benefits of getting a new set of spark plug wires besides them looking better than these dirty stock black ones? ive heard they increase performance per say but is it all just in the fact it makes a better connection for the plug?

 

[syanyde]

and by the way stinger, your site is awesome, very good documentation on there. its helping me understand what it is i am getting into as well, thanks for the help from everyone else in this thread

 

[Stinger]

Well, if you get everything in the "best" spec, meaning the larger of the two air meters, larger of the two injector sizes, and best ecu. All of it will come from an 87-88 Turbo Coupe. The injectors and vam can also come from an 86 SVO though. The injectors can also come from an 85.5+ Turbo coupe or Merkur. Got all that?

This is why it's typically cheaper and easier to just get a whole turbo engine...it comes with all the stuff you need.

Oh, and 5.0 V8 injectors are 19lb, not 35.

New plug wires increase performance if the old ones are bad...turbo cars are very hard on plugs and wires so I'd suggest you buy a set of motorcraft wires and plugs.

 

[syanyde]

ok check and check on the plugs/wires. im finding some of these items very cheap on ebay... i mean i got my turbo manifold off a 87 thunderbird.. for $50 shipped, most of my turbo parts off my cousin for $240 which includes turbo, blowoff, wastegate, boost controller, and a boost gauge , and right now im watching an ecu on ebay from an 88 turbo coupe buy it now for 90, which is about what i was expecting, but still far less than it could be.

i guess most of this project is the part of it being fun for me to search and find and gather all the parts..

still trying to figure out which intercooler im going to be going with.. im thinking of not going with one of the big volvo intercoolers like you describe stinger and ive seen on a few other sites.. i think its gonna be sorta a pita for me to get it in there.. so i may just go with a smaller 6" core style that will have very little problem mounting lower... air flow shouldnt be a problem after i get the new bumper, but thatll be a while, and im sure i can live with everything for a while at 6psi. this is gonna be a sweet project and im gettin fired up with it all

 

[Stinger]

Well, the problem with the small "universal" cores is they are much harder to run intercooler tubing for them...

Some of the more common IC's already have tubing available for them which makes using them alot easier...

 

[syanyde]

fortunately we are going to do all the piping custom when we get everything mounted in, so shouldnt be too bad there..