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Tpi twin turbo

6K views 19 replies 6 participants last post by  TpiRegal 
#1 ·
I am planning to add two Td04-13C turbos to my -87 Tpi, in my hot rod -31 Ford. I have 2 turbos from Volvo 940, the 2.3 liters engine for spare. I was thinking to make a turbo manifold from a pair of plain block hugger headers. Turn them upside down, change the flange to fit the turbos and make a new downpipe that ends in the double 3" exhoust. Then put a intercooler at the top of the engine with a scoop at the top to "grab" the fresh cold air. Change the TB to a larger one. Adjust the fuel pressure to 47 Psi. I was thinking to use the MAF at one of the sides, and two "open-air" filters, one for each side. Maybe I had to change the fuel injectors? And of course make a custom chip. Perhaps a new camshaft would be useful?
Anybody here with any experiences or suggestions about this topic?
 
#2 ·
The stock computer may be tougher to tune than an aftermarket system. The import forum that i used to frequent always recommended Megasquirt systems if you wanted to reliably make 300hp from a 1.8 that stock made 180. You tune can tune it with a laptop. I believe a it operates mostly from the crank, map, and o2 sensors. It maybe worth a look.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I bought a set of turbo headers that look just like what you described from ebay.They are stainless.They cost a lil less than $150,shipping included. They are really nice and they have built in tubes for the wastegates and T-3 flanges :thumbup:pS-I mocked up my setup-Holset H1C,Vic jr and Holley DP-and the turbo height was a little lower than my Holley.My setup is going into my 70 Nova and will fit under a stock hood cuz I've done it before without the turbos.I'm pretty sure that it will fit under your car cuz I had the same engine and setup in my 79 Malibu for awhile.
 
#4 ·
On my retrofit turbo, I use a FMU to increase the fuel pressure during boost. This works ok with low boost (8psi or less). You can run more boost but it would require a big aftermarket pump.

My car uses 28 psi of fuel pressure at idle and 36 at wot (without the turbo), My fmu increases the fuel pressure to 60 psi at 7 to 8 psi of boost.

you can get a fmu for less than 100.00 on ebay. it goes in the return fuel line after the stock fuel pressure regulator. An 8:1 ratio fmu is about what I use, but my fmu is adjustable which is more money (225.00).

I use the stock efi and injectors (76 280z) and just add more fuel pressure for fuel enrichment. You will also need to reduce ignition timing with a msd boost retard system.

your turbos are kind of small. A T3 from 280zx turbo or 300zx turbo (1st gen) would be better sized for half a 350 since a 280zx is 2.8 liters or 300zx is a 3 liter which is about 1/2 of a 5.7. so use 2 of those.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for useable information. :)

The engine is a 305 Tpi. That is closer to the 2x2.3 litres Volvo engine. I know that the turbos can be a little bit to small. But it is easy to add two larger ones later.... This project is meant to be a low budget project, and when I already have those 2 turbos it is easier to start.

Is it somebody that thinks that the block hugger headers will be to weak for the weight from the turbos?

Some suggests for where to get the oil pressure and water-cooling for the turbos?
 
#6 ·
Yes, on a 5.0 liter those turbo should work just fine.

you don't need to water cool them if you don't want to. just plug the water holes.

you can get oil pressure from the oil pressure output. then drain back to the oil pan. do the drain holes up high on the pan (near the rail).

a block hugger header should be able to hold it. there are sbc turbo headers on e-bay for cheap.

do the turbo have built in wastegates?
 
#7 ·
Yes, they have built in W-G. It's two Mitsubishi turbos, that I would like to use. .....I know what you are thinking when I mention Mitsubishi together with sbc, but in I norway there are a lot of those turbos, and they are cheap.

...you mention "do the drain holes up high on the pan (near the rail)". Do you mean at the upper front part of the oil pan?

The plain block hugger headers are not so wide as many of those headers which is made for external WG. Do you think the "plain" ones will work, 1 5/8 " or 1 1/2" tubes?
 
#11 · (Edited)
The MAF

I thought that I could use a "open" airfilter, conetype, one at each of the turbos. But what about the MAF? I think I will get the wrong signal from the MAF sensor if I use the original one from the 305 TPI, mounted to one of the turbos, because only the half of the air is passing by at one side.
Maybe I can use the MAF from a 2.5 litres engine?

Anybody here with experiences?
 
#12 ·
Status for the 305 twin turbo after finished: I used corvette headders upside down, one for each side. Then mounted the turbo at this one. The air are pushed into a intercooler, one for each turbo. The the air are runns together thru the MAF, and into the original intake. Later on, I added wide band O2 sensor, to see the result of the mixture. It was ok. The ECU controlled the mixture very good at the boost about 5 psi. I also added methanol/water injection.
 
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