Newest Update on Turbo Conversion.

[Shoprat]

Ok - here goes- got hood back after installing hood scoop, paint felt a little soft. Guy at the body shop couldn't figure why. Said to give it a few days and see what would happen. Leaves fell from trees in my back yard on the hood and left patterns in the paint. I took the hood back and he checked into the paint type used. Turned out the paint was different from the type he normally uses so he used the wrong thinner in the application. I got the paint from my work, the manager used a cheaper type paint to save me a few bucks, his decision, not mine. The body shop was used to using the top of the line paint, so he figured that was what I got. Bad communication all around. Wound up my work supplied the proper paint at no charge, I supplied the stripper to completely strip the hood, and the body shop did the job at no charge. Got it back and it looks really neat. I made a scoop grill out of the grill used for flourescent light fixtures and it doesn't look TOO amatureish from a distance.

Got a lot of the parameters dialled in on the fuel/ignition management system close enough to run it down to Backwoods Racing to map it in more completely. Couldn't get it on the Dyno because of clearance issues, so Don the Mapper set up his laptop in parallell with my controller and we headed off down the road to do some serious mapping. BOY- does that make a difference ! This thing started running like we were throwing off heavy chunks of motorhome body to lighten the load ! He kept saying things like, " Stop and just tip in the throttle. I see it's running a little lean/ rich between -1.6 MAP and .6 MAP. Also you might want to replace the TPS because there seems to be a small dead zone in it just off idle. The TPS isn't that serious yet, but they never get better." Then his laptop battery went dead. So, back to the shop, he re-set up his laptop to run off my ciger lighter outlet, and off we went again,

To the expressway to dial in the high speed load /ignition timing. I see the goodly hill ahead at the beginning of the expressway. Don the Mapper says, " Full bore accelleration so I can max the timing." Nothing lost on this Ol' Leadfoot ! I push down to where the backside of the pedal starts seriously kissing the carpet. The motorhome kicks down into passing gear, the engine responds like " YEA BABY", and it starts to accelerate up the hill ! No, I don't mean just holding its speed like it used to do to finally drop off gradually, I mean gain speed up the hill ! I whoop- Don laughs- then we hear ignition knock. Don backs off timing- still knocking- backs off more timing- still knocking. I look at Don, he looks at me. We both say bad words. I barely make it back to the shop where we do a compression test on the engine cylinders . 180 psi in number one. 162 psi in number two. 30 psi ( I groaned) in number three. 30 psi( I started to hope ) in number four. Sounds like a head gasket said my co-worker who happened to be there that night. His prescence there was a God send. The Toy was unable to be driven the 40 miles home . He was able to give us a ride home where we would have had to call somebody to come get us.

I was able the next morning to have the body shop where I had the hood done tow the unit back on his rollback. He charged us an amount that exactly matched the amount that my road service would re-emburse us. No- he didn't ask for the amount so he could match it, that was his decision on the amount. I pulled the head off yesterday, and the gasket was blown between the #3 and #4 cylinders. Heads not hurt, and neither is the block. So, I will have the head checked for cracks and warpage, have the valves looked over, and start to look for a set of racing gaskets to reassemble the engine. Before this old gasket went. it was running like a striped ape, and I want that back. I will call LC Engineering to find out their recommendations as to gaskets and so forth.

I hope this is the last major problem I will have to face with this unit. But , all in all, I consider myself a fortunate man. To have a co-worker show up at the right time, to be charged the exact amount that a road service will cover, to just have a head gasket problem with a 20 year old engine that I'm doing my dangnest to soup up where the eagles fly. All this could be a lot worse. Yup- I'm a fortunate man.

[nolan]

Bummer on the paint, seen that happen a few times when they forgot to add the drier to the paint when mixing, really the pits when the entire car gets shot and it doesnt dry.

Have you thought about using head studs instead of the stock head bolts? they give better clamping force. especially on a pressurised engine. Good luck.

[Shoprat]

Thanks for the reply , Nolan. I called LC Engineering and talked to John in engineering. We decided that since I wasn't going to a higher boost pressures to keep longetivity, the bolts will do fine. I'm going with new bolts, a stock Toyota head gasket, and an exhaust stud kit with the serrated self locking bolts. I have to helicoil a couple holes to get full thread contact. Not to bad a deal- 150 bucks for all this.

[nolan]

Wish you the best Shoprat on your upgrades, I,ve come to take it for granted to helicoil all the exhaust studs while the engine is being done, common occurence on the 20/22r's, sure holds better and nothing worse than that continual spin with aluminum threads to follow when your thrashing away over the fender in anticipation of having it on the road in just a little bit.

What kind of boost pressure you plan on making? I have had real good results with mine at 6psi, no detonation, with 92 octane and the ignition and carb dialed in. Have fun and may the power be with you

[Shoprat]

I'm running about 5 psi right now. Will probably stay at that level just as insurance to keep the engine together. Horse power is fun , isn't it ?