Hey All
I've always meant to post more. My last package of turbo goodies arrived a few days ago, so I guess now would be a good time to start chronicling the progress of my car. Been wanting to turbo it for about 6 years now, and have been saving up parts since. I've decided to pull the trigger and just turbo the stock b234 in my 940, see how it goes, and either keep on with that for a while, or if I run into any problems, I have a low-ish mileage 90' b230f on an engine stand, and some brand new b230ft pistons with valve reliefs waiting.
A little history on the car... It's a 1991 940 gle. I remember going to the dealership with my dad when I was about 4 to pick this car up. There's a lot of memories in it, and it's been my baby for the last 7 years that I've owned it. I always loved it though..I was the one that talked my dad out of trading it in when they bought a second car when I was 14! Thank god I did that.
A few years back the auto tranny went, so it got swapped over to a m46 (thank to Rojer for his help there). About a year later I was tired of always filling up the leaky m46, and it didn't shift very nicely, so I did a ford t5 swap. (thanks to Dale and matt for the kit, and the guidance). Also did wilwoods in the front, pretty sure that was prior to the t5 swap.
So the plan of action now:
-stock b234, ~350k kms.
-15g turbo
-90+ manifold with yoshifab adaptor
-sealed power valve springs
-fred's 16 valve chips
-Possibly install the saab apc I found a few weeks ago if all goes well.

I figure I may as well turbo this old engine that doesn't owe me anything, and any lessons I have to learn, can be learnt on an engine that is basically expendable. If it runs well, I'll have some fun with it, if something goes wrong, I'll take it as a sign that it's time to do it with proper low compression pistons, and possibly megasquirt.

I installed a 92+ intercooler that I had a few weeks ago. Pictures are here:
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=239793




Step 1: Me and my buddies pulled the head to drill out some broken exhaust studs (probably going to get helicoiled), and to put a new headgasket in for posterity's sake (I'm sure it's about due to go at 350K). While I'm in there, I'll be putting in new valvesprings. As it sits now, the head is at the machine shop getting hot tanked and skimmed. In the meantime I'm going to be doing odds and ends getting everything ready for when the head comes back Monday/Tuesday.


Keeping all the valves/buckets/seats sorted. I figured the trunk was a safe place for them...


Boxes of parts removed/turbo parts (manifold/intercooler pipes/oil cooler stuff)


And the best part, 15g with new oil seals, chips, valvesprings, and exhaust adaptor!


I have some nice pictures of the car it'self, but they're on my wrecked desktop's hardrive, so they'll come later when I recover that stuff.
Stay tuned! I'll probably end up calling on you guys for help when I get stuck at some point!

P.S. Anybody happen to have a garrett wastegate actuator (looks like they'd be less of a pain to attach to the reclocked turbo)
-Also looking for a turbo intake hose, as I never seem to get to the junkyard in time to get my hands on one!
message me if you have either of the above you want to donate/sell for a reasonable price.

Better drop the compression or it won't last long at all.At least double up the headgasket otherwise all your work is for not.

Meh, I'm not too concerned. There's a few guys on t-bricks that have run boosted b234's without issue. One guy Was close to 300 horse with the high compression pistons (and I don't plan on going crazy with the boost while I have this engine).
I was thinking keep the boost low, and possibly get this apc running with a saab wastegate actuator (5psi), so the boost can be cut if knocking were to occur.
Either way, like I said, proper replacement engine is always waiting!
Thanks for the input.

I've got a Garrett wastegate actuator you can use to test fit. It's got a perforated diaphragm so it's of no use for anything but mock-up purposes.

Better have a list when/if you drop by...

I have one or two Garrett actuators as well. Think they're ok...

Well started up the car today. No leaks or anything which is great! No exhaust hooked up yet, just the downpipe, so it's insanely loud! turbo's attached, but I don't have it hooked up to the intercooler yet. Hopefully have the exhaust and intercooler plumbed in in the next few days, and I can take it for a spin!

Basically what's happened in the last couple of weeks.
-Head hot-tanked, sealed power valvesprings installed, new valve stem seals, and headgasket.
-Battery relocated to passenger side to make room for air filter (and fixed the rust that was under the battery)
-turbo installed, oil feed and drain plumbed in
-turbo chips installed
-new oil pump gear, timing belt, and newer waterpump (had a spare low mileage one)

Left to do:
-merge 740t downpipe to my existing exhaust system (not sure how I'll do that yet, hoping there a simple coupler that will let me attach the pipes without much hassle, I'll go shopping for that tomorrow...)
-hook up intercooler
-finish my amm extender wire (grabbed the female connector and about 6 feet of wire from the junkyard, and soldered it to the male connector off an old broken amm)
-double check my turbo as it doesn't seem to be spinning as freely as I'd like
-Find a way to attach the wastegate (hopefully will find a garrett one for ease of installation)
-wait for my bank account to recover enough to order a wideband (I plan to get it ordered before I put the wastegate actuator on, I'll just leave the wastegate open for now to be safe)

I highly recommend getting the updated oil pump gear for any b234 owners. Under $80, and it beefier. My old one fell apart when I took it off to inspect it. I also recommend using the old timing belt to hold the pulley, rather than the allen key method posted online. I have my suspicions that that didn't help the old gear out any. Anyways, here's a comparison showing how much beefier the new one is (you can see the extra meat around the bolt hole)

The carnage


Threw the chips in!

Lookin good!


Question for you all: Is there anything running off vacuum that will need to be re-routed pre-turbo so it doesn't get pressurized? PCV obviously, but what about the charcoal cannister, or the line running to the hvac in the car. Do they need either one-way valves installed, or to be re-run to get suction pre-turbo?

Anything running off vacuum typically has a check valve already installed, so that it doesn't stop operating when you go WOT up a hill on the highway. The top of the charcoal canister ties into the throttle body of a turbo car, so there's nothing much to do there. Just make sure your crankcase ventilation routed to before the turbo, that's about all that's plumbed to pre-turbo on a turbo car...

Thanks Matt for the info, and Chris for the wastegate actuator! So I had some time last week, and got the last bits installed. Started the car and had a pretty good oil leak between the halves of the head. Finished sealing it up again yesterday (successfully it looks like), and have been driving it around for 2 days. Put a tank of premium in, and I've taken it just a pound or 2 into boost. Still driving it very easy until I get some kind of reassurance. Waiting for a wideband, and I would like to install the APC, at very least for the knock light. Unfortunately the car my system came from had a mangled knock sensor wire, so any chance someone has a spare harness for an apc they want to lend me until a proper one shows up at the junkyard?
Aside from that, It seems to run beautifully, and surprisingly the car is quiter now (less exhaust leaks with a full compliment of studs holding the manifold on I suppose). The idle is a little rough, but I'm thinking my injectors are too small, I have 28lb/hr injectors in now, and Fred said the chips were tuned with 40lb/hr injectors, so I have some new ones on the way. Ecu could also need some more time to learn.
I guess now I wait for some parts, and then I can start having some fun! So exciting to have it running though!

Its looking good man,Keep us posted

So a little update.
Haven't driven the car in about a week and a half. It was guzzling gas like crazy, I'm assuming due to me having the smaller injectors, with the fuel pressure turned up to compensate, which probably made them leak (hopefully that theory is correct, and it's not something else). Got some 50lb/hr ones on the way, just been waiting on them. Plugs definitely suggest the car was running wayyy rich, got some replacements ready to go in too.
So since I can't have any turbo fun, I've been taking advantage of the downtime to get some less essential/fun projects done.

First, I was walking through the junkyard a couple of weeks ago, and happened to notice an 850....R! I had always wanted the R seats, but figured chances were slim I would ever find some. It was 1/3 off day too, score!

Putting manual rails on them, I bet the three motors in the lower part weigh over 10lbs. Kept the power back adjustment though.


Installed


I also always wanted somewhere less conspicuous for my radar detector, and had had this project in the back of my mind for a while.


Aaaand the car sitting waiting for the injectors...

I remember thinking those R seats would look good in my 740 when Dale and Ahmad were discussing that 850R at PnP, now I know how good they would have looked. Looks very good.

Yeah, I figured I probably wasn't the only on that had wanted them. I actually decided against them the first day, and went back at opening the next day to grab them, realizing I made a horrible mistake!