Another NZ Single turbo conversion

[westerlybreeze]

Hi all,

Plymouth_69 encouraged me to post a thread on the progress of my conversion, so here goes! ..



My Urban camouflage

Ecotec swap with following turbo addition
Reground cam (Franklin cams stage 3 hydraulic)
3" exhaust, Walbro in tank pump, MAPECU2 piggyback with 525cc injectors
Converted to T5 Manual, HD Exceedy clutch
3.45:1 LSD
32mm? front swaybar, Lowered more and Bilsteins yet to be fitted.
HSV seats
Boost gauge

[westerlybreeze]

VR N/A



Ecotec swap in progress Mar'09

[delcowizzid]

haha the turbo invasion continues nice pics man

[plymouth_hemi_69]

hahaha good on ya for finally posting it up looks great cant wait to see more

[ScoHar]

what made ya do the ecotec instead?

[westerlybreeze]

I brought the car as a work hack, for towing a trailer and throwing tools in the back. I didn't set out to turbo a Commodore.. it just kinda happened.
Knowing Steve Murch of Motorsport engineering here in Auckland had something to do with it .. back in the late 90's I was playing with Rotaries..
I always wanted a big Garrett turbo charger.

Some "retail therapy" last year when my partner went overseas for work, I brought a Chinese T-70 for a song



It had been on a 13B and was in good condition, but Steve doesn't like Chinese turbo's and almost kicked me out of his workshop! hehe
I found a Garrett couple of months later, it probably is a bit big, but I had Steve modify it with an adapter to take a smaller turbine housing.


The T-70 on the left and the GTA45? (ex DAF truck I think) on right




Compressor




Modified turbine

[westerlybreeze]

what made ya do the ecotec instead?

It worked out I ended up with an Ecotec engine.. so I swapped to it and sold the VR engine complete.. (I think it's in an RX7 down Wellington ways).
I wanted a better manifold too (I've added Mace engineering's 69mm throttlebody and insulating inlet and plenum spacers too, which I noticed an improvement).

Also the Ecotec has slightly bigger valves, Beehive valve springs, better ports, lighter pistons/conrods, lower block deck height (weighs a little less).

I wanted to do a low budget (Oops!!) turbo conversion/addition and the Ecotech seemed a good base to do that from.

The Ecotec has good aftermarket bits available, some I used: ex USA zzperformance and Intense racing
and across the ditch Mace engineering, in Pukekohe NZ Adrian of Franklin cams, in Auckland: Turbo - thanks Steve Murch of Motorsport Engineering, Fabrication - Ronnie @ RSL Automotive, Glendene engine reconditioners, STA for gaskets and just about everything else!

[ScoHar]

It worked out I ended up with an Ecotec engine.. so I swapped to it and sold the VR engine complete.. (I think it's in an RX7 down Wellington ways).
I wanted a better manifold too (I've added Mace engineering's 69mm throttlebody and insulating inlet and plenum spacers too, which I noticed an improvement).

Also the Ecotec has slightly bigger valves, Beehive valve springs, better ports, lighter pistons/conrods, lower block deck height (weighs a little less).

I wanted to do a low budget (Oops!!) turbo conversion/addition and the Ecotech seemed a good base to do that from.
The earlier non-ecotec has more aftermarket bits available ex USA it seems.

Oh I see where you are coming from there are a few advantages, Yes I know Steve Murch, he used to do rotary stuff in chch didn't he?

[westerlybreeze]

Oh I see where you are coming from there are a few advantages, Yes I know Steve Murch, he used to do rotary stuff in chch didn't he?

Does work NZ wide.. always been based in West Auckland as far as I know.

[westerlybreeze]

I had a "happy tappet" a few months back, after removing the rocker covers I found one exhaust valve had lost the tip off it down to just above the collet!
I thought "I can fix this", I removed just the one head, only to find the exhaust valves had recessed about 3mm into the head!! .. so after removing the other head found all exhaust valves had recessed.. not good.
So off to the Reconditioners they went for a crack test prior to me doing some exhaust port flowing with a die grinder.. annd like in the Lord of the rings, when Saraman said to Gandalf about the Dwarfs in Moria "..they dig too deep, you know what they awoke.." I went thru the roof of the port into the water jacket
So I found a pair of reco'd heads which I carefully ported, then drilled and tapped for 7/16" rocker studs for a set of Yella terra Platinum roller rockers and upgraded valve springs
I'll post a pic, they look choice
But I've had a mission of a time trying to setup the preload for the lifters..
So I've decided to use Solid roller lifters, they're on their way from the states (same as LS1).

Yay! so should be going this weekend if they turn up

[immortality]

solid roller............ should be interesting. you have adjustable rockers?

thats a huge turbo, what are size of the housings?

can't wait to see this running.

gonna be a VN turbo wagon club soon LOL

[westerlybreeze]

solid roller............ should be interesting. you have adjustable rockers?

thats a huge turbo, what are size of the housings?

can't wait to see this running.

gonna be a VN turbo wagon club soon LOL

Yes the Platinum Yella terra rockers are adjustable at the pushrod cup, which is why I couldn't just adjust the hydraulic preload whilst engine was running.. did try it but the allen key just flicked out. I also had to change the rocker pedestal height and get longer pushrods to use them.
Will post a pic of them this evening.

Housings? Umm Compressor is .7 a/r I think, 69mm inducer, Turbine housing is a TO4 .68 a/r (bored out to suit large big journal shaft, be next size up from TO4Q trim).
should have used a GT30 or something similar.. BA falcon turbo be good

[akuma]

umm, dude.. that turbo is massive..
The compressor on that thing would make a happy ~810hp!!
LOL I thought mine was big..
Get it going and do some testing and you might convince me to go to the HX50 ive got waiting in the wings!

[immortality]

Yes the Platinum Yella terra rockers are adjustable at the pushrod cup, which is why I couldn't just adjust the hydraulic preload whilst engine was running.. did try it but the allen key just flicked out. I also had to change the rocker pedestal height and get longer pushrods to use them.
Will post a pic of them this evening.

normally hydraulic preload is set by pushrod length. generally you would wind the engine over untill both valves would be in the closed position (TDC on cumbustion stroke) and then tighten down the rocker. the preload is the amount the hydraulic lifter collapses before the rocker is torqued down.

i think the standard preload is about .040-.060" (1.0-1.5mm) assuming the pushrods are the correct length you could get your pre-load right with adjustables. do same as above but torque down the rocker, then adjust the pushrod cup untill the desired preload is reached.

less or no preload means a noisy valve train (much like a solid lifter setup ), a little extra preload normally doesn't do anything as long as oyu don't over rev the engine and get lifter pump up

[westerlybreeze]

normally hydraulic preload is set by pushrod length. generally you would wind the engine over untill both valves would be in the closed position (TDC on cumbustion stroke) and then tighten down the rocker. the preload is the amount the hydraulic lifter collapses before the rocker is torqued down.

i think the standard preload is about .040-.060" (1.0-1.5mm) assuming the pushrods are the correct length you could get your pre-load right with adjustables. do same as above but torque down the rocker, then adjust the pushrod cup untill the desired preload is reached.

less or no preload means a noisy valve train (much like a solid lifter setup ), a little extra preload normally doesn't do anything as long as oyu don't over rev the engine and get lifter pump up

Yup tried all that.. truth is, the problem I had was I didn't fully know what I was doing when I installed the new hydraulic lifters.. got oil in them and installed all the rockers and kinda guessed where the back of the lobe was adjusting in the firing order.. totally messing it up and getting frustrated as I kept trying.. must of had it in bits at least half a dozen times. Doh!
So now after finding out how to do it..

1 6 5 4 3 2 - cylinder rocking
4 3 2 1 6 5 - cylinder to adjust
ie Cylinder #1 inlet and exhaust rocking, adjust cylinder #4 and so on in order..
Damn hope that's the right way to do it! ?

My theory is; whilst turning the motor over by hand, the lifter with oil in it after being compressed, the piston inside it doesn't fully return to the cir-clip because there's suction underneath and the spring doesn't overcome this. Thereby when I set the preload on the lifter that isn't fully "pumped up" would hold the valve open as it pumps up with oil pressure when the engine is running.. or that's what seems to be happening.



So the idea with Solid lifters is to set em with .006" clearance using above method and home and hosed! and getting lighter valve train geometry as well.
Perhaps may go a solid profile later on.

[immortality]

weird, well your gonna get to do it all again and again and agian setting the lash for the solid lifters. they also need regular maintenance to keep the ideal clearances

[westerlybreeze]

weird, well your gonna get to do it all again and again and agian setting the lash for the solid lifters. they also need regular maintenance to keep the ideal clearances

Being roller they shouldn't need doing that often.. but yes you are right.

[westerlybreeze]

umm, dude.. that turbo is massive..
The compressor on that thing would make a happy ~810hp!!
LOL I thought mine was big..
Get it going and do some testing and you might convince me to go to the HX50 ive got waiting in the wings!

HX50 Holset Mmm nice.. what a/r turbine housing is on it?

Solid roller lifters turned up, Yay! So should have it going early next week.. have to get even longer pushrods, as pushrod seat is lower than in the Hydraulic lifters.. oh well.

[akuma]

The smallest housing available for a HX50 (well what i can get) is a 22cm.
I have a hx50 and a HX55 at my disposal but apparently they are genuine 800hp all day everyday and ive been told that a Ecotec will shit the bed way before that..

But i guess its up to me and you to find out.

[slo_firo]

are your manifolds standard casties that have been flipped and modified?

[westerlybreeze]

are your manifolds standard casties that have been flipped and modified?

Yep.. only because when I started, it was spose to be a "Budget build" - Oops.. Ideally tubular fabricated manifolds with nice collectors for medium to higher boost levels be better.

I may change them in the future.

[westerlybreeze]

are your manifolds standard casties that have been flipped and modified?

The drivers side manifold is a second passenger side manifold simply bolted on and modified by cutting off the flange and welding on thick wall welders elbows. The manifold closest to turbo was turned around, but bolt holes had to be slotted for it to line up and #1 and #3 cylinder sparkplug leads need to change to 45-90 degree ends, as the manifold gets too close for straight ends.. a problem that could be fixed with a custom manifold that side.
I've cooked those two leads, so the S/S clip inside the boot has lost tension to hold the sparkplug
I've got new leads with 90 degree ends and insulated bootends for them, which I'll fit once it's going again.

[chargedvx6]

HX50 Holset Mmm nice.. what a/r turbine housing is on it?

Solid roller lifters turned up, Yay! So should have it going early next week.. have to get even longer pushrods, as pushrod seat is lower than in the Hydraulic lifters.. oh well.

I think you will find the push rods will need to be 0.050" longer if they are comp lifters. I still think you shoud have persisted with the hydraulics as they are a good cushion for the valvetrain. Having had a similar experience learning to set preload on my own car I understand your frustration lol

[westerlybreeze]

I think you will find the push rods will need to be 0.050" longer if they are comp lifters. I still think you shoud have persisted with the hydraulics as they are a good cushion for the valvetrain. Having had a similar experience learning to set preload on my own car I understand your frustration lol

Cheers. I'm just over the situation I've got myself in using YT adjustable rockers.
The LS1 Solid rollers are quite a bit shorter.. I haven't measured them yet (-10-25mm).
Will pull apart sunday, get pushrods and new inlet gaskets monday and be running.. fingers crossed!

[delcowizzid]

make sure the grove around the lifters is in the same position or you will end up bleeding off all your oil pressure if you arnt carefull and they arnt in a similar position