[JUDGE3]

1981 Turbo Trans Am

Not opposed to installing an LS engine, anyone know of or performed an LS turbo engine in a 1981 TA?

Not after ultra power at all, just a mild to very mild turbocharged LS for my 81.

be far more enjoyable than the 301 turbo.

[Scarebird]

I think you will find time spent on a site like ls1tech.com more beneficial than here for that task. Depending on the power you may find a LS3 more inline with what you want - certainly simpler than plumbing for a turbo.

[JUDGE3]

Originally Posted by Scarebird

I think you will find time spent on a site like ls1tech.com more beneficial than here for that task. Depending on the power you may find a LS3 more inline with what you want - certainly simpler than plumbing for a turbo.

Thanks scarebird, the goal is to keep it a Turbocharged car though.

Iv'e since found "TTA PERFORMANCE" having a lot of the Turbo 301 parts and services. many are nice mods. was surprised they dyno tested a 301 rebuild to 354hp @ 4500rpm and 511 lb/ft torque @ 3,000 rpm. I'm not even after that much. just an improvement to the 301 will be fine with me. prefer to keep it pontiac.

[srmmmm]

Originally Posted by JUDGE3

Thanks scarebird, the goal is to keep it a Turbocharged car though.

Iv'e since found "TTA PERFORMANCE" having a lot of the Turbo 301 parts and services. many are nice mods. was surprised they dyno tested a 301 rebuild to 354hp @ 4500rpm and 511 lb/ft torque @ 3,000 rpm. I'm not even after that much. just an improvement to the 301 will be fine with me. prefer to keep it pontiac.

My primary automotive engineering professor at GMI was Jim Lyons, the guy who later headed up the turbo 301 development at Pontiac. The weak link in the engine is the crankshaft with the "safe" limits being under 280 HP and 425 Lb Ft of torque for the stock unit. Anything above that and you could expect to bend the crank or develop cracks at the flexplate flange. After I graduated, some students managed to get a billet crank engine with forged internals for development purposes (of course), and were pushing it to 500 HP. That crank had counterweights though.

[tom s]

This will give you some good reading on what a stroker 301 can develop N/A!Tom

[tom s]

Sorry
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=710524

[JUDGE3]

Nice info.

having had a 301 TA new in 1980, I know about that front/rear counterweight only weak crank for sure. quick story: upon going to the dealer to pick up my ordered 1980, it was up on the lift, oil pan off, crank out and rods hanging down. at 18 I was crushed. seems they also had a known bearing problem. dealer put new bearings in it, never had a single problem with it.

so I believe the 77-78 Trans Ams had 200 to 220 hp brand new stock?

my goal would be 240-250hp. would be fun to "shock" a stock 77 or 78 TA and have em see taillights to a 301 turbo car.

[tom s]

At 478 HP it could compete with a lot of 455s.Tom

[blueghoast]

That was one bad a$$ build Tom. Thanks for bringing it up again.

GT

[performerrpm]

how about that guy Bill Webb on facebook? he seams to be making pretfy good power with a turbo 301 thats been stroked. if you can decipher past all his vabbling rants about catylyst and afr you might beable to get some usefull info from his build

[Dragncar]

Keep it a Pontiac.
At the track this past year I seen a 81 TA with the hood up. So I walked up to check it out and seen a turbo. So I said,"301 Turbo, cool". They said nope, LS Turbo. So I shook my head, turned around and walked off.
The car ran 12s. Hardy worth the shame.

[Scarebird]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

...Hardy worth the shame.

Given a LS and Stratostreak look nothing alike yet you could not tell would be more shameful given your reaction.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by Scarebird

Given a LS and Stratostreak look nothing alike yet you could not tell would be more shameful given your reaction.

LOL! The LS basher strikes again! A turbo'd LS running 12's? Highly doubtful. Although, a crappy driver can make anything run slow. Maybe he ran 12's in reverse! LOL!

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by JSchmitz

LOL! The LS basher strikes again! A turbo'd LS running 12's? Highly doubtful. Although, a crappy driver can make anything run slow. Maybe he ran 12's in reverse! LOL!

Who do you think you are pal ?
What happened that day was a fact. I never make things up on purpose. When I seen the turbo from a ways back I assumed he had some kind of a Pontiac in a PONTIAC !
Instant friend kind of thing you know..
But what I got was someone I did not want to say another word to. And it ran freaking 12s. Maybe the guy did nto know what he was doing ? That is a fair assumption. He did after all ruin a very cool car.

You know, this area of PY is the PONTIAC BOOST section which is way freaking cool.
Maybe this thread should be in that lame LS section and I would not have bothered to post there. ?

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

Who do you think you are pal ?
What happened that day was a fact. I never make things up on purpose. When I seen the turbo from a ways back I assumed he had some kind of a Pontiac in a PONTIAC !
Instant friend kind of thing you know..
But what I got was someone I did not want to say another word to. And it ran freaking 12s. Maybe the guy did nto know what he was doing ? That is a fair assumption. He did after all ruin a very cool car.

You know, this area of PY is the PONTIAC BOOST section which is way freaking cool.
Maybe this thread should be in that lame LS section and I would not have bothered to post there. ?

I'm someone who is tired of you telling people not to ruin their car with an LS engine. That's who I am. You LS bash in the LS section also. So...

I actually didn't mean to imply that you lied. I meant that a turbo'd LS only being capable of running 12's is highly doubtful.

Happy New Year!

[ta man]

A different approach would be to buy a Pontiac 350 and use it as a turbo project. They are still plentiful and cheap.

[darbikrash]

Originally Posted by ta man

A different approach would be to buy a Pontiac 350 and use it as a turbo project. They are still plentiful and cheap.

This ^^^^.

While not a turbo, this boosted 350P (link below) should have some interesting results.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...&postcount=202

[JUDGE3]

well I have no problem stating I am a basher of LS engines in Pontiacs. those that don't mind em more power to ya so no replies necessary.

my question about a crate ls was out of curiosity more than anything as a price question for comparison if one existed.

I was also not aware of TTA Performance, very cool supplier/mod site for the 301 Turbo engine cars. I would definitely keep it 301 and use some mods from TTA. was thrilled to find that site.

unfortunately, the deal for the turbo car I was after fell thru so its moot at this time anyway.

I have noticed no shortage of pontiac people being 301 bashers. now, we all know the 301 engines. was cool in 1980 pontiac even tried! it was a cool factor thing not a power/quarter mile thing. we all know that. my goal would be should I find another one, is some improvement over stock via TTA mods/upgrades and at least match the 200-220 hp of the 77-78 cars.

The Tom S build is awesome. again, I had a 1980 TA 301 non turbo brand new. very aware of the lack of power. I sold the car and bought a 1969 Judge 4 speed. happy new year.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by JSchmitz

I'm someone who is tired of you telling people not to ruin their car with an LS engine. That's who I am. You LS bash in the LS section also. So...

I actually didn't mean to imply that you lied. I meant that a turbo'd LS only being capable of running 12's is highly doubtful.

Happy New Year!

You are "tired" of it uh ?

Let me explain it this way. A Camaro and a Firebird are for all intents and purposes the same car. Essentially the same body and interior, only the styling is different to a point. Same transmissions and rear ends.
The difference is THE ENGINE !
Same thing with a GTO and the Cutlass, Skylark and Chevelle.
So us as Pontiac folk wrap our whole Pontiac world around the Strato-Streak V8.
And do not care if its ancient and pay twice for our builds as brand X.
Fight the good fight, last act of defiance thing.
Anyone who takes a old classic PONTIAC and stuffs a LS under the hood does in fact ruin the car. Its stupid as can be and lame as it gets.
If it has the body of a PONTIAC and when you turn the key it does not sound or act like a PONTIAC, its really not a PONTIAC.
I think its funny when these know nothings guys with fat wallets take classic cars and LS them and think they have done something cool.
What is cool is old stock Pontiacs, old school hot rodded Pontiacs and Pontiacs that some smart talented guy goes to great lengths to modernize the engine. But still keep it a Pontiac.
See, its our way of continuing the development of the Pontiac engine on our own dime. Because there are some of us who know the big, big things PMD really wanted to do but was squashed by Chevrolet.
It makes us cool. And shoving a LS into a classic Pontiac is about the most uncool thing I can think of.
The LS Bird did run 12s. It was a pretty janky swap. Maybe the guy did not know what he was doing. After all, he did ruin a Pontiac Trans Am by taking its engine out and replacing it with a LS.

[Scarebird]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

...A Camaro and a Firebird are for all intents and purposes the same car. Essentially the same body and interior, only the styling is different to a point..

I am sure Bill Porter would like to have a polite word with you regarding your eyesight.

Originally Posted by Dragncar

If it has the body of a PONTIAC and when you turn the key it does not sound or act like a PONTIAC, its really not a PONTIAC...

My 79 Trans Am originally came from the factory with a 403 Olds.

Originally Posted by Dragncar

The LS Bird did run 12s. It was a pretty janky swap. Maybe the guy did not know what he was doing. After all, he did ruin a Pontiac Trans Am by taking its engine out and replacing it with a LS.

My 79 got quite a bit of attention as I did the LS3 swap to look OEM. It also thrashed timewise a new 2016 Corvette and 2015 (?) Camaro at the local road track. The Camaro finally bested my time after spinning out twice - he was quite a determined man! Had I deeper gears and stickier tires...