[TheSilverBuick]

No, but I still have all the parts. Moving across the state put a hold on most car projects but I'm slowly getting my stuff back in order enough to start on it again. I have an ATV transmission to re-assemble and minor rewire on the ATV (hopefully better than my relay fiasco!) then I'll be back on the turbo project. I was just looking at my turbo header in the storage unit a week ago and will be seeing them again tomorrow or Friday. The welder is already at the house. The best motivation to get working on it is to start regularly driving the car again, and I've made that step!

I'm also getting antsy to build an engine, so I really need to get the turbo on this engine so I can start putting together a good turbo L6 engine with forged pistons, etc.

[TheSilverBuick]

To continue the regular driving, made it's first trip to my "new" job, and didn't have to drive or park on dirt!




(*new job started last October)

[GTOWAGON]

How much did you trim off the white Buick oil pump spring to get to 55lbs

[TheSilverBuick]

Unfortunately I don't recall. I trimmed it twice. I put it in untrimmed and my oil pressure was over 70psi, took some off and it was still over 70psi, so took a bit more and it was at ~55psi, called it good. I could likely stick a washer or two in the cap and bump it up over 60, but not that concerned about it at this stage.

[TheSilverBuick]

I'm ramping back into this project. Call it the Drag Week Motivation Bounce if you will, but I want to get the Firebird setup to run Drag Week in 2018.

The bare mininium plan is:
Finish my turbo header build.
Purchase a Microsquirt and install the 4L60e transmission into the car.
Purchase a $300 tubular core support, so I can mount an open box aluminum radiator I picked up for a steal at Summit. Also lightens the front end and opens up the area for intercooler plumbing. (http://www.rhodescustomauto.com/prod...ort-1967-1969/)
Repair my sheetmetal intake manifold (cut off flange, weld in new one).
Upgrade fuel injectors.
Install Turbo and turbo cam.
Install 4.56 gears
And Go!

Ambitious plan, to do in addition or instead of the items above:
Purchase aftermarket 6" rods and flat top forged pistons. Have valve relief's cut into the pistons to maintain non-interference design.
Send short block out to be machined, balanced, etc. Done proper.
Send head out to be ported.
Get 9" rear end with 3.50 gears. Maybe borrow the rear axle from the Skylark, including the 3.89 gears.
Upgrade the 4L60e to a professionally built unit.


And I want to get one of these intakes and have it finished up. There is enough material cast to modify to the Pontiac OHC head. I'm hoping the gentleman is interested in selling one of them. We had talked until I had to pack everything up and move. Its been nearly a year.


I recently picked up from Summit open box sale a 4L60e torque converter and spare Meizier water pump motor (as a spare for installing a 55gpm electric water pump) for quite cheap. So also parts motivation!

[TheSilverBuick]

Update, the Gentleman is selling me one and I'm shipping it directly to Smithberg Racing for finishing up. I'll get the 292 ground off, maybe etch or decal PMD or OHC there. I'm going to get a head and valves sent to Smithberg Racing as well to get the whole set worked on together.

[Formulabruce]

this is going to be way cool !!

[TheSilverBuick]

The head I'm going to send as well. I have to dig it out of storage, along with the Manley valves I have for it.

[66sprint]

That intake is awesome.

[TheSilverBuick]

Getting some work done! At Nick's recommendation I ordered a performance intake/exhaust gasket from Clifford to get some more port size. He's got it marked out and starting the rough port work.

The gasket ports scribed out.


It squares up the exhaust ports on the end. I'll have match up my header flange, but that isn't a big deal since I haven't done final welding on the header flange.


Roughed in.



Unfortunately the valves I had are not for this head. Thought they were, but are not =/ So that's going to be an extra few hundred dollars for new valves.

[azmusclecar]

Wow that is a lot of material scribed to remove. I know you will but please post a pic of your finished port work. A before and after would be appreciated.

I'm living vicariously through your efforts ..........

[TheSilverBuick]

Hot off the presses. All I can do is show pictures, I trust Nick is doing the right things.

Before any work is done on the valve side of the intake port.


A rough cut.


A very cleaned up port compared to a rough cut port.


A closer picture of the intake port.

[azmusclecar]

Wow that polished port looks great.......almost a mirror finish.
Thanks for the pics.

[gtospieg]

it looks like some of the combustion chamber has been removed...isn't that going to lower your compression? or was that the plan?...looking way cool

[TheSilverBuick]

I'm going to be losing a lot more combustion chamber when the flow work of the chamber is done. A chunck of the ridge around the intake valve will likely go away. Its going to be a turbo engine and there really isn't any large camshafts available, even the custom ground one I have is pretty small, so should be okay losing a bit of compression. I'd like to get 9.0-9.5, but realistically its likely to land around 8.5. I'm installing flat top pistons with the smallest valve reliefs I can get in them, which will be much smaller than OE to gain some of the compression back.

I expect to be using all the EFI tuning tricks I can to spool the turbo up reasonably quick. I've already worked a header for twin scroll exhaust plumbing to the turbo.

[gtospieg]

I forgot this was a turbo...higher compression not as important...waiting for more progress, looking good

[TheSilverBuick]

All the port work is pretty much done. Going for final flow testing and maybe a few tweaks to the chamber or such, but on to ordering some valves, springs and retainers.

The difference in the ports! Glad I didn't finish my turbo header yet, I'll need to grind out some material to match up.


This was a head I did in my garage.


Intake.


Exhaust.

[azmusclecar]

those end ports are amazing..........what a difference

[Half-Inch Stud]

OHC-6 -port work is rarely seen.

[TheSilverBuick]

Ran into an issue with the port work. The intake ports weren't wide enough to match up to the head! This is being rectified with some aluminum plates that are going to be welded to the sides of the runners.





Nick took the "292" off. If Nick doesn't add his own branding there I'll get a OHC or PMD decal for it.