Hello new guy has a few questions

[Anonymous]

Hello. This is my first posting. I'm not sure if I am under the right section or not but I'm sure someone can answer my questions.

I own several cars and the car in question is my 1968 Ford Fairlane.

About five years ago I turbocharged my 1980 Fiat Spider with a Garrett T3 and was pleased with the result. Right now I'm building a turbocharged Yugo using a Garrett T25 and 1500 Fiat engine. OK I hope everyone takes me seriously but I agree my choice in cars is a bit weird. If I can successfully turbocharge this carburated engine I'd like to attempt turbocharging my Fairlane. I've never done a carbed turbo system.

My Fairlane has a 302 but the seals and gaskets are getting a bit weak so I'd like to start with a fresh engine. Due to the shock towers this would take some work on a V8 besides to do it right I would either have to run two turbos mounted on top of the valve covers or feed both banks into a single turbo like Pontiac did with the Grand National. In other words a plumbing nightmare.

So I've been considering a straight six engine with a single large TO4. I'd like to do a blow through carb system. That is if I am successful with the Yugo. My Spider was fuel injected and it was basically a no-brainer. Just raise the fuel pressure!

There seems to be allot of opinions that in-line engines make more power than V8s. I would imagine that's why tractor trailers use in-line engines. V8s sound sweet with turbo mufflers but torque is where it counts. So am I on the right track?

So why are V8s more popular? What advantage is there over one design or the other?

A co-worker has a 77 F 150 with a 300 ci 6 cylinder. This was my first consideration. However this looks like a massive engine and looks allot bigger than my 302 V8. Anyone know if this engine would fit in my Fairlane? Did Torinos from the 1970s use this engine? Since the Torino and Fairlane are built on the same platform I could possibly use the crossmember and motor mounts.

My other plan was to use a 250. These motors came in the Fairlane. I beleive this same engine was used in the Granada Mustang and Fairmont.

What I'd like to do is find a 250 from a junkyard that has a C/R of 8:1. What model and year used this engine? What sort of power did this engine produce?

My theory is any loss of power due to loosing 52 ci I could make up for it in the lighter engine. Then add a turbocharger and make more power.

I'm not sure how much boost I could run on this engine. I run about 7-8 pounds w/4º retard on my Fiat Spider which has an 8:1 C/R. I've mainly limited the engine to this amount of boost because the drivetrain is completely stock except for a stronger headgasket.

I figure with an intercooler on my Fairlane I could easily run 14lbs of boost and double the HP and torque. I've got plenty of room up front but that just adds more plumbing.

So if any of you guys were going to carry out such a project what car should I source this 250 engine from? What sort of power is this engine capable of withstanding and producing?

Any of you guys carrying out a similar project? I'd like to hear about it.

Thanks!

 

[xctasy]

Welcome! Great to have yet another Ford die-hard here!

If you understand that detonation through poor fuel air mixture is the killer on these engines with a turbo, and design around it, you will get HEAPS of power and torque.

A few points:-

*250 sixes are very strong, no lighter than the 302, and fit up to the same transmission. Mustang 250 engine mounts are possibly the best bet, although the Maverick 250 ones may be better.

*I'm not aware of any US 250 Fairlines. Haven't really checked.

*The 1965 to 1971 LTD /Galaxie /Tornio got the 240 Big Six as a base engine.

*I don't think any uni-bdy got the 240, so its not a bolt-in.

The issue with the 250 isn't that it lacks potential at all. It's just that a turbo engine is a whole package really, and cost measures govern what you can or cannot do.

*There are no US 250 turbo sixes on this forum. Plenty planned, none done. This is because the level of expertise needed to make it work exceads what is available (not a put down. There are some very cluey mechanical engineers who could make it work in a heart beat but to do it quickly would cost an obscene amount of money). The cheapness of the V8's like 302, 351's is to blame. The need to avoid detonation is the other factor. The stock single jug carby arrangement is a nightmare to distribute fuel with at 150 hp, and at 300 to 400 hp, two or three entry points are needed. Then people look at Aussie 25- 2V or South American Speciale Performance 221 or the Maxi Eccono 188 head of there related sixes, and then costs expand.

There are too many tick boxes to check, and people don't see benchmarks that work to keep them out of trouble.

In Aussie, the cross-flow headed 250 is extensively turbo charged, up to 500 plus hp. But it's not the same engine, and importing one to work on is a bit of a wrestling act.

The US 200 or 250 turbo conversion is still in hiatus because of these above issues. What is needed is a good ductile iron exhast manifold, a conversion to twin carburetor bodies, and some kind of well distrubuted fuel air mix. Twin up stream SU or CD 175 carbies, or a single DCOE 48or a DHLA Dellorto 48, blowing through a T3 or T4 turbo is the cost effiective option in my opinion. Blow through turbos require better fuel air distribution than the 1-bbl carb. A single 350 or 500 Holley as a blow through may make it if its mounted to the head, and not an adaptor through the original 1.5 or 1.75" hole.