This is an old post, but a goodie
One of the
best conversions I can think of is a factory 1981-1983 Turbo conversion on the Capri 2.8 to the straight Solex/Pierburg 2-bbl 38 EEI carb, used on all the European 2.8 Capris and Granadas. It was something like 135 hp stock, but with just a 5.5 psi TO4 turbo, you could make 188 hp at the flyhwheel. It used just a plastic carb hat, and very few other tricks.
Since the 2.0 and 2.3 have a 2-bbl Factory manifold around off the shelf from the Fairmont and Mustang 2-bbls, that kit would be a no brainer. I think the Solex had an early Pinto Holley Weber 5200 style return line, but there was really nothing to the kit. The TVR 3000 Turbo by Broadspeed was similar to it, just a simultanoeus opening 2-bbl carb, turbo it, and your away. 138 hp becomes 265.
The 200 special build of ballistic 134 mph German Capri 2.8 Turbos, had 188 hp at 5500 rpm and 206 lb-ft with a Garret T04B50 turbo at 5.5 psi. (It was the birth of the SVO Motorsport homolgation for the Maclaren Capri, the Group A Mustang 5.0, and the IMSA GTP and SVO Mustang).
It had a simple 38 Solex 2-bbl turbo carb engine which was made Fords Mustang 2.3 carb Turbo an amature effort.
The problem with Fords only bad carb turbo, the 79 to 81 carb gasoline turbo 2.3 (not the 81-83 LPG turbo 2.3, which was an Ak Miller update) was just the intake manifold really, the rest was sound enough. A blow through carb is superior if done right.
If Ford had turboed the 3.3 instead of the 2.3, and done it the Janspeed way like the 2.8 Capri Turbo, with a 2-bbl carb, and good internals, little doubt the little six wouls have put paid to any small block Ford.
History showed that EFI and EECIV were the little 2.3's soultion set, and after 1984, Ford only ever offered one carb turbo again, and that was the 1984 Ford Laser Turbo in Australia, (KB-series Hatch Turbo version) and the Geelong and Broadmedows boys farmed out the turbo work to a third party, and foolishly downgraded the factory Mazda Familla/323/GLC EGi Turbo 91 RON system from feedback EFI to a leaded 97 octane Stromberg CDS175, and got similar problems to the 2.3 US effort a draw through turbo with poor mixture and carb problems. And that's what happens when really good engineers around the Ford empire don't share there development experiences. As a result, the aftermarket Mike Vine and AIT carb and EFI Turbo I6 Falcons were put on ice by Fords warranty engineers. The planned Aussie turbo SVO Falcon then became a non turbo SVO, and the planned 1987 EA Turbo was aborted and replaced by an aftermarket non turbo SVO Falcon, and, after AIT went bust, the Factory Turbo I6 didn't arrive untill 2003.
Another case of simple bad turbo design, and a lack of input from Ford engineers. Third party engineering could work in Europe and England, where the Turbo 2.8 carb and MFI and EFI Tickford Capris were astounding performers.
Its time for us to do the research, and see the only carb pit falls are poor carb and poor intake and exhast manifold design. Eliminate those pit falls, and you'll control detonation and get a
good coversion.
