Please help turbocharge my Volvo 1800

VolvoHeretic · 10-03-2008, 12:29 AM

Greatings all, sorry to butt into your forum, but the Toyota Supra is about the only turbocharged car I can think of that is about the same configuration as my 3 liter 6 cylinder Volvo 1800.

This engine has 2 valve heads w/ solid lifter cam-in-block, 8.7:1 compression, all cast iron and puts out about 138hp w/ 6000 rpm redline.

I know nothing about turbos and wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction of selecting a turbo to get started. I don't have enough room for a twin turbo setup like the late model Volvo's have for this size engine and wonder if the turbos out of a 4-banger will be big enough. I also don't have a lot of money to get started with and hope to find an existing donor car to begin with. Also, 250-300 hp would be fine with me.

Google searches have been awfully tired.

Thanks for any information.

Supra Greg · 10-03-2008, 01:41 AM

go measure from front of block to back of block and tell me what it is in Inches please...

post more picture to please... engine bay .. underside ? rear .. hell everything...

Ty

TheMark3 · 10-03-2008, 05:37 PM

Well, the single bigist issue that you are going to run up against is finding a turbo exhaust manifold for the classic volvo. If you can find one of those - it may be possible. If not - it is possible to make one yourself but it will be expensive and need a lot of engineering to be reliable.

VolvoHeretic · 10-03-2008, 11:12 PM

Well, this engine has two really nice 3 into 1 cast manifolds that dump right next to each other. I was going to add a 2 into 1 merge collector right after the manifolds, snake under the engine in front of the suspension cross-member and mount the turbo above the steering box on the driver's side. If I cut an air scoop in the hood, I could then mount the intercooler over the engine and into the stock air intake? Or mount the intercooler behind the front bumper/airdam? I would even be willing to put the engine radiator in the trunk and put the intercooler were the radiator is stuffed.

I am using the drivetrain out of a 164 Volvo sedan and here is one from Norway with a turbo, but I can't find any information on it. I also have a lot less room as you can see. I am also going to install the front suspension which has shorter upper control arms and will give a little more room.

Searching on E-bay, I found a bunch of turbos, but am left totaly confused. Same goes for the Garrett web site. Don't any of you guys upgrade your turbos?

Here are all of the pictures I have, but I am not near the car and will try to get measurments and more pictures later, but if the reason for the measurements is to swap in a Toyota motor, sorry, but this was enough work 30 years ago and if any other motor is going in, it will be a 350 Chevy, but I really don't want to replace the entire drivetrain again.

YouTube - volvo modified 1800e

It went about 90mph in the quarter in 16 sec, but I had to lift on the throttle because it was kicking out sideways when I dropped the clutch at 4000rpm. top speed was about 120mph @ 5000rpm in 4th gear, but had some kind of engine miss. The rattle is the wore-out threaded rod ends to my rear sway bar and the shaking is the out-of-round welded-up and redrilled wheel lugs.

Micahwc · 10-14-2008, 12:28 PM

In that fifth picture from the end, Is that a keg in the back of your car?

For turbo sizing, I would guess that any turbo out of a 3.0 liter car would be about right. Since you are going to have to make your manifold custom, you could use just about any turbo you could find. The only 3.0 single turbo I can think of for possible turbo donors is the 87-91 turbo supra (or any of its bolt on upgrades). Every other 3.0 or 3.5 I can think of is twin turbo. You could look into the single turbo upgrades for any of these twin turbo cars though, mk4 supra, 3000gt/gto, 300zx, etc. All of these cars have large single turbo conversions which are common, as well as 3.0 liter engines. You would just need a turbo flange to weld onto your custom turbo manifold.

I know of one company that sells turbo flanges for custom turbo manifolds, which sells one for the ct-26 turbo out of a mk3 supra. It actually sells them for usage on dodge neons.

If you did want to try a twin turbo set up, the turbo's for the USDM 3000GT (8G's I think) are small. You could run each 3-1 header pipe into one turbo.

VolvoHeretic · 10-16-2008, 10:25 PM

Yes, Micahwc, that is my $100 aluminum fuel cell I had welded up to replace the rusted-out 11 gallon original. They didn't make stainless steel kegs back then and it doesn't have any baffles.

Thanks for the ideas for turbos. Here is a website that I found from Topend Performance.

Turbonetics Turbochargers and Wastegates, Water Injection, and Intercoolers

and their turbo sizing chart.

http://www.racetep.com/turbomatrix.pdf

It at least gives me an idea of what i'm looking for, something like a T04e or b? I've got a lot of learning to do, I never had any idea this would be so complicated. So, are those Supra turbos and good or do you guys all hate them?

I've also found quite a few places that sell the flanges, elbos, and merge collectors I will need, so that is a nice surprise.

Too bad you can't mount a turbocharger in the vertical position.

VolvoHeretic · 10-21-2008, 05:09 PM

Well I have spent a few hours searching Supra forums, so, from what I think that I have learned, I will be looking for a MKIII CT26 turbo for my slot car as the best choice at turbocharging. Too bad I didn't know this about a year ago when I could have picked up an entire car for a couple hundred bucks (as it usually goes) and I'll bet there aren't any more around within 500 miles of me.

I will also be adding a Mega-Squirt fuel injection computor and bigger fuel injectors and fuel pump.

Any tips as I go about trying to accomplish this project? What I do know is to not buy anything made in China, beware of cracked turbine houseings, and add some kind of shim pack to up the boost pressure.

Thanks for the advise.

10-03-2008, 12:29 AM	#1
VolvoHeretic Stock Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Minot, ND Posts: 4	Please help turbocharge my Volvo 1800 Greatings all, sorry to butt into your forum, but the Toyota Supra is about the only turbocharged car I can think of that is about the same configuration as my 3 liter 6 cylinder Volvo 1800. This engine has 2 valve heads w/ solid lifter cam-in-block, 8.7:1 compression, all cast iron and puts out about 138hp w/ 6000 rpm redline. I know nothing about turbos and wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction of selecting a turbo to get started. I don't have enough room for a twin turbo setup like the late model Volvo's have for this size engine and wonder if the turbos out of a 4-banger will be big enough. I also don't have a lot of money to get started with and hope to find an existing donor car to begin with. Also, 250-300 hp would be fine with me. Google searches have been awfully tired. Thanks for any information. Last edited by VolvoHeretic; 10-04-2008 at 12:12 AM.

10-03-2008, 11:12 PM	#4
VolvoHeretic Stock Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Minot, ND Posts: 4	Well, this engine has two really nice 3 into 1 cast manifolds that dump right next to each other. I was going to add a 2 into 1 merge collector right after the manifolds, snake under the engine in front of the suspension cross-member and mount the turbo above the steering box on the driver's side. If I cut an air scoop in the hood, I could then mount the intercooler over the engine and into the stock air intake? Or mount the intercooler behind the front bumper/airdam? I would even be willing to put the engine radiator in the trunk and put the intercooler were the radiator is stuffed. I am using the drivetrain out of a 164 Volvo sedan and here is one from Norway with a turbo, but I can't find any information on it. I also have a lot less room as you can see. I am also going to install the front suspension which has shorter upper control arms and will give a little more room. Searching on E-bay, I found a bunch of turbos, but am left totaly confused. Same goes for the Garrett web site. Don't any of you guys upgrade your turbos? Here are all of the pictures I have, but I am not near the car and will try to get measurments and more pictures later, but if the reason for the measurements is to swap in a Toyota motor, sorry, but this was enough work 30 years ago and if any other motor is going in, it will be a 350 Chevy, but I really don't want to replace the entire drivetrain again. YouTube - volvo modified 1800e It went about 90mph in the quarter in 16 sec, but I had to lift on the throttle because it was kicking out sideways when I dropped the clutch at 4000rpm. top speed was about 120mph @ 5000rpm in 4th gear, but had some kind of engine miss. The rattle is the wore-out threaded rod ends to my rear sway bar and the shaking is the out-of-round welded-up and redrilled wheel lugs. Last edited by VolvoHeretic; 10-04-2008 at 12:15 AM.

10-14-2008, 12:28 PM	#5
Micahwc Intake Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: johnson city TN Posts: 30	In that fifth picture from the end, Is that a keg in the back of your car? For turbo sizing, I would guess that any turbo out of a 3.0 liter car would be about right. Since you are going to have to make your manifold custom, you could use just about any turbo you could find. The only 3.0 single turbo I can think of for possible turbo donors is the 87-91 turbo supra (or any of its bolt on upgrades). Every other 3.0 or 3.5 I can think of is twin turbo. You could look into the single turbo upgrades for any of these twin turbo cars though, mk4 supra, 3000gt/gto, 300zx, etc. All of these cars have large single turbo conversions which are common, as well as 3.0 liter engines. You would just need a turbo flange to weld onto your custom turbo manifold. I know of one company that sells turbo flanges for custom turbo manifolds, which sells one for the ct-26 turbo out of a mk3 supra. It actually sells them for usage on dodge neons. If you did want to try a twin turbo set up, the turbo's for the USDM 3000GT (8G's I think) are small. You could run each 3-1 header pipe into one turbo. Last edited by Micahwc; 10-14-2008 at 12:33 PM.

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10-03-2008, 01:41 AM	#2
Supra Greg 3" Exhaust Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 64	go measure from front of block to back of block and tell me what it is in Inches please... post more picture to please... engine bay .. underside ? rear .. hell everything... Ty

10-03-2008, 05:37 PM	#3
TheMark3 Stock Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 9	Well, the single bigist issue that you are going to run up against is finding a turbo exhaust manifold for the classic volvo. If you can find one of those - it may be possible. If not - it is possible to make one yourself but it will be expensive and need a lot of engineering to be reliable.

10-16-2008, 10:25 PM	#6
VolvoHeretic Stock Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Minot, ND Posts: 4	Yes, Micahwc, that is my $100 aluminum fuel cell I had welded up to replace the rusted-out 11 gallon original. They didn't make stainless steel kegs back then and it doesn't have any baffles. Thanks for the ideas for turbos. Here is a website that I found from Topend Performance. Turbonetics Turbochargers and Wastegates, Water Injection, and Intercoolers and their turbo sizing chart. http://www.racetep.com/turbomatrix.pdf It at least gives me an idea of what i'm looking for, something like a T04e or b? I've got a lot of learning to do, I never had any idea this would be so complicated. So, are those Supra turbos and good or do you guys all hate them? I've also found quite a few places that sell the flanges, elbos, and merge collectors I will need, so that is a nice surprise. Too bad you can't mount a turbocharger in the vertical position.

10-21-2008, 05:09 PM	#7
VolvoHeretic Stock Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Minot, ND Posts: 4	Well I have spent a few hours searching Supra forums, so, from what I think that I have learned, I will be looking for a MKIII CT26 turbo for my slot car as the best choice at turbocharging. Too bad I didn't know this about a year ago when I could have picked up an entire car for a couple hundred bucks (as it usually goes) and I'll bet there aren't any more around within 500 miles of me. I will also be adding a Mega-Squirt fuel injection computor and bigger fuel injectors and fuel pump. Any tips as I go about trying to accomplish this project? What I do know is to not buy anything made in China, beware of cracked turbine houseings, and add some kind of shim pack to up the boost pressure. Thanks for the advise.