Sky_Render wrote:
My first car was a '93 Plymouth Sundance Duster that I swapped a built turbo motor into.
These motors are stupid easy to work on. Parts availability is starting to be a problem, though. The turbochargers can start to burn oil due to the seals going bad.
If it were my car? I would pull the manifolds, convert to an intercooled blow-through "Turbo II" setup, eliminate as much of the emissions-related vacuum nightmare as possible, and just have fun with it.
EDIT:
Head on over to turbo-mopar.com
Tell 'em **Dusty Duster** sent you.
I thought about doing stuff ohhhh around 20 years ago... to paraphrase the original post..After I bought it from my Grandad, I actually just drove it. Never considered a K Car to be something to be saved. But my speech to him about it sunk in. The more time I spent with it I couldn't help myself. Now, after keeping it safe and original, I couldn't imagine doing anything else to it. I know, weird to have an attachment to a car like that. It is just so original that I want to do everything I can to keep it like that. I could really babble on and on about why I feel like this silly car's caretaker.. but you folks would just think I'm truly nuts.
As for the Turbo-Mopar forum, I have joined by your and Vigo's advice. Just don't know where to post a thread similar to this for help.
To all the other folks chiming in about the Turbo.. I am digesting all this input. I really need it to warm up out there in the garage..
Funny thing is I realized the only manual I have for that car is a silly Chilton one. I went on E-Bay today and scored the factory manual set for it. I don't know why I didn't get it way sooner. Should be here by Friday.. I hope.
Once it warms up enough, I plan on pulling the gage cluster out.. Yea I know I could do that now, but all the plastic trim is so much more brittle when it is cold out.....
Then to wrap up the fenders and start to dig into the turbo.. I am already getting a feel for what I need to do.. but also need to learn so much first.
While I am at it, I think I will be also looking for stuff that is just starting to age, and start a list of replacement parts I will need.
I am actually starting to look at this as an opportunity to become well versed in this car and actually have some fun with it for a change, as I freshen up the stuff that has just gone stale. That car just sits there most of the time... it is about time I had some different kind of fun with it.
Honestly at this point some of the early T1 stuff is already becoming hard to replace, so going to a "T2" setup is going to keep it going for longer. It's possible to pull the turbo without pulling the head but it requires pulling the front motor mount rocking the motor forward to get enough room to get to all the bolts. If you end up going to a blow through setup then it is nearly impossible to do.
Doing a Turbo-II/blow-through conversion can be done with almost entirely OEM parts, so it would still be "original," and would have more power and consistency. That's just my $0.02.
Currently, your motor is what we called a "Turbo-I" or "draw through." This is because the throttle body is before the turbocharger. That means the turbo charger draws air through the throttle body. This is a weird setup and bad for throttle response.
Converting to Turbo-II adds an intercooler and relocates the throttle body to after the turbocharger. (The turbocharger blows air through the throttle body.) It's better for throttle response, and the cooler charge air from the intercooler allows you to run a little more boost.
Not much to update... just received a full set of 1985 Chrysler service manuals. Never did have them. Time for some fun reading. If it stays as warm as they say into the weekend, I think I may just jump in and pull the cluster so I feel like I am doing something.
So I actually have an update to the spider house sitting in my garage. I have been searching hard for information on the gauge cluster issue. Ends up the odometer chips notoriously fail on these and are super hard to come by. I stumbled on a thread in Turbo Dodge where someone has come up with a programmed replacement. Long story short, before selling it he was looking for Beta testers. Since all I see when I drive my car is "-------" I figured what the heck. I sent out the chip today. Once back, I should have an odometer. He is only asking for data in return, so that is reason to not let it sit this summer. Get it out, detail it, and start taking it around to cruise ins. Here are some pictures of the odometer chip in and pulled, for those that want to see....
