Any advice for first time turbo-engined car builder

[TurboTerror]

Hi all, i'm from New Zealand & new here.
I'm currently building my new Pro Streeter which is a 2002 Holden Monaro, or a Pontiac GTO as it is known in USA.
I have a full chrom-moly door-slammer chassis fitted to a totally gutted steel shell; fabricated rear end with 40 spline gun drilled axles attached to 34.5x17x16 tyres.
The 615ci engine consists of a Dart Big M block @ 4.600" bore, Dart 14 degree Big Chiefs, JE custom pistons, Olliver steel rods, Callies 4.625" stroke crank, Jesel cam drive & front mount dissy, Aeromotive belt drive fuel pump, Aviaid dry sump, Hogan intake with twin 105mm throttle bodies, staged injection running 16x 96lb/hr injectors, twin GT45 hi-flo turbos, Link G3-plus ECU, twin Tial 60mm w/g, etc.
The trans I intend to use is an Abruzzi Mack Daddy glide but will eventually get a BRT-2000 when I fit the 92mm turbos.
The car should weigh in around 2800lb as it is still fully street legal with lights, wipers etc.
My past cars have had nitrous engines so this is all new to me.
I intend on competeing in the World Streetcar Shootout with this car & hope to put it into the mid 6sec zone.
Any thoughts or advice on other parts would be most welcomed.
Thanks.

[want-a-be]

How many stages are in your dry sump? I can only assume your running a four link. If so you should consider running the sway bar for the back, if your not already.
Not sure if vacuum pumps are ran on the turbo cars on the crank case. If they are they have a few good points about them. If room up front is a problem then you can get an electric one off a 2000 corvette that alot of guys are running. I have the Part number but I have to look it up if your intrested. Think they can be had for around $200. If you do go the vac pump deal I'll let you in on some uses of it and a few tips.

Thanks, Don :cool:

WCRE

[TurboTerror]

Hi Don, thanks for the input. I do have a Moroso vaccuum pump & the anti-roll bar in the rear. Yes it's a 4 link car with strut front end.
I have a 32gal rear mount fuel cell for on the street which pumps to a front mount 4gal cell (which serves as a surge tank) then the Aeromotive draws from this. I intend on removing the rear cell from the car when at the strip & just running the motor off the front one.
I have an ice-to-air intercooler for the strip which mounts in the same place as the air-to-air which is used for the road.
After all this it better run the times. lol

Cheers, Karl.

[want-a-be]

Hey Karl,

While the intake is off I like to drill and tap an 1/8 pipe threaded hole above the lifter valley. Then I like to plumb in a vacuum gauge from there. This gives you the obvious readings you'll be looking for. But the most important thing I use it for is early warning to bottom end problems.

Lets say you have about 12 inches of vac at idle, and maybe 17 inches at RPM. You make a run and get back to the pits look at your gauge and notice it's only making 6-8 inches of vac at idle and can't get it over 10-12 inches at RPM. ( these are numbers from something that actually happened to a customer) The motor wasn't showing any other problems at all. No bad sounds, good oil pressure, and still pulling strong.

What happened was his block needed lined honed, ( it was new and we was going to season it before linehoning it), and some main bearings were wiped out. The oil pressure was dumping pounds of oil into the pan overcomming the inches of vacuum. No Damage to any parts happened cause he was able to see a problem way before the motor could destroy itself. Line honed the block , freshened the engine and he has had real good luck with it.

You didn't mention if you had the sway bar ( some call it a torsion bar) in the rear. They are a good deal. I like to get the car to work properly before I actually hook up both sides. They really help the car go nice and straight.

Later Bud, Don :cool:

WCRE

[Awesome Bill]

Any time you loose main bearings, you will see oil pressure problems, I do not agree with Don on this one, The air pump will maintain the same vacuum as long as you do not hurt any rings or cylinder walls. If cylinder pressure goes past the rings, this will charge the sump with pressure making the vacuum pump not be able to keep up because of the added air coming in above the pistons and keeping the seal from top side of rings and bottom side. They are not supposed to have any blow by.

As far as AN ANTI ROLL BAR, they are needed for your application and most people run them. I run one in the front also. Sounds silly? Think about it. GM and Ford has done it for years, people have just made it look different. Old Sway bar, the thicker the better.

The base is always got the same amount of air in it if the rings or cylinder walls are not compromised. A vacuum pump is worth its putting it on if you do not have a dry sump system. In this case we use the 4th or 5th unit to run as a vacuum pump keeping nose weight to a minimum. Your car should fly with the twins. I just drill and tap the bottom of the intake and install an 1/8" fitting to get my readings there. It helps when servicing the top end. You don't have to take the line on and off.

I do not recommend seasoning a block when you know is out by putting it together and running it and hoping it makes it. It won't make it no matter what. If it all starts out right, it will end up right. Every manufacture in the world will tell you that. If the aling bore is out .0005 new, we open or close it up no matter what. If you don't your gambling and that never works. JMO.