So after lietteraly a year of procrastinating, I have finally started my build. So for a short run down, it's an 89 gt, 5 speed with like 85k miles. The engine is as follows:

Freshly machined block, .030 over

Factory rods and crank

Probe forged pistons (-12cc dish)

Factory cam

GT40P heads, freshly machined

GT40 lower with Downs ford box upper

255 pump and 42lb injectors

C&L 76mm and 75mm t-body

yada yada


The turbo setup is BG CUSTOM TURBO single headers, with a Holset H1E. I have read up on the Holsets and everyone said the HX35 was too small, so i went with this one. Also have a 50mm wastegate (dumped to atmosphere), and a knockoff RFL BOV. As of now, the shortblock is complete and I am waiting on my heads. Also, the intercooler is mounted. Any feedback is appreciated, and updates should follow shortly!

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Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

Time for an update, I got my heads back from the machine shop and got them installed. I also mocked up the headers and turbo. The engine will be going in this Saturday. I am getting excited now! So what do you guys think so far??

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Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

killer lookin setup man! Cant wait to see the finished product

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

Looking good!

What is that your living room or your garage.

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

looks good.if i were you id put a main girdle on that bitch

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

Living room?? That is my state of the art, hermetically sealed, engine building institution! Well not really, but it works. As far as the main girdle, it would probably be a good idea. I figure if its gonna break, its gonna split the block, so we will see. I am just ready to get this bitch in the car and get it running. Thanks for the comments guys.

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

Main girdles usually only help with main cap/crank walk. I don't think he will have a problem with that before the stock block goes and if it goes a girdle will at best keep the busted block and parts together. Also nice car, I love the red with black rims. All I did was paint my rims and I went from no looks to complements daily.

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

Thanks for the compliments. yah I had a 94 gt that was red with black saleen wheels, and just fell in love with that color skeem.

So I said the motor would be in yesterday, listen to this shit. It was like 5:30, and we were literally rolling the engine into the garage to drop it in. The pin that held the leg on the engine hoist fell out. So the whole engine hoist ( with the engine 5 feet in the air ) fell straight to the ground. It completely destroyed the oil pan, but luckily that was it. The pickup seems to be fine, and it landed on the motor mounts which seems good as well.

I just picked up a used pan, with an oil drain hole ( it was on a vortech car ) for 10 bucks from a guy in town. Soooo, I will put that on tonight, and give it another try tomorrow. I will throw up some pics of the crushed pan too. Shit happens i guess!

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

Man thats shitty... atleast minimal damage was done. looking forward to pics!

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

As promised

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Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

Posting these up for Hinton- Got the motor and transmission put in last night.. Everything went smooth.. Should be only about a week or so before shes up and runnin!

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

All good except for one thing.........................How come you didn't at the very least, pressure wash the engine bay

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

No pressure washer, laziness, not sure really?? I guess it is kinda dirty. I might spray some foaming degreaser on there and the hose it off. Oh well.... It should be running next weekend, well atleast startable. I will still need to fabricate the exhaust. That is gonna suck.

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

I used to do that every time that I pulled the engine.....and then it got to be annoying with how quickly it gets dirty.

Nice build. I makes me miss my old fox body.

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302. Help!!

Ok, so I have run into some difficulties here. First, the stock hood doesnt clear the downs intke (time for a 3" cowl), and I am have issues with the headers. The drivers side header is hitting the sway bar mount, and the passenger side is only an 1/8 inch above the inner fendr "seam". I was reading on Brians site that his headers are only for 87-90 non convertible mounts. I am running Prothane urethane engine mounts, and I am wondering if they sit lower than stock mounts. I am probably 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch too low. Does anyone have any experience with these mounts and BG headers?? Plus, the primaries start to turn so quickly on the passenger side, it is hard as fuck to get bolts in. Let me know if you have any ideas...

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

On my 95 I had issues with the motor sitting to low as well.....vert mounts in there when I got the car. I used Energy suspension mounts and that solved the problem, but I left them on my 331 when I pulled it to put the 302 back in...emissions suck btw. Anyway to fix the vert mount issue I went to Lowes and got 4 large washers that would fit over the bolt from the mount into the k-member and spot welded pairs of them together and put them between the mount and the k-member and it worked like a champ.

Is the drivers side hitting the sway bar mount attached to the frame rail or the one with the bushing on the sway bar? I took mine off for my kit but ended up putting it back on with 2"x2" square tubing as a spacer to lower the sway bar. I also made new end links from bolts, spacers, and washers from lowes and reused the bushings from the original end links.

On the bolts you need to get new ones. I ordered the correct thread bolts from ARP with a 5/32" head that were 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" long. That was the easiest solution for me. The other would be to get (2) 1 1/2" long header bolts (like the ones that come with the MAC headers) and put them in the back of number 4 and the front of number 1 primaries.and give yourself some room to pull the header toward the fender well. You won't have a lot of room to work with though but it will help to keep it lined up so you can monkey with the other bolts.

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

Thanks for the tips.... The header is hitting the mount attached to the fram rail. I was thinking about getting some 1/2 steel plate and making a square piece with a hole the same size as the mounting pad on the k-member. What diameter were the washers you used?? Yah for the header bolts, I bought some allen head header bolts, but it is gonna be hard to get the allen wrench in there. I reused four of the stock header bolts on the passenger side header, which worked well but was stuck at that point. It's odd, the drivers side header doesnt sweep back as close, so it is not as much of an issue. Any way, I might give the washers a try, just wanted to make sure the mount was "sitting" on as much surface are as possible.

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

The pair together gave about a 1/4" - 3/8" lift to each side. I will try to get a pic of the tonight but I can't guarantee that you will be able to see anything. I haven't noticed any difference in vibration or anything else with the addition of the washers.

It is really odd that your drivers header is hitting the sway bar mount. I have never heard of a B&G kit even coming close to the sway bar mount, sway bar yes but mount no.

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

weird, I got them off ebay, they were new, but a few years old. I wonder if they are copies, or just an older design. The inside of the turbo flange is circular, not square, which I had not seen in bg headers before. I had bg twin headers (sold them a while back) and the fabrication and quality is identical. Oh well, I just need to get them fitted and get the car fired up. Its killing me!!

 

Re: New build, 89 gt, holset 302

I hear ya. Friday my intake piping blew off and I lost a small piece of tubing on the highway so I had to drive the rest of the way to work and then back home without over spinning the turbo. The only thing worse than not having a turbo car running is a turbo car that you can't play with.