Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Nice! Keep me posted. I need to do meth injection on mine since its non intercooled and sucks. LOL. Hey, what total timing do you run under boost? Im around 14 degrees at 15 lbs boost and it picked up MPH from 12.5 degrees. These things sure dont like timing very much.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Depends on the weather, but from 16-20* with no knock retard at 20 psi. for what it's worth, the car ran only 16* stock. In the middle of the summer 90* 90% humidity on 24 psi it's around only 13-15* degrees I get clean. I think 14* is pretty good for 15# and no intercooler, these engines blow as far as timing is concerned, as you know. As you have noticed the car picking up with extra timing, it makes a huge difference on these cars. I have never taken the car to the track in good weather on high timing, but will give a pretty good example of the difference That I have seen in data logs. First, at the track on low timing, about 13* and 20#s running through the flowmaster stock replacement exhaust = 113mph, exhaust open at 3" down pipe and a couple of exra #s (22) of boost because of less back pressure picks up to 118-119 mph. Running 20* of timming at 22#s of boost in cool weather Through the crappy flowmaster cat back picks up as much MPH per second as low timing did with open exhaust at the track on low timing with the exhaust open (118mph runs). So basically, with a lot of timing the car runs as well pushing through the 2.25- 2.5" exhaust as it did with open xhaust on low timing. If it makes any sense

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

I had to read it slow twice but yeah it makes sense. LOL. Its funny how timing requirements are almost the same as N/A. It runs such low N/A timing where its happy that nothing really changes boosted. What an odd little motor.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

How many miles on this ebay junk turbo?

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

I probably have 3000 miles on it by now, have NEVER seen a puff of smoke out the pipes and zero oil consumption issues. I know chineese stuff sucks but i cant fault these turbos one bit.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Alrighty i thought id liven up this thread by taking my Camaro to the track tomorrow and see what it will do! Its sporting an intercooler now and some Hoosier slicks out back for some grip. The Ebay turbo is still doing fine but it DOES weep a bit of oil out the turbine housing. It pretty much did that from day one and i think the drain isnt as good as it should be. Its got almost 10k miles on it now and so far so good.

Oh and since i last posted, the car was completely totalled on the passenger side and has been rebuilt as good as new. I sure put that car and motor thru hell and it keeps coming back for more.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Well hallelujah i finally got a good tune on this thing and went 12.55@107 tonight! Not too bad for an all stock 3800 on race gas and 17 lbs boost.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

I just remembered i have a NX nitrous system laying around that i should put on this thing. I did the math and another 50 hp will get it to crack the 11's. Hmmmm.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Glad to see the camaro still lives. Is it nesecary for race gas on only 17 lbs of boost though, just curious, since I am not sure if race gas still has the lead in it anymore that coats o2 sensors. How did it get wiped out?

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Yeah its 9.4 to 1 stock and loves to ping. Im sure its gonna kill the O2's pretty soon. It got wrecked by sliding thru a front yard into the side of an 85 ford 3/4 ton truck. It bent the truck in a C shape and didnt do the camaro any good. Thru the miracles of a free parts car and an entire passenger side replacement and a whole new corner grafted clear to the strut tower seam, its good as new! Although it buckled the floor clear over the top of the transmission tunnel but you can only see that on a hoist and 99% of that smoothed out after the frame rack pull.

In fact now it needs wrecked on the driver side since the passenger side has better paint now.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Odd. I thought those were a flat 10:1 not 9.4:1. I will have to look again.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Trbo355,
Did you ever install nitrous on this car? Do you still have the car?
This is a cool build!
Thanks.
Kevin

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Yep i still have it. In fact since i last updated this thread, the car grew a 5 speed manual, a 220 duration turbo grind cam and the same stock long block with 150k miles now. I took it to the track and had clutch issues off the line and it went 12.5 at a WAY better 114 mph with 15 lbs boost and a 50 shot of nitrous. The next run i got more agressive with the clutch off the line (to keep it from slipping) and blew up the auburn posi.

114 mph shows its making pretty good power for a play toy and them stock series II engines are tough as nails. When i had the motor out i never even looked at the bearings or took off the heads. Slapped in a cam and new gaskets and crammed it back in! LOL

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

My best Et with the automatic and stock cam was a 12.27@109 while fighting a nasty ignition misfire in high gear that i traced to a dying coil pack module. Next year this things gonna go 11's with a stick shift! Im working on a deal to buy a G force modded T5 with the 2.95 gearset and 20 degree tooth cut and a 9310 output shaft. The T5's are so weak that its hard to go fast without having a 1/4 mile long yard sale of gears all over the track.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

That's awesome! 12.2 for a daily driver is very impressive. I'm thinking about doing something similar, so it's really cool to see you doing so well with your daily driver. Out of curiosity, what did you end up with for overall timing and A/F at WOT? Is the imported turbo still surviving?
Thanks for the info!

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Yep that turbo has well over 30k miles and is trouble free. Timing on the 3800 motor is a bit odd compared to the GN motors 24 degree happy zone. It only runs 15-18 degrees total under boost and i dont pull any timing with NOS. The heads are the weak point and there are some PCM issues with the MAF that make it a little unfriendly to turbocharge but overall this thing is more fun than my old hot air 84 GN.

With the G Force T5 and a little luck making the rearend survive, 11's should be attainable on the stock long block. There is a guy back east that went 11.69 on a 130k mile entirely stock engine 98 firebird. He was running 22 lbs boost, 60-1 turbo and a 3.08 rear gear, stock converter etc. Damn amazing!

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Our local dyno shop had an open house today so i took the camaro to see what it would put down. Made 379 whp on 15 lbs boost and 428 whp on a 50 shot! Thats not too bad considering the runs were in 3rd gear with the T5 transmission. And 150k miles on the engine. LOL

It sounded like a million bucks with the dump cap open and the A/F was spot on at 12.6 to 1. Overall i was pretty impressed foir a bunch of spare parts and a chineese Ebay 57mm turbo.

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Running a little lean?

 

Re: I finally turboed my 98 V-6 Camaro

Yeah first hit was pretty lean and dangerous so i fattened it up to 12.5 to 1 for the rest of the pulls. It went a touch leaner on the 50 shot which surprised me because bottle pressure was only 800 lbs. Im going to add a bit of fuel jet to be safer. These V6 computers are totally gay in the fact you have to lock out the closed loop operation or the PCM carries any part throttle fuel trim adjust over to WOT and makes the A/F a moving target unless you zero the trims and lock it in open loop.

Been a hell of a time nailing it down without hurting the motor.