Hi Turbo forums, this is my 89 Bronco. The power plant is a stock 351 single T3/T04e 60 trim (Garret T60-1 I believe?) backed by a well put together C6 and NP205 case with splitters. Rearend is a custom fab 9" housing with GM 14 bolt outers, the front has spliced together D44/D50 beams, front/rear geared at 4.56 with 39" non dot toyo race tires.

I am running the Fitech 600 power adder unit with an in tank 255 pump, hoping to pull 4-450 reliable whp out of it when it is done. This same turbo was on a friend's 06 F150 5.4 2wd auto and it made 451 to the wheels so I am hoping I am not too terribly undersized for a 351, especially considering it will only be at 7 psi for now.

Anyways here are some current pics, I have the whole build documented elsewhere with lots of pics if anyone wants to see it start to current day, I have still not fired it up, the engine is a fresh stock rebuild and the whole truck has not even seen dirt yet.

Plans are to get it running/driving and enjoy it while I build a boost friendly longblock and then upgrade the turbo if necessary, I would like to get to 500whp if the Fitech will take it....anyways let me know what you all think, constructive criticism is appreciated!#ad

 

This thing is so rad, excellent job! Definitely cant wait to see some footage of this. You're gonna like the fitech unit.

 

Thanks man, I am close to firing it up but have a laundry list of stuff to do to get it out in the desert.

 

Looks like a ton of fun! Or two.

 

About 3 tons lol. I am thinking she is between 6-7k loaded, full of fuel and beer and gear.

 

Here are some pics from its beginning of life from a stock 89 bronco to the day I bought it and towed it home as a roller with nuts and bolts falling off the whole 500 mile trip home just shy of a year ago....as with all projects it seems all the details that nobody sees just takes forever...#ad

 

Pics from starting the turbo build,...keep in mind on a rig like this the tire clearancing and suspension takes up a lot of room from full bump to full droop and to full steering lock in any situation... It took me probably a whole day just to place the turbo and move the dang 39's around in every way i could just to verify I had room for everything....once that was done I started laying pipe haha#ad

 

Once the merge pipes, up pipe, and turbo were half ass mounted I started in on the wastegate and plumbed it back into the downpipe and ran the tailpipe out to just behind the passenger door outside the framerail, once I mount the bedsides I will have a OE Ford 6.4 exhaust tip protruding the fiberglass for bling points... So after that the cold side was next up, this took a while to figure out where to put an intercooler without blocking two trans coolers, a Vintage air condenser, and the big boy radiator...while still clearing the steering and front skid....after the cold side, intercooler, and BOV we're done I pulled everything apart and gave it a high temp coating....oh yeah, i made sure the external BOV blew out through the hood vents for max panty dropping credits.

Ok at this point it was time to get the FI on and get a carb hat figured out, my buddy built me a sweet little hat from an aluminum spectre unit straight off Amazon....once that was complete I decided to pipe it so I could still access the dizzy if I needed to...next up I installed the 255 in tank pump with solder connections instead of just crimps on the quick connectors just to be safe...then the valve covers came off and -10 fittings/hoses with a catch can were installed....last but not least I set TDC as close as I could get it for now with this neat little spring loaded tool that threads into your spark plug hole, this allowed me to install the phaseable rotor as close as I could get it before actually starting her up and setting it dead nuts.


Other little turbo related things that have been completed include a turbo blanket, the oil feed/return system while tapping the stock pan and welding a -10 fitting in it, 02 sensor install in the hotside, wrapping some pipes, and also tapping the intake manifold for water sensors, as well as lots of other little dumb brackets, painting, and fabwork...#ad

 

Nice work! Truck is badass. I'd love to build something like that, but I'm mired down in the East with nowhere to run it.

A stock 351w bottom end is plenty boost friendly, no need to go aftermarket assy unless you want to get into 4 digit hp.

 

Good to know and thank you sir! Any advice or opinions on my current turbo? I am thinking its right on the cusp of being too small but it is infact supposed to be good for 650 and was originally picked for a 5.4 3v which it ran great on. I always appreciate input.

 

That is some serious rear suspension travel!

I hear you about getting mired down in all of the little details. I chose to install twin GT35's into a 70 Ranchero GT with a 351C. Way less room than a Bronco. I have a build thread here, but now is my busy season for Boat repair so I won't get to work on it again till September. It's more of a street sleeper, road racer.

 

Maybe a stock Bronco sure!..but one that clears 39" tires at full bump/full lock while working around an engine cage, front diff, front beams, front driveline, and 3.0 coilovers while still leaving room for a bypass...well then things start getting tight, the factory firewall has already been cut out and pushed back just for tire clearance....the dirt is a whole different world when everything has to work together and be super reliable if your 200 miles out in the middle of the desert.

Even that being said I am a big fan of a single turbo, twins would be rad but i couldn't justify needing them when the single should meet my power and driveability needs.

 

I have never seen a Bronco that I liked until now. This thing is BAD A$$!!!!

 

Turbo is on the small side for sure, but it'll make power in the low/mid rpm areas before becoming a restriction up top. I had a BW S366 on mine and made about 550hp on 11psi, 5600rpm.

 

Crank numbers or to the ground? What we talking bout here boss???

 

Crank #s. Never been on the rollers, just figured using the online calculators.

 

I case you haven't seen it, this is a great thread for info on what a stock 351w is up for:

WTF , can't post a link! Search member 73Runabout.

 

I'll have to look that up thanks man you rock!

Here's the blanket and Catch can...and my punchlist for startup...still debating on feeding vacuum to the PCV with a check valve #ad



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Started ripping the oil pan off tonight to clean and reseal it and at least do a "visual" on the bottom end cause I just dont trust the grease it n tap it method after doing the oil drain to pan...should have done it this way from the start dog gone it.#ad

 

Haaaaallllppppp

Well...got the oil pan on, everything clean, did a quick visual on the bottom end, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Buttoned up my top end stuff, and had her ready to fire so I pulled the plugs and got all the soaking atf out the cylinders that I put in along time ago so the cylinders, rings, and stuff didn't rust up.

Left the plugs out, cranked it a few times till I had oil pressure and everything was looking good and cranking great...then we went to crank it again and it was locked up, I can get 3/4 revolution out of the crank with a ratchet either way but it is straight up locked beyond that.

Pulled the starter, did a visual and all the converter bolts are in. Pulled the valve covers and checked for a dropped valve, broken spring, etc with a boroscope via the plug holes and also through the intake runners. Found one little piece of debris on the #6 cylinder intake valve, non metallic from what I can tell, I pulled the valve spring off the seat about 3/4 inch and dropped it into the cylinder then found it with the boroscope, after this I released the valve spring so both were 100% closed and tried fishing the little piece of debris out, that didn't work so I brought the cylinder to tdc and stuck an airline in there...apparently it blew out because it is gone (and yes both valves were closed so it didn't go back in the into either of them). Anyways I then rechecked all valves and they all seat real nice, no bent or broken valves from what i can tell.

The engine was still locked up so I pulled all the rockers and spun the engine, which should eliminate valvetrain interference. Still locked up, double checked for seated valves and everything ok.

Drained the oil and stuck the scope through the drain hole, got a pretty decent visual on all cylinders, rods, caps, etc..nothing looked out of the ordinary. Only thing i could not see was all the pistons, but i can see all of them through the plug holes with the scope, they all seem in line and move freely until it locks up.

Next I pulled the manifold and checked for anything weird, everything looks ok, I do have a couple cylinders not moving one of their lifters but without being able to turn it a full revolution I dont know if thats abnormal or not.

My next plan is to pull the timing cover and check for a broken chain or general brokenness then drop the oil pan again if necessary and see what's up.

Any thoughts that might be helpful???#ad