first turbo build questions

[89droptop]

hey guys im gearing up to build a 3400 turbo for my 89 cavalier. i have purchased a 3400 and it will be delivered next week. i was planning on a 3500 top end swap but i got to digging deep in this forum and found it may not be benificial because i will be going with forced induction. please verifiy this for me. i want to get on the ball and have WOT build a set of heads for me asap. i have picked up some literature on turbo builds and currently working thew the equations for selecting the appropriate turbo for my application, but i was wondering what some of you are running on a similar set up. i know i have plenty more questions i just cant think of them off the top of my head.

[robertisaar]

3500 heads on a 3400 will be beneficial for boost or N/A. they flow considerably more air, meaning you'll need less pressure to achieve whatever power goal you're shooting for. on the other hand, given the same pressure, you'll make even more power. WINs all around.

you may be referring to the 3500 UIM, which is lacking compared to the latest 3400 UIMs.

[89droptop]

can i port the 3400 UIM to a 3500 LIM to acheive a better flow?

[TGP37]

If you want the best performance, get the race/boost ported intake from wot-tech.com

[89droptop]

the only thing i can find on their site reguarding a race/boost ported intake is the LIM for a 3400, i guess i need to contact them to find out the optimal set up. im also looking at the street/ strip turbo cam, i would really like to be around 375 hp or just a bit over. is this obtainable on a stock bottom end. if i remember correctly the rods are forged from the factory. im also looking at a garrett gt35.

[TGP37]

375 hp is probably the most you would want on a stock bottom, if the pcm is tuned well enough. Might eat up the transmission in short time.

You're gonna need larger injectors, an intercooler (anything over 5psi), ability to tune PCM, wideband o2 sensor, boost/vac gauge, exhaust manifolds for turbo (make it or buy em) and a Battery Relocation kit (to the trunk).

Either tune it at a dyno, tune it yourself or get a pcm adjusted for your needs from a tuning shop. But what ever you do, make sure it is tuned for the boost.

The GT35, not sure if it is the right size or not. I do know the T04E-50 or 57 is a great match if you want quicker spool up. I use the t04e-50 and it works perfectly. Best you can do is choose your own after learning how to read turbo maps.

If you want to do anything inside the oil pan, do it before the engine is in the bay. A crank scraper from wot-tech is a great addition to the bottom end and is affordable.

For the amount of power you seek, consider a 180 degree t-stat but no less. A 160 t-stat is too cool unless you run insane boost.

[3400-95-Modified]

the only thing i can find on their site reguarding a race/boost ported intake is the LIM for a 3400, i guess i need to contact them to find out the optimal set up. im also looking at the street/ strip turbo cam, i would really like to be around 375 hp or just a bit over. is this obtainable on a stock bottom end. if i remember correctly the rods are forged from the factory. im also looking at a garrett gt35.

3500 heads
Stage 3 ($500)- All out flow for racing and boosted applications. Velocity be damned, its all about flow!


And you would do stage 4 on the intakes for the best, or stage 3 on the 3500 lower and a 3400 upper with Stage 2 porting if you dont want the 3500 upper intake.

[89droptop]

375 hp is probably the most you would want on a stock bottom, if the pcm is tuned well enough. Might eat up the transmission in short time.

You're gonna need larger injectors, an intercooler (anything over 5psi), ability to tune PCM, wideband o2 sensor, boost/vac gauge, exhaust manifolds for turbo (make it or buy em) and a Battery Relocation kit (to the trunk).

Either tune it at a dyno, tune it yourself or get a pcm adjusted for your needs from a tuning shop. But what ever you do, make sure it is tuned for the boost.

The GT35, not sure if it is the right size or not. I do know the T04E-50 or 57 is a great match if you want quicker spool up. I use the t04e-50 and it works perfectly. Best you can do is choose your own after learning how to read turbo maps.

If you want to do anything inside the oil pan, do it before the engine is in the bay. A crank scraper from wot-tech is a great addition to the bottom end and is affordable.

For the amount of power you seek, consider a 180 degree t-stat but no less. A 160 t-stat is too cool unless you run insane boost.

thanks for the info, i have already gathered up some items as far as t-stat, all necessary guages, wideband, new fuel pump and injectors. once i make a final decision on the turbo itself i will then be able to figure out what intercooler i will need. i have been looking into mega squirt for fuel and ignition managment but i still need to find a dyno and tuner in my area that can map it out for me, i dont live to far from pompino so im hoping WOT tech will be able to help me out with this. as far as internals i want to replace pistons with a set of lower compression forged set,. and forged rods, i will be going with the street/strip turbo cam wich brings me to a set of stage 3 3500 heads and ARP will be holding everything togather. i would like to run an upwards of 10-15 psi of boost at a minimum. i still need to source a manifold, i havnt seen many pictures of a set up and a 3400 so im still researching that. i do have the capablility to build my own. and the tranny is another discusion i will have to have as soon as i get deeper into this project.

[slw240sx]

you have the the ability to use HP tuners do it. stay far away from megasquirt. if you have to use another standalone buy one that is setup like haltech or aem. megasquirt is such a pain in the ass to get it to be reliable. i know because my car ran it and it was way more complicated then it needed to be. for the hassles it gave me i should have just used aem.

[3400-95-Modified]

i still need to source a manifold, i havnt seen many pictures of a set up and a 3400 so im still researching that. i do have the capablility to build my own.

Most use custom turbo headers, or two 3500 manifolds... Depending on which way they want to send the pipes.

The 3500 Malibu had one manifold with the pipe facing directly down and the other facing backwards... I'm not sure which would work best, it's that or you can use a stock 3400 front manifold and a stock 3100 rear manifold but block off the downpipe portion. That combination would work best since the 3400 tubular rear manifolds do not promote flow toward the cross over pipe if the down pipe is plugged, like the 3100's will allow.

This type is easier to redirect toward a turbo




Over this type.

[89droptop]

i wish i could use HPT as i have many people around my area that could help out but an 89 cavalier z24 is not supported, thanks for the help on the manifolds i think i will pick up a set and use them as a model and build my own with a larger ID to compliment the heads

[1988GTU]

For under 200.00 you should be able to make a set of manifolds that'll do the job while not restricting too much. Quick phone pic

[89droptop]

My stock pile of parts is coming along nicely. I have the engine on that stand and will start to tear it down in the next few weeks. After doing much reading and trying to figure out how to read turbo maps i belive a Garrett GT35R will best fit my needs. Is anyone else running this turbo and what are your thoughts?

[Z26-T]

My stock pile of parts is coming along nicely. I have the engine on that stand and will start to tear it down in the next few weeks. After doing much reading and trying to figure out how to read turbo maps i belive a Garrett GT35R will best fit my needs. Is anyone else running this turbo and what are your thoughts?

Buy two and send one to me.. ill throw it on my setup and let you know how it works . Besides that, the most common turbo i've seen used is the T3T04e 60 trim. A 50 trim is a bit small for the 3400. But from the maps i've looked at, the GT35r is also a great choice.

And one thing I didn't see previously mentioned, you'll need stiffer than stock valve springs. If you stick with stock springs you'll get valve float. By your hp goals i'd suggest at least 42 lb injectors, maybe even 60. Also a 255lph fuel pump.

[89droptop]

Buy two and send one to me.. ill throw it on my setup and let you know how it works . Besides that, the most common turbo i've seen used is the T3T04e 60 trim. A 50 trim is a bit small for the 3400. But from the maps i've looked at, the GT35r is also a great choice.

And one thing I didn't see previously mentioned, you'll need stiffer than stock valve springs. If you stick with stock springs you'll get valve float. By your hp goals i'd suggest at least 42 lb injectors, maybe even 60. Also a 255lph fuel pump.

i do have a set of injectors but i belive they are not the proper flow rate as they are 36lb out of a 3800s/c. im looking into getting a set from racetronix do i need high or low impedance? or is there a compatible set i can get out of another vehicle?