[dmg]

Is it possible to turbocharge one? I have only found one video about turbocharging a 200 and was wondering how would it work and is it feasible. What would I have to change, because I the engine needs to be upgraded to be able to sustain the power and other parts like the rear axle. How would one go about turbocharging a carbureted engine? Is it possible to get a good power gain from it or am I very limited? How would you control the turbo to avoid blowing it up? I just became very curious about this and want to hear more from the community to know how would this work and is it worth a shot.

 

[awhtx]

Is it possible to turbocharge one?

Sure it's possible but is it practical? You could turbocharge a lawn mower engine if you really wanted to. The 170 is not a good candidate. It has fewer main crankshaft bearings than the 200.
How to do it is beyond the scope of this website. I'm sure there are thousands of websites devoted to adding turbos to any gasoline engine. Google it and start reading.

 

[bmcgc]

Throwing a turbo on a 170 is the last thing you should do.

Everything on the engine and drivetrain would need to be upgraded first.

Want to grenade an engine? Throw a turbo on it without really knowing what you are doing.

 

[dmg]

Throwing a turbo on a 170 is the last thing you should do.

Everything on the engine and drivetrain would need to be upgraded first.

Want to grenade an engine? Throw a turbo on it without really knowing what you are doing.

Yea, I Was thinking it might just make it blow up, but don't know if it was possible to avoid it.

 

[dmg]

Sure it's possible but is it practical? You could turbocharge a lawn mower engine if you really wanted to. The 170 is not a good candidate. It has fewer main crankshaft bearings than the 200.
How to do it is beyond the scope of this website. I'm sure there are thousands of websites devoted to adding turbos to any gasoline engine. Google it and start reading.

Yea it has 3 bearings, but I didn't know if that had a massive effect, but now I know though.

 

[jfstang]

Back in the 1970's, in London Ontario, there was a fellow who put a honking turbo on his two tone (faded green and rust) Pinto. He blew off 383 Cuda's on the highway. Do-able? Sure. And about as controllable as a cannon shot. I never heard much of that car after just one summer, so that must say something.
As an addendum, when Porsche first put a turbo on their 911 in 1976 or so (now called the "Porsche Turbo"), it produced a sensational 0-60 time of around 5 seconds. Good for then, meh for now, but the Turbo was notorious for trigger like on/off action of the turbo, as waste gate management was in its infancy. You HAD to treat the car with respect or it would truly bite you.
Now if the OP finds a way to turbo his 170, not only will he have to find a way to still make it live more than 15 minutes, it will need proper thought and engineering to make the turbo step in gradually enough that it will still be decently drivable with even cylinder loads what with the log manifolding and so on.

 

[bmcgc]

Its very difficult to turbo a Ford inline six and give it enough fuel to keep from scorching the cylinders.

You would spend way less dropping in a V8.

 

[Israel]

Not worth the trouble,.....

 

[Woodchuck]

 

[bmcgc]

Lets guess how much $ is in that little setup?

 

[Klutch]

While I'm not an expert, here's what I'm thinking...

- A boosted engine requires a special build. The pistons should be forged and the ring gaps should be specific for boost

- A turbo setup requires a LOT of fabrication. Such fabrication takes a lot of skill, like TIG welding, and many components. This add up very quickly to big dollars.

- If you did get a turbo working well in an I-6 Mustang, you'd have upgrade everything specific to the I-6 Mustang: 5 lugs, brakes, springs, diff, drive shaft, transmission...

- Unlike turbos of the past, modern turbos use oil from the engine. They spin up fast, make a lot of boost and they last a long time.

So, yeah. It would be really cool, but also very involved and very expensive. The pic Bart posted above is badass. But this is project for a very advanced builder with deep pockets and not something for a shade tree mechanic on a budget.

The Roadkill "Rotsun" is an example of someone bolting a turbo on a car and slapping everything together. Not surprisingly, it breaks constantly.

 

[65coupei6_2]

Its very difficult to turbo a Ford inline six and give it enough fuel to keep from scorching the cylinders.

You would spend way less dropping in a V8.

I guess you never heard of a forum member over at forsdix called Does10s.

 

[MWM]

Well I say, if you want a six with turbo then do it! I’m it’s been done lots of times, just do a little more research on the other forums like ford six.

 

[bmcgc]

I guess you never heard of a forum member over at forsdix called Does10s.

I guess you are wrong. Show me a proper Ford inline six turbo that costs less than a V8 swap. Many do a 6 to 8 swap for well under 2k.

Remember there are zero turbo kits for a Ford inline, everything has to be fabricated. If you do not have fabricating skills and tools, it must be hired out.

 

[jdub]

There's a member on here who turbo'd his 6cyl on a budget, he was like 18-years-old when he did it and had pretty decent results. I would not listen to anyone here who does not have direct experience working on turbocharged engines.

You could turbocharge a lawn mower engine if you really wanted to.

You won't have great results turbocharging a single cylinder due to exhaust pulse issues but I've seen it done. One guy I know had a motorized bar stool with a turbocharged lawnmower engine. The turbo was more of a novelty than anything.

As you can see by most of these posts, this is the last place I'd ask about anything turbo related.

 

[awhtx]

As you can see by most of these posts, this is the last place I'd ask about anything turbo related.

Why did you delete that very statement when you copied my post?

 

[jdub]

How would one go about turbocharging a carbureted engine?

You need a carb specifically set up to operate in blow-thru. They're readily available from a number of carb companies. Or you could do one of the fuel injection setups that works in place of a carb.

How would you control the turbo to avoid blowing it up?

You use a wastegate (which bleeds exhaust before the turbo) and boost controller. There's multiple setups for both. The most simple is a manual boost controller (which is basically a ball and spring valve) and an internal wastegate that is integrated with the turbo. There are also electronic controllers and external wastegates. You can choose a wastegate and run it off spring pressure without a boost controller with the proper spring but then it will open progressively which can alter the spool characteristics.

I like MHI (Mitsubishi) turbos because they are not picky about oiling and last a long time. Garrett turbos are sometimes cheaper with more options available but they simply are not as stout and you can over oil them. A lot of people grab diesel turbos out of the junkyard (like Holeset and Borg-Warner).

Why did you delete that very statement when you copied my post?

Unrelated thoughts? I now see where you said he should look at other sites. I agree. I disagree that putting a turbo on a lawnmower engine is the right analogy for this situation though. That's just my opinion.

So, yeah. It would be really cool, but also very involved and very expensive. The pic Bart posted above is badass. But this is project for a very advanced builder with deep pockets and not something for a shade tree mechanic on a budget.

I knew of a guy who took the 4-door Chevelle that was rotting in his inlaw's yard, put in a stock 350 Vortec that he rebuilt himself, his own homemade blow-thru carb, and the biggest Borg-Warner turbo he could find on Ebay, hung on a cheap twin turbo hot side he reworked himself for single turbo, and ran 8s on a 10.5" tire. Stock worn out suspension. Powerglide (of course) with a custom converter. You have to have a little bit of knowledge, you don't need a huge budget or even incredible fab skills.

He did hurt the motor on his first 8-second pass but ran numerous 9-second passes all fine and dandy before that. He got a little more serious after that but this is the car:

The Roadkill "Rotsun" is an example of someone bolting a turbo on a car and slapping everything together. Not surprisingly, it breaks constantly.

I can't remember every time the Rotsun broke but I don't ever remember it being specifically because they slapped a turbo on a non-turbo engine. At least not since they put the 5.0 in it.

I think the idea some of you guys have about turbos is exactly the opposite of reality. Head over to The Turbo Forums or Yellow Bullet Forums and you will see lots of guys slapping cheap turbo setups on everything under the sun and getting results. A little knowledge is the key.

 

[watto1]

Drop in an Aussie 'Barra' engine. Then upgrade EVERYTHING in the drivetrain.. and hang on!

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Nailbender]

I did not know what a Aussie 'Barra' engine was until this afternoon while watching Hotrod Garage while wrenching on the Mustang. Of course they tried to replicate it with GM "Holden" stuff as usual. I know they are easy and cheap to get in your neighborhood, but not here. Ever think about going into the export business?

 

[Woodchuck]

If I was going to do a "boosted" Ford small six I'd use a centrifugal supercharger....and a TBI.