Ben's 914 TURBO Official World Premier, 'cuz it didn't blowd up. Options

[airsix]

Ok, so it isn't as cool as Chapman's 914-6 Turbo 3.0, but it's a turbo 914 all the same. Ladys and Gentlemen, at about 10:00 PST I got boost and there was much rejoicing. I took the car out, filled it with premium, tuned it with the laptop a little to make sure it got plenty of fuel under boost, and the mission was a sucess. Boost starts to come on at ~2,700rpm and is going full-steam by 3,500rpm.

I stand (ok, sit) here before you my brothers to declare that yes indeed, you can turbo a 914. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

Details:

Engine: '73 1.7, stock internals
EFI ECU: Perfect Power MIC3 (Cost ~$500 to get on the car and running 3 years ago)
Misc EFI stuff: Subaru 1.8T injectors, Holly throttle body off a 3.0 Chrysler, BMW 5xx fuel pump, foam motorcycle aircleaner (temporary)
Turbo: IHI off 1.8L Subaru (including wastegate)
Misc Turbo stuff: Bosch blow-off valve (for a Saab I think). Cheap. Plastic. Works great.
Total cost to add turbo: $175 (EFI was already on the car. Use Megasquirt+turbo and you can do this for <$400 easy)

I tried to modify my fuel pressure regulator with a boost-reference port like the in the dune-buggy.com article but I broke off a wire guage drill bit about 1.5" deep into the bolt. Dang. Only had about a quarter-inch to go too. So I just bolted it back on the car and set the fuel pressure at the 30psi I have the ECU turned for. I tried to crank up the injector pulse width under boost to compensate, but they hit 100% duty cycle at 5,000rpm because at that point they only have 20psi effective pressure (because there's 10lb of boost by that point). So I'm keeping it under 5k rpm until I get a rising-rate pressure regulator. The wideband O2 says mixtures are just fine below that point. I estimate I'm getting 110hp (That's not a WAG. I really did the math) which doesn't sound like much but is sure better than the 80hp I had before. I would still like to add an intercooler which could put it in the neighborhood of 130hp without getting too boost-happy. Even as it is now I would say it's 100% more fun to drive. I'm really happy about it. I'll get the pressure regulator issue squared away so I can run it up to 6k and I think it'll keep me happy for quite a while.

Rick said "This thread is worthless without pictures" so here's the best I could do. If you missed the earlier thread I'll throw in one of the earlier pics too. I tried to make a video but all you hear is wind noice and the blow-off valve between shifts.

[airsix]

Ok, here's the one some of you already saw - the completed exhaust from Friday.

[airsix]

Here's the best shot I could get of it on the car. It's on the passenger side tucked up there right at the front of the tranny. The intake side just peeks throught the engine tin enought to get the intake plumbing into the engine bay. Oil return drains almost striaght down with a little 'L' where it goes into the pass-side valve cover. The orange hose is for cooling air to the bearing housing. I'm running a 1/2" hose from the vapor-canister port on the impeller housing on the engine to the water-jacket on the turbo bearing housing. It's definitely not as good as running water through it, but has to be better than just plugging it off. There is a decent amount of air-flow out of the hose anyway.

[redshift]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

YES! Good job! I'd do that.... that looks fun.


M

[airsix]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

YES! Good job! I'd do that.... that looks fun.


M

Thanks!

I almost forgot my credits:

Thanks to Sammy Gore for setting out to disprove the myth. The first guy I know of to do a DIY 914 turbo.
Thank you to Jeff Shyu (Jenny's brother). The first DIY intercooled 914 with D-jet.
Thanks to Ed Villela for showing us how it SHOULD be done. The most elegant 914 turbo.
And Ed Morrow, with his CIS-from-scratch 1.8 turbo. (Two Ed's w/ CIS injected turbo 914's!)
Three cheers for the fathers of the 914 turbo-4!

I probably wouln't have ever got around to doing this if Sammy hadn't once said something to the effect of "A lot of people talk about building a 914 turbo but most of them are never going to do it." I had been one of those people "talking about it" and that comment nagged at me for 3 years. Thanks for the motivation Sammy. I probably never would have gotten around to finishing this project if you hadn't said that. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

-Ben M.

[SpecialK]

Congratulations Ben! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

Nice fab work too! Now it's off to the dyno right?

[iamchappy]

Great work, you have seen the light. Turbo on brother.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[ejm]

Nice job.. Welcome to the club (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Evill Ed]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

YES! Good job! I'd do that.... that looks fun.


M

Thanks!

I almost forgot my credits:

Thanks to Sammy G. for setting out to disprove the myth. The first guy I know of to do a DIY 914 turbo.
Thank you to Jeff S. (Jenny's brother). The first DIY intercooled 914 with D-jet.
Thanks to Ed V for showing us how it SHOULD be done. The most elegant 914 turbo.
Three cheers for the fathers of the 914 turbo-4!

I probably wouln't have ever got around to doing this if Sammy hadn't once said something to the effect of "A lot of people talk about building a 914 turbo but most of them are never going to do it." I had been one of those people "talking about it" and that comment nagged at me for 3 years. Thanks for the motivation Sammy. I probably never would have gotten around to finishing this project if you hadn't said that. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

-Ben M.

Ya Done Good there Ben (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

Now the real addiction begins!!
Ed

[ChrisFoley]

Good job Ben! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

[nein14]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) Congradulations!!! from one 914 turbo owner to another , Kudos to Evil Ed and Sammy for proving to all the NON Believers it can be done!

[airsix]

Nice job.. Welcome to the club (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Thanks Ed, I forgot - you also did a CIS/turbo!

/me goes back to edit earlier post...

-Ben M.

[fiid]

NICE JOB!!!! Serious Kudos to you.



I think you can improve your engine-turbo exhaust plumbing though - by running it all the way to the back of the car and then forward again you are allowing the exhaust to cool some, which means it is shrinking and hance it takes more of it to push the turbine around. That's a little fab project that you can do later though.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

Drive it for a while and enjoy. My car has been on stands forever, and I miss it :-(

[Root_Werks]

Couple of buddies of mine and I have thought about doing this. Any words on the performance? Was it worth it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[airsix]

I think you can improve your engine-turbo exhaust plumbing though

You are exactly right. This was my biggest concern and the subject of much debate (in my head). I had originally planned to chop up my heat-exchanger tubes and use them to make a header with the distance between the heads and the turbo as short as possible. I decided it would add at least 3 or 4 weekends to the length of the project. So I bagged that idea and did what you see in the interest of time. There is a good chance I'll build up a decent header (really short) this winter.

-Ben M.

[airsix]

Couple of buddies of mine and I have thought about doing this. Any words on the performance? Was it worth it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Performance isn't earth-shaking, but it's definitely fun - and about what I was hoping for (I had realistic expectations). It was definitely worth it. 2 weekends and $175 for about 30% more power? No question it was worth it. When this 1.7 heaves it's last breath maybe I'll drop in a 2.0 or... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

Hey, thanks for all the kudos, guys. It means a lot. When I said "2 weekends" I meant that was the execution part. The planning took a lot longer. I slept like a baby last night - first time in forever that I wasn't staring at the ceiling all night trying to figure out some part of this project.

-Ben M.

[andys]

I think you can improve your engine-turbo exhaust plumbing though

You are exactly right. This was my biggest concern and the subject of much debate (in my head). I had originally planned to chop up my heat-exchanger tubes and use them to make a header with the distance between the heads and the turbo as short as possible. I decided it would add at least 3 or 4 weekends to the length of the project. So I bagged that idea and did what you see in the interest of time. There is a good chance I'll build up a decent header (really short) this winter.

-Ben M.

Ben,

I'd simply wrap the exhaust with header wrap and avoid all the extra header fabrication work. It'll really help hold the heat in, and I'll bet the turbo will come-in sooner too (2700 RPM is kinda high, but easier on the rods). How much boost are you getting and/or what's the waste gate set to? On my turbo 914 (circa 1975), I had to fab my own heater boxes on the Crown turbo headers, which wasn't a whole lotta fun; though they did work well.

Andy

[red914]

Ben, that thing looks awesome! any chance of coaxing you over to this side of the mountains so we can all ogle it close up sometime? we'd probably buy you a beer...

[Root_Werks]

I agree with Shane, if you come on over to the west side so some of us teeners can check out your car, I would be in for a beer. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

I use to, mind you use to have an article from the early 80's "VW&Porsche" I think? That had a stock 2.0FI with KKK turdo from a 924 I think? The guy didn't have to do much as I remember. That has always haunted me to do one ever since. Just seemed cool. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[airsix]

You guys are great. Thanks for all the comments.

Header wrap: That's exactly what my engineer Dad said. I said, "yeah, but the pipes are still long" and he reminded me that the pressure response between the head and the turbo is speed-of-sound, so keeping the heat in is really the only issue. I'm not worried about header-wrap rust. I don't drive in the rain, and being a turbo these pipes will rust from the inside out before header-wrap rust is ever an issue. (Dad asked why I didn't do the whole thing in stainless and I said "Because you aren't paying for it".)

Thanks for the west-side invites, guys. I cringe though at the thought of letting you look closely. he he. I plan to weld on the SC flares and paint the car this winter/spring. If I do that and tidy up some wiring ugliness maybe I will bring it over if there is a gathering next summer.

-Ben M.

ps - Wouldn't you know. It was raining cats and dogs this morning. Had to drive the pickup. First rain in a month or more. I was so pumped to drive the 914 today too. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)