Twin turbo 350 headers,,, any interest?

My twin turbo buick 350 project has been put into high gear, and I'll be working on the custom headers very shortly...

I'll be making them out of super thick chrome-molly roll bar tubing, with 1/2 inch thick flanges.... Yea, I know, overkill... But at least I'll never have any problems out of them if I do it this way:Brow:

Anyone else have any interest in a second or third set??? [or 4th, or 5th, etc, etc]

I'm not offering any for sale right now, because I just dont know how they will turn out... But if they are a success, I'm sure others might like a set, so I'll make the offer...

Also, I'm going to put a dual bolt pattern on the flange so they can be turned around and used as shorty headers on a custom instalation.

So, let me know...
Should I just make 1 or 2 sets for my own needs, or several at once just incase others might like a set???????

 

Darryl,

Wasn't aware you had decided to build one with a turbo!

Not to dissuade you at all, but turbo manifolds are one of the items that I am offering.

Michael T

 

Interested

I am quite interested in turbo headers! How much would you think they would cost you??

Also, how are you going to run the car? carb. or fuel injection??

thanks

Daniel Duncan

(btw first post)

 

OK Mike,
You now have my full un-devided attention...
Fill me in, all the details, hold nothing back.

A pre-made set would sure save me a lot of work, as well as R&D time.

Thanks:grin:

 

Shorties????

I may be interested in a pair of shorty headers. Provided the price is right--I am a tight-:moonu:

 

Re: Interested

If I build them, the way I want.... They wont be cheap!!!

What I'd like to do is, after making them, send them out for extrude-honing, and then industrial chrome plating. [industrial plating uses no copper, so they wont turn blue]

Also, you can bet these things wont be "light weight" at all!!!

On the flip side of that, chrome-molly roll bar tubing, and 1/2 inch thick flanges.... Well, these headers will out-last any car there put into...

For the moment, let's wait and see what Mike has to say about the set he offers, maybe he can put a dual flange on a set of his, or just turn the regular flanges aruond to make a set of shorties...

I was planning on running a FI setup off a TPI 80's model camaro Z-28 that uses an HEI distributor... Weld bungs onto the runners of an aluminum intake, and drill 'em out for the injectors, a set of custom fuel rails, an adapter to put the TB's on the carb mounting location, and a custom wiring harness, and I'm business...

But the more I think about it, the more I like a blow thru carb setup with a hat or carb box.... Just a lot less worko No:

The next thing I'll be working on are a set of motor mounts. I plan to burn the mushy rubber out of a stock set, and drill 'em out so I can bolt in some poly suspension bushings... I dont think the stock ones are up to the task of a 500 hp motor... Also, I can set 'em up to lift the motor an inch or so for more exhaust clearance...

 

For the motor mount situation...I've heard of someone using the 3.8L rubber mounts on a 350 when swapping into a car that originally had the V6 in it...Now you'd think that if you put the V6 frame mount on the driver's side, then you'd be able to run the poly motor mount that Paul Ferry of HRPartsNStuff has made for the GN/TRs...These mounts are virtually indestructable!!! I have one on my GN and it is a nice piece...I was planning on using one on my Buick 350 swap into my 86 Toyota 4x4 using the adapter mounts for the 3.8L swap that is popular...

Kind of confusing description I gave...Hope the idea comes through okay...I'll try to re-explain if you don't understand what I said...p

edit:
Here's a link to HRPartsNStuff...
http://www.hrpartsnstuff.com/

 

Darryl,

First off, WHY do you want a dual turbo system? I thought you were pretty excited about the centrifugal supercharger, and hadn't seen you write anything about turbos.

Manifolds (headers) can be built as log style units, equal length, or something in between. Equal length would obviously be the most expensive and probably wouldn't gain what its worth on a street car.

Any header I would build would be mild or stainless, and could be coated. 1/2" flanges are not overkill on a turbo manifold.

Cost is probably about $700-1,000. Although we may be able to work on that, especially with some volume.

Having said all that I still REALLY prefer the centrifugal. Will post more on that later for you guys.


Michael Tweedy

 

Mike,
No problem with the sentrifigual setup, I'm still excited about it.

I'v been collecting parts for a dual turbo for about a year now, have about $500 invested in it at this point, and other than the manifolds and carb enclosure, I'm ready to roll... Actually, I was planning on keeping the whole shebang a secret, and just showing up at the nats with it:eek2: .... But with the headers being soo much work, I thought I'd ask incase others wanted a pair, I'd just do a couple more at the same time....

I'v got to do a little more research yet, but I'll most likely be making un-equal length 4 into 1's, or maybe a tri-Y design.

FJM586:
Your explination came thru just fine....
But I'm actally going for extra room with the "taller" mounts. I want to run the biggest header tubes possible... That's why.

 

If you ever get that setup done and make it to the NATS and I'm there, I wanna ride in the monster!!! Sounds like it'll be a blast...
hehehe...Wouldn't Lawrence Conley just sh*t if you dusted Tweaked 2
on a pass down the track with a twin turbo BUICK 350!!! :jd: p :Brow: :TU:

 

humm supercharger...

I think that after talking with some buick guys around here and thinking about what I can do (err afford), which the supercharger would be a little easier for my needs I think...I am still tossing around ideas about it though. What kind of PSI do you think the Buick 350 can take from a supercharger with a carb. system??? I was trying to think about like 6psi would run really sweet with an ic on too! ohh well I guess I can still dream!

daniel

 

With the ATI intercooled Procharger setup, 10-12 lbs. of boost shouldn't be any problem. The intercooler makes all the difference in real power development!

For example, late model Camaros and Firebirds have 10.5:1 compression and run 8-9 lbs. of 'intercooled' boost! 500hp at the wheels(!!) is not uncommon! These things fly!!

Since most people here would be custom building their motor for a supercharger anyways, just start out with 8.5 or 9:1 forged pistons - 8:1 if you plan on running ALOT of boost!

At these levels though, even with ARP bolts, we'll be really testing those stock rods!!

Scott

 

Believe it or not, that's a good thing!!!

Yes, we will be "testing the limits" of the stock rods, but overall, this, both my turbo efforts and Mike Tweedy's supercharger efforts, will help to "spur development" of heavy duty replacement rods for our 350's.

I see great things on the horizon for the buick 350...
Once a couple of us get these 'lil small block buicks buzzing upwards of 500 horsepower, it wont take long before others are ready to "jump on the bandwaggon" and take a chance on the SBB as well.

You guys better run out to your local junk yards and start buying them up now, because as soon as word gets out that these things can be built into 500+ hp monsters, the prices for core motors will be going up:Brow:

Oh, and by the way, when Mike Tomaszewski [T/A Performance] gets the aluminum heads to market, and the Buick 350 suddenly has 800+hp potential, we might start testing the limits of the block and crank:eek2:

..............But those are limits I'll be happy to test!

 

Darryl,

The power has always been there to be made, its just a question of who's willing to open the ol' wallet. People just don't seem to want to spend the money on the 350. Of course the things we've got going on now will make the same or MORE power for (potentially) less money. But can it beat the allure of that big block?

Hey, my hope is that after a few small blocks do show some real power the little brother will get the respect it deserves!

We can build a streetable 600hp 350 tommorrow, IF the interest is there.

Michael Tweedy
*website coming soon

 

The Stock Buick capscrew rods shouldnt be a problem. Its not torque (boost) that kills rods, its excessive rpm beyond the design limits of the stock rods. The Turbo Buicks which use the same basic rods (cap screw, cast nodular iron) tolerate ALOT more boost than a carbed 350 motor will most likely see. The Turbo V-6 doesnt see much more than 5000 to rpm to do its thing, that is, over 600 ft. lbs. of torque at the crank. Instead of worrying about the rods, there should be concern about keeping the motor out of detonation during boost, THAT will kill any motor, Buick or otherwise:laugh: Mark

 

That's why I like the "flexibility" of a turbo setup...

When it's pulling standard daily driver street duty, just "open up" the waste gates, and it's little more than an 8:1 street motor with a nice cam, an a restrictive exhaust... [but not much more than stock manifolds]

Close 'em, a couple gallons of 110 octane, and high 10's are there for the asking:Brow:

With the initial timing retarded down to 0* or so, and the "gates" opened up so the engine only sees 2 or 3 psi max,,,, 20 mpg on 87 octane is acheivable.... Best of both worlds:laugh:

BTW, my budy, who is helping me build the headers, is really pushing me hard for the FI setup... and I'm starting to agree with him.

 

i run poly gn mounts to get a 350 in a v6 regal .they are rebuildable
if you have a rough idle it will shake the whole car as the poly mounts have almost no bounce. solid as a rock but atleast the engine will stay in place
if you get a 350 set going i am trying to get a setup for my 72 lark also
since it will be a supercharged 350:Brow:
im porting the heads right now(well im on a break but you know)

 

You could always just save yourself the trouble and buy my already established twin turbo kit.

Twins shootout anyone?

 

Wow this is an Achive thread dating from 2002.

 

Yeah Darryl has been reading all the threads, hes still around but has a Supermodel wife and not much time for his Buick projects... He has given me some great input into all these projects. He said the 350 parts are burried deep in the barn and I told him we could get him into a bolt on twin kit to get him back in the "350 game".