Jerry's turbo plans.

[Ben Fenner]

jerryeads at joimail.com wrote:
" Thanks very much, Ben.
  This will stay a street car, with occasional auto-x forays,
  so I'm not looking to do a monster motor - besides, I'd just
  as soon not have to do the gearbox too many times, and there
  apparently aren't any reasonably priced box alternatives for
  us."

You mean $2,000 for a PAR gearset is out of your range? =D
Are they still available anyway? I'm still saving...

  "  While the car is a '93, it had a '94 G20 lowport put in by
  the guy who had it before me (yes, it's still the lsd
  gearbox); "

I personally love the lowport engine. I have one myself, and I believe
it makes intercooler plumbing MUCH easier =)

" it's developed a 'rap' that as best I can figure
  is piston slap, of all things - most folks want it to be air
  in the lifters, but it only occurs when very cold or under
  just trailing throttle after acceleration. It won't rap over
  about 3k all the way to redline when hot and any positive
  throttle, nor at cruise.  All that to say I'd probably hafta
  either tear this one apart or go find another motor.  If
  anyone
  has a strong clue about what it is, I'd sure appreciate
  hearing it; so far I haven't gotten any convincing
  diagnoses.
  I'd LOVE it to be lifters! "

It sounds like piston slap or a failing rod bearing to me. I wouldn't
count on it being a valve lifter. =(

" Is there a reasonable yet inexpensive intercooler
  alternative, btw?
  THANX
  Jer "

For cheap intercoolers, I've always been partial to the small or large
Isuzu NPR intercoolers. I don't know if the list is familiar with them,
but they come off those flat fronted Isuzu trucks, and have the best
flow and cooling of any sock intercooler, save for the Neon SRT, and
some other high-end, expensive Porsche and Skyline intercoolers. The
turbo dodge crowd have done extensive testing in this area, and have
been usnig them for years now. The best thing to do would be to check
out this link:

http://www.thedodgegarage.com/turbo_coolers.html

You can do your own research, but others have done it for you.
I don't know if anyone's actually put the large NPR intercooler into one
of our cars. I imagine it would take quite a bit of modification to your
front clip to make it work. The small NPR intercooler on the other hand,
should fit well enough, with minor modifications.
It's hard get the links to the pages I'm talking about, but it sufices
to say the dodge guys have done all the work for you, and exhausted all
options. For an idea of what I'm talking about, you can check out this
link as well:

http://www.thedodgegarage.com/turbo_intercooling.html

Find a junk yard with Isuzu trucks in it, and find yourself a small NPR
intercooler. This is obviously not your only option, but it's the best
buy when you consider price/performance.

-Ben Fenner
1994 Black SE-R