Hey everyone! I have a motor out of an 83 wagon with 30,000 miles on it. I also can buy a parts car, which is also an 83, witha turbo on it. My question is, can I bolt the turbo on the low milage motor? Is it worth doing? What else will I need to swap over(computer or anything)? I would like to get a little more power out of my motor, but I would like to keep it looking stock. I plan on decking the heads and getting a custom ground camshaft also. Thanks, Kurt

the main problems wif turboing a n/a engine is the cams and compression ratio. With the low km block the ratio is 8.5:1 instead of like 7:1 i think of the turbo engine, with a high comp ratio you cant run asmuch boost without detonation. With the cams, n/a engines have valve overlap so some exhuast gets sucked out as petrol + air is going into the cylinder. If you had this setup with a turbo it would just blow the petrol charge out the exhuast untill the exhuast valve closes.

8.5 to 1 would be great for turbo as far as im concerned. but the problem is you'll have to crack open that fresh damn near new motor, and stick the turbo heads on it. the turbo manifold wont bolt up, to the na block.

 

you either need to run it with the carb on the top, or swap heads.

You might also consider swapping SPFI onto that low mileage ea81 from an ea82 engine. I know somebody on the board has done that with pretty good success, and there are only minimal adaptations that need to be made. It wouldn't have the power of the turbo, but if you got a custom cam made for it, the thing would be no slouch.

SO, would I be better off selling the low milage motor and just rebuilding the turbo? Will a turbo bolt to the manual transmission? Has anyone experemnted with ground cams or decked heads on a turbo? I would like to build up a "hot" motor for someday when I find a brat in good shape, and I thought it would make a great winter project. Thanks again for everyones help and advice!

where are you in minnesota?

you could put an ea82t, or ea82mpfi na in there too.

im sure youd have no trouble getting rid of a 30k mile motor.

I am in Waseca, which is 15 miles west of owatonna. Hmmm, mabey fuel injection is the way to go. :-\ I assume I would have to swap out a computer too?

if subaru put that turbo on the car, its efi already.