Turbo 3800 blazer

[BMFB]

Alright, this is the beginning of what I hope to be a fun swap. Goals are to have a fast fun awd blazer that isn't to expensive. It will be capable of also running local rally events that have been popping up lately. What I know I need to do:

the 3800 looks to be a totally different bellhousing. instead of a 90 degree, it is a 60. From what I can tell, they are the same otherwise, size, leingh, internals, everything. I am hoping that I can get my hands on a camero trans, gut it and put the stuff out of my new trans into it, as well as the shorter output shaft. I am going to have to build this thing pretty strong...

Transfercase: I think my best bet is to get a case out of a bravada or a safari (pref brav) as well as the adapter (diff than my 4x4 one) and front prop shaft. from what I understand the driveshaft is going to be a bit shorter after this, but we shall see. I was concidering just running the 4x4 case.... I also know that the front axle is different, but I think it will still work, although It might need a vacuum switch to engage it.

I am also worried that the 3800 does not have provisions to be mounted the way it needs to, hopefully I can get a good look at one and find out what can be done. A buddy of mine recently swapped one into a tahoe, so Ill ask him for advice.

Motor is going to be a series II l67 block. I am going to be swapping the sc off for a large turbo. I will likely do a mild cam, and a mild head port. I need some huge injectors to help spray all of the e85 thats going to be needed at 25 psi...as well as some mls gaskets, and head studs. I will also need a set of valve springs. also going to have to run a twin walbro setup.

The truck itself will be getting lowered a bit, and the suspension stiffened as well. The brakes will remain stock as long as they hold up, but will have some hawk pads and some decent rotors. The truck will be completely gutted.

I am hoping to get this done fairly cheaply. I would like to shoot for total cost under 2k. The biggest costs right now seem to be the fuel system. If anyone has any advice on anything, feel free to share. I am most nervous about getting the motor sitting int he truck and bolted to the trans, the rest seems straight forward.

 

[silverblaz]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

Easy swap get a engine trans and computer out of a 3.8 camaro.... You can have the 4l60e made to fit your bellhousing. I had a turbo grandprix obviously it was fwd but it ran 12s should be easy to do/tune.

And yes 3.8 and 4.3 bellhousings will not match

 

[V]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

Interesting project. What year is your Blazer? Which trans do you have and what year is it? What turbo exhaust manifolds are you going to use?

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

Blazer is a 91.

Here is the progress that I have made. I could still be super wrong about alot of things.

First off, this motor is going to be making a ton of power, like, in the 500+hp area. I am going to try an gut this truck to get it as light as possible. No interior, no extra metal, and little glass. I will be installing a roll bar. to keep me from dieing.

So, I have a few transmissions laying around, and I found that all of the L67 blocks were a GM 60* bell housing. I could use a 2.8-3.8 camaro trans, or use this adapter I found and run a TH350. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Chevy-4-and-V6-to-TH350-Adapter-Plates,3280.html

I should be able to run this adapter and still maintain 4x4, or go to an awd case and either have it be 11 degrees off (which shoudl be fine) or perhaps be able to run the bravada adapter. http://www.advanceadapters.com/products/pn-50-7100/

The big thing is motor mounts. I have found a few people that have done it, but they are ususally vague on how they did it. I know that the motors were not setup to run a typical rwd mount, so I either need to figure out a way to make some (i.e. weld something right onto the block, or bolt something up somehow) or make up a small cradle to hold the motor in.

I am planning on usuing the stock exhaust. It is a rather nice steel header. I will most likly cut it before the collector and weld on a flange for the turbo. I think I am going to just run a cheap ebay air to air. E85 should keep it cool enough...injectors are going to be a headache.

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

I have decided to forgo the expense of building the th350, and am going to try an toughen up the 700R4 I have instead. i figure the one in the ty has been holding up just fine with all the power I have been putting on it, and this prolly won't be doing much more, so its worth a try.


I have located a wreaked bravada in a local yard, so i can at least get some of the front diff off of it. I know ken has a front prop, rear yoke, and Tcase I can buy. He says it has 90k on it, so I don't know how much life it has left in it.

I am going to see what I can do with the front diff. I believe that I can swap the input yoke from the U-joint adapter to the flat adapter that is on the front awd prop. If not I'll just swap the whole thing. I think I can just lock the front diff, and be able to get away with it. If not I see that I just have to swap the pass. side axle tubes and Ill be set. Ken may have a line on that as well...

I have a few lines on turbos, but I need to figure out how big I should go. I have a friend with a 72mm on his 3800, and he seems to think its great, but he is a drag racer. I'm going to take a ride in his car and see how bad it really is.

I am also not sure how to run a twin 255 setup cheaply. I see sytyperformace is selling a kit for 700 dollars, but thats a retarded price for 2 90 dollar pumps tied together with an aluminum block. I know there are other ways...

bowtie lady is selling the injectors I need, but I cannot get ahold of her...

the rest of the swap still seems pretty simple. I think I know about how to plumb it, I think I know about how it will sit in the truck, and I think I know how the drive-train is going to work. I know a few people on here have done true syty swaps, but this really isn't one of them. I still think I can do all of this for under 2k. Turbo price is the biggest variable...

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

Today I got my turbonetics T76 ball bearing turbo in the mail, has a bit of play, but its also un-oiled.

I also bought a wreaked 2001 grand prix gtp ( or gxp, I forgot) but its certianaly a running supercharged 3800. picked it up for 575. I am hoping that I can sell off enough of the other parts to make up some of the costs.

I also managed to really clean off the frame of the blazer, which was not easy. I am going to be buying a set of the d-werks 105 lb injectors, and likly 2 aremotive 340 fuel pumps and trying to make them work in the tank.

still plugging away, not I have a motor and stuff to pull out and start selling off this car...

 

[warmpancakes]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

I also bought a wreaked 2001 grand prix gtp ( or gxp, I forgot) but its certianaly a running supercharged 3800. picked it up for 575. I am hoping that I can sell off enough of the other parts to make up some of the costs.

gxp is a SLP package hows the interior? 4 or 2 door? pics

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

Interior is great. Black everything, leather seats. door panels are good, and all the window switches and stuff works. Im parting it out entirly. Its a 2 door. I can get some pics together here, should do it for the whole project anyway.

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

I worked on it tonight a bit, and I have decided to try an use a 90 degree trans is foolish, I am instead going to go and see what I can get for a 60 degree trans out of a camaro or something. I am hoping to get that tomorrow at a local yard. I started gutting the blazer, I think Im close to 300-400 lbs out already. the carpet was HEAVY, and the back seat weighed 65 lbs. The cover for the back seat weighed another 15. Truck weighed 3750 stock, its got to be close to 3400, and theres alot left to get. worried about the oil pan...

 

[TY162]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

I worked on it tonight a bit, and I have decided to try an use a 90 degree trans is foolish, I am instead going to go and see what I can get for a 60 degree trans out of a camaro or something. I am hoping to get that tomorrow at a local yard. I started gutting the blazer, I think Im close to 300-400 lbs out already. the carpet was HEAVY, and the back seat weighed 65 lbs. The cover for the back seat weighed another 15. Truck weighed 3750 stock, its got to be close to 3400, and theres alot left to get. worried about the oil pan...

There is a trans from a 96' v6 camaro in Eaton Rapids on CL. He's asking $150, don't know thier bottom $. Has 106K on it. Car got hit and they parted it out.

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

I couldn't find it, link?

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

well I found a gen 1, 2.8, 2 door blazer today that happens to be a 4x4 ( I didn't even know they existed) and from all of the research I have done it should have a 700R4 trans in it with the 60* bell housing that I need, and it should bolt right up to my Tcase and even be at the right angle with an adapter. they want 100 bucks, I told them Id trade it for the remains of the gtp with some cash on top. They have a 1st gen bravada sitting there as well with everything attached, so I might be able to source the Tcase out of that if I need to, I was supposed to pick up one from ken, but I know that he has been busy with more pressing things.

also, I may or may not have mentioned this but a friend of mine has done a similar swap. He had the motor blow out of his late 90's tahoe and he replaced it with a L67 3800 that he turbo'd. full weight I bet its still over 5k lbs even with the motor swap being lighter. He is running this goofy dinky 58mm turbo off of some kinda cummins with a stage 2 cam @12psi and with just premium gas. he let me drive it today with him in the truck and I gotta say I was impressed. First off it wasn't draggy at all just cruising around taking off from stop lights like I thought it would be. It drove well, and it was responsive. At 12psi It felt a bit faster than my cobalt ss, and Id say it felt a bit faster them my lt-1 buick that was running 14.2's at the track. For a 5k+ tahoe running that tiny turbo on just gas I gotta say it gave me hope for what I'm doing with this blazer. a full ton less weight with twice the boost and more cam...I can't wait.

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

I got the trans and its perfect, the TC even bolts up to the 3800 flexplate and the alignment pin in the center of the tc fits into the crank recess. I started trying to get an idea of how it would mount in there, and I have found I am going to have to cut a pretty badass hole in the firewall to accommodate the exhaust. I am fine with this and will start cutting tomorrow after a trip for some more blades for my sawzall. Ill get some pics posted up then as well.

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

alright, so today went pretty good. I have an issue where I am not sure if I am going to have enough room for my gas pedal when its all done, but that remains to be seen, the motor is not in its final location yet, it needs to go back about a half of an inch, and go down about 3.

This is the motor and trans I have, the trans hasn't been built up yet but it will be likley within the week. Its a 700R4 4x4 with a 60 degree bell housing. Block is a L67 supercharged block out of a 01 gtp.

couple pictures of the truck before and currently.

This is where I have the motor now, I decided that to really make this work it was going to have to move back about 3 inches farther than I wanted to initially. At first I wanted to have the trans in the stock location so that the front and rear driveshafts would just bolt in, but after actually having it in and looking at it the starter will not clear the diff without the motor sitting stupidly in the truck. After moving it back that far I decided that because I was already moving it back that far, another inch to completely clear the oil pan against the diff might not be a bad move. Thats about where it is now, it needs another half inch to move back, and then it needs to move over about 3, and then it will drop about 2 or 3 as well. I am worried about the gas pedal... location in the end...the engine mounts dont look like they will be to bad to make, but they have to be strong.

This should help propel it a bit better than the M90

 

[Beavis]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

That don't look too bad. With the motor that far back it will help with weight distribution alot. What are your plans for the exhaust? Going up front, right or left side or incorporate the stock manifolds? One a side note, looks like it might need some body panels, or is it gonna be a rough sleeper?

 

[neildemo]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

Brian You have way to much time on your hands.

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

IMO 72mm is probably going to be on the laggy side with 3.8L, especially if your only shooting for 500 hp range. I would probably pick up something smaller, their be a good selection of used Turbo Buick turbo to fit your budget.

 

[BoostedSUV]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

Why does the motor have to be set back so far? Is that where is has to sit to bolt the trans into the factory position? Interesting build but seems like a lot of unnecessary work when there are other proven bolt in powerplants. cool none the less


make sure there's enough clearance on the frame to remove the oil filter once it's in it's final resting place :lol:

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

IMO 72mm is probably going to be on the laggy side with 3.8L, especially if your only shooting for 500 hp range. I would probably pick up something smaller, their be a good selection of used Turbo Buick turbo to fit your budget.

You think that 72 is bad your going to think its even worse when I tell you its a 76 :lol:

Im shooting for the 650-750 hp range, which is consistent to what I have seen other people in my area make with this motor build in the area (I know of 3 people who are running this setup, in different cars) its still an automatic so yea, off the line it will spool slow, but once its spooled, its gone, which I am hoping saves the trans a bit...

The reason I have to have it sitting so far back is mostly because of the starter. Unfortunetly (and something I didn;t think about until I saw it in the truck) is the starter sits on the other side of the motor, so it interferes with the front diff. It has to sit about 2 inches farther back than the stock trans location allows for. I am not sure how far I can stretch a front prop shaft before its at its limit, but if I am going to have to make up custom mounts front and back and cut the front prop and have it extended, I might as well go back a bit farther and fit the pan as well. I do not have the Tcase yet, but it looks like it will still clear the torsion bar crossmember, and once I have it all i should be able to get a good Idea of what is possible with the front prop shaft.

I am leaving the body as is, the crusty look should help it out, and make it generally more fun. The exhaust is most likely going to be a 4 inch dump out of the front, prolly straight through the pass. side fender, but I will have to see where it all ends up. I am going to use the stock manifolds, and just run a pipe up to where the turbo will be mounted.

I agree I could just put an ls-1 in it, but It would be alot more expensive. This motor will be able to supply an immense amount of power very cheaply. The cam, springs, and everything to make that work is roughly 800 (including gaskets, and head studs) the fuel system (2 deatschwerks 300 pumps, and 6 105lb injectors and fuel line) will cost about 800 as well. And then the rest is fab work and turbo work, such as the plumbing, intercooler (ebay) and I need to find a good used external gate and a bov. The motor and harness were purchased with a gtp I bought and parted out (made a profit) so they were free. The rest of the eventual cost will be in the cage, seats, and the lexan rear windows, not including the pile of things that I will break (moneys on the trans).

I need to get my hands on a camaro intake, and I need to look to see if there oil pans were different. As I think about it, I imagin that the sumps are different in a 3800 FWD vs a RWD as I believe that the sump is located in the 'front' of the block, but I need to double check that and address it before it goes together much more. I might work on it next week, perhaps start on the wiring.

 

[BMFB]

Re: Turbo 3800 blazer

Well, I went and picked up a camaro intake and oil pan from the local yard for pretty cheap. The camaro oil pan should give me alot more clearance, its basically the same shape but in the front its got a deeper and more defined cut in to clear the cross member.

The intake should clear the sc front belt setup with out a hitch, other than I am going to have to make up a bracket to relocate the coil pack. It even looks like the TB is the same setup.

I have a guy lined up to rebuild the trans for free, and a guy who will tune it with hp tuners when its all done. I am still waiting on a t-case, but it sounds like it shoudl happen sometime soon. once I have that I can start fabbing in the motor mounts and actually get it sitting in the truck.

I decided to try an find a set of camaro 3800 manifolds. From the few pictures I have seen of them they look like cast iron headers. I can take them and flip them over so that they are pointing froward and up, and run piping to them to feed the turbo. Difficult to find however...

tomorrow I am going to get it up on a stand I am hoping and get it apart a bit. I am ordering the cam, springs, retainers, seals, and timing chain I need to run the stattama stg 5 cam. should be around .540 lift with some pretty good duration. I am also buying a set of ARP head studs. should be around 800 bucks for the whole setup.

I am also going to purchase the fuel line I need and start getting that run. I might be able to pick up the 2 pumps and kit I need to run them together in the tank, but it might be a bit tight on this christmas budget.