this forum talks about 1964 and older cars, but we often use newer parts to fix them up. Sounds like a fun project...figuring out what turbo to use, to make around 75 hp, would be interesting. I'd not want to try to make more power than that with a stockish A motor. Although guys with more experience with the engines probably have some tricks to make them survive quite a bit more.
Funny answer, I like it, put a turbo on it who cares Chevrolet was testing with turbos back in the 50's. Good for you. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Who cares what the turbo is from. I like it! Son and I are thinking about a turbo set up for our newest flathead V8. We have a build able engine and are collecting parts for a 34 coupe. We have three other running flathead V8 cars. A turbo setup could be the cats meow!
first diesel turbo was patented in 1905 and was on the road by 1920's. you have to assume that this was done by someone. to make an A faster. I love the idea!
I would be careful about building more than 4-8 lbs of boost in a stock application. Is it stock? what have you done internally?
what do you mean the turbo is installed and now your looking for info . What turbo did you install? Blow through or draw through set up? (It does matter how you set it up and what type of turbo to use for each application) Is the motor stock? and if so, you better stay around 4-5 psi and tune it correctly, fuel wise. Did you do any oiling mods to the engine? Tell us what you have and how its plumbed and then we can give advice. I would recommend a turbo from a modern car with a wastegate built in, like a Warner-Ishi unit, maybe a subaru 5 cyl. turbo, there are tons of junkyard turbos to choose from, just depends on how its plumbed.
thats a pretty funky looking install right there. Anyways, that is set up as a "draw through" it pulls fuel through the turbo and for that style you MUST have a turbo with a carbon fiber washer otherwise it will washout the turbo bearings with fuel and it wont live long like that. Warner-Ishi RHB-52 has a built in adjustable wastegate and carbon washer for draw through application
Says the guy with a dodge cabover in his pics with a 454!?!?!? Honestly my take, he's more traditional than half the 350-t350 guys on here. I'd rock the shit out of a turbo'd banger, i'd use it as my new daily!!!
We are using a corvair turbo part number 3856709, draw type,model A intake and exhaust mounted upside down with new flanges welded on. oil pressure feed from motor to turbo.
I'm guessing it doesnt have an integral wastegate. Basically you need to find one that is cheap and can be adjusted down to 5 psi or so. I really wouldnt boost it to much as the bottom end oiling isnt that superb. The pistons wont be happy with high boost either. 5# with that motor wont be a space shuttle but its a promise it will make you grin so hard your face will hurt. Fuel is key, tune it fat and heavy to start with, get a wideband not a narrow band set up and read the plugs also and have reliable fun. Oh yeah, dont get "rev happy" either. remember its a banger motor and have fun w/o destroying it.
just stepping in as a turbo fan... I realize it wasn't a popular (by any means) thing for the era the HAMB focuses on, but fail to see it being strictly nontraditional. I'll stand by this: my grandpa had a turbo sitting on his shop desk... he'd often tell tale of building a motor with it (unsuccessfully) not long after WWII. if he was doing it, I'm damn sure at least a few others were.
I used two Corvair (TRW) turbos on a 270 GMC years ago.. GM didn't need a waste gate and neither did I. GM limited the boost by using a small carburetor and restricting the air flow. Worked for them and worked for me. I would be somewhat interested in the stock A oil pump supplying enough oil and pressure to the turbo bearing.
Barney Navarro was experimenting with turbos before the first turbocharged Corvair was built. Tell me Barney Navarro was not a traditional hot rodder.
As always, Rich has already been there an done it. The 2-port intake will restrict flow. The problem a turbo causes on a flathead is putting a lot more heat into the block and the A-bone doesn't have enough cooling in the stock system. The second problem is oiling. Splash doesn't have the film strength to withstand pressure or RPM. Here in Spokane, Strong Engine routinely converts A-bones to insert rod and main bearings and full pressure oiling. jack vines
Ain't nothin' wrong with building a turbo'd A, anyone who tells you that hasn't been around long enough. There were turbo's in use back in the day. As for stock OEM American from the '50-s and '60's, I can only think of Corvair and Jetfire applications. Tough to get original turbo units, though! Still, plenty of blower cars are built with brand new blowers... I see no real reason a guy can't do that with a turbo. But I guess the difficulty comes when trying to do something "period correct". That might not be so easy. Cool project.
thanks to all, my neighbor came over today,come to find out he was an engineer on airplane turbos ! we spent a couple of hours on his turbo knowledge. will now move forward with our waistgate problem, learned a lot today.
Good luck with I am very interested in this idea hope you post your step by step as you build will be following
HAMBers frickin' amaze me! My guess is when they get to Mars some of the rocket jockeys are going to find a HAMB plague already planted there. Turbos have always interested me and I would like to run one a 250 inline. That's howcome I'm snooping. Model A-B-C stuff seems righteous with a hair dryer on it. I have to agree more bottom end and oiling seems necessary for one to live, however. Keep up the good work. Wow!
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