Danno

Ok, ok, I know I'm one of the ones that always admonishes selling the NA and buying a Turbo whenever anyone brings up turbocharging a 944NA, but I've gone and done it, dang it! Here's the formulae:

1. buy 951
2. blow up engine in 951
3. get used 944NA short-block
4. install into 951

So I've got an '86 944NA engine with original rods and 9.5:1 compression. I'm also using a 951 head that's been milled 0.060", so my actual compression is probably a little higher than that. I'm running 10-11psi stock 951 boost at the moment. It feels a little sluggish compared to a stock 951, but that's because I have my fuel-mappings for 14psi on a 2.8L engine (my previous one that lasted 4000miles). So it's a little too rich with too much ignition pulled out. I'm gonna dyno-test the thing to get more optimal fuel & ignition settings in a week or two...

This might be good durabilty testing and R&D experiment for boost 944NAs in the future.. heh, heh....

.... although I should really bolt on a stock 944NA head just to see how the exhaust-valves hold up. I suspect that the sodium-filled exhaust valves on the 951 really aren't that special. They're heavy and bulbous and blocks the port pretty good.

hoffman912

sodium filled valves disapate more heat (i think thats the word.. whaever it is it cooles better and doesnt absorb as much heat.. sorry its 6:45 am, and ive been detailing the 912 since i got home from work at 12:30...), and are therefore beter than non sodium filled ones.

so whats the story with the 951 engine? what did ya do this time

btw.. im headin back to cali for the rendezvous in monterey on august 5th. didnt you say that you had a track event that weekend up there? if so, let me know, i owe you a beer or two.

bloodraven

you're a sad, sad man.......j/k

Porsche-O-Phile

Man, I just found out yesterday that you blew the block. Sorry to hear man, I remember at Frank's you were just hoping it was the head gasket. No luck though (although I suppose it's a testimony to how strong those wide fire head gaskets are!) Bummer. Seems like everyone (myself included) is taking "one step forward, two (giant) steps back" on these cars lately, although I at least didn't blow my block, just my new a/c system and front sway bar bushings.

Lemmee know how that block works out, I'm intrigued (for obvious reasons)

Matt H

Danno, I take it you are using stock 951 parts with an NA block? If you were going to do this would it not be MUCH easier to eliminate the crossover, etc and run the turbo on the passenger side of the car, losing some of the accessories?
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Geo

Danno,

This should be interesting. Perhaps this may be a precursor to exploring making a kit to turbo the NA. I agree with Matt BTW that if you were to make a kit to turbo the NA, it would probably be much better to mount the turbo on the passenger side, closer to the exhaust ports. From what I've seen, packaging shouldn't be any harder than a lot of other cars that get turbocharged.

As for the sodium filled valves....

The Nissan SR20DET engine, which I'm intimately familiar with, comes with sodium filled valves from the factory. Yet, a large number of people have very successfully turbocharged their NA SR20DE engines with conventional valves and higher compression. Many of these cars are used on the track regularly as well, and they hold up just fine. Of course that doesn't mean the 944 valves won't be marginal under boost, but I'll bet not.

keith

Hey Dan - you should email Jim at the shop - he has been putting some ideas together for turbo-ing the NA (hint, kit)....

We needed to get with you on chipping, anyway.

Mike C.

Didn't the Callaway 944 conversion have the turbo on the passenger side?

Porsche-O-Phile

Yes it does. Don't ask me how I know. . .

Danno

Matt, Keith, et al... good ideas. Strange, thought I wrote a reply, but it's gone now. Yes, I'll be examing various ways to turbocharge a 944NA. Here are some criteria I've set forth:

- reduce to minimum parts that must be discarded. If you were to bolt on 951 parts to make a 944NA into a Turbo, you throw out a lot of perfectly good 944NA parts.

- minimize number of add-on components while re-using as much stock componentry as possible. Due to advances in electronics, I think I can simplify Callaway's configuration. We don't need the two extra fuel-injectors or the piggyback Microfueler. I can program the additional fueling directly into the DME chips.

- minimize exhaust and intake plumbing lengths. With the turbo on the exhaust-side, you can reduce lag tremendously over the 951 (which drops exhaust-temps about 200-degrees on the way over to the other side). The intake-tract is also cleaner as there is a straight shot through a front-mount intercooler, then into intake-manifold (about 2-feet shorter than 951).

So... all fun ideas. Since some people have actually fitted a 944NA head onto a 951 block before, I suspect that the non-sodium exhaust valves should be OK. Actually with modern metallurgy, the nickel-chrome valves available on the market today pretty much makes sodium-filled valves a novelty of the past.

Geo

Danno, absolutely you can do it. If kids with Honuhs can do it, you can certainly do it with a NA 8v.