Thunderbird turbocoupe 2.3 actually.
I was relatively happy with my 2.3 swap, but the lack of power really showed itself on my trip to the mountains last summer. Had a week off work so I decided to swap in the turbo long block I had.
You really should use a turbo engine, they have forged pistons, lower compression heads, and an oil drain in the block.
Aftermarket header was used, stock location put the turbo into the firewall. It’s still a tight fit, especially since I decided to run 3” exhaust. Apparently the less back pressure the better for turbos.
I’m using an ihi turbo from an 87 turbocoupe, they come on at lower rpms than the alternative, however they run out of steam around 4500 rpm. Shouldn’t be an issue for me.
I’m also using an intercooler from the turbocoupe, although that added a set of challenges. It’s a tight fit under the hood.
I’m fueling it with the tbi Holley sniper 2300 that I had on before, it’s not designed for blow through but can be made to work, at least up to 10-14 lbs of boost. I’m limiting my boost to 10 psi. This should give me around 150-170 hp at the wheels, enough to maintain speed on the hills anyway.
( previous projects have been upgraded brakes)
If anybody is interested or have any questions feel free to ask.
Couple pics here:
https://imgur.com/a/waRRnaz
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