1986 Omni GLH T2 conversion at age 18!

[Vigo]

Its possible to take a log car manifolds apart on the car but much harder to put the t2 style manifolds ON while in the car. : /

But i remember the first time i did a turbo starter motor i had heard it would be super hard and i got it done. I wont rule anything out completely..

But personally i have gotten to the point where i pull motors out and heads off rather than work in tight spaces being frustrated for the same amount of time. But i have space and tools and experience at this point. It's gonna be annoying the first time no matter what way you go.

[roachjuice]

word of advice. GET RID OF THE 525. 555/568 ftw

[BoostedDrummer]

Well I haven't updated this in awhile but nothing has really changed on the GLH much from the last time I posted. The only thing I've gotten to do is I cut into the plastic skirt thingy on the front of the GLH so I can slide the Volvo intercooler in enough to fit it where I want. I had the square extra body panel thats on the passenger side of the radiator support cut to allow the outlet side of the intercooler to pass and to circumvent more airflow through the fins.

What I still need to do is cut the middle support bracket and move it backwards somehow OR cut it completely and find some other way to support it around the intercooler. With the middle support cut out, the intercooler should line up flush with the body enough to where I can put the grill back on. When everything is mocked up in place you can't tell theres a monster IC hiding there unless you look closely.





Today, Adam(VIGO) is coming over to pull my friends '88 Shelby Z to his shop where we're going to pull the engine, trans, and wiring for me while he gets everything else on the body. I paid $200 for the rebuilt engine. Only thing it needs is a new turbo and it'll be ready to drop into the GLH. I'll be taking pictures of the motor being pulled today and so I'll update this when I can.

[turbokid]

So next question is are you going to keep the rod shift set up or are you going cable?
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
Hopefully you have this thing up and moving soon
Q

[BoostedDrummer]

So pulling...rather, dropping the engine took about an hour to do and I cant wait to get the turbo off and put this one I've been building on it so it can be dropped in the Omni. I know my goals for it is to make at least over 230HP with it on 18-20psi of boost. I know thats rather high but hopefully I can make it to that power level without any(major) problems.



Adams magic Green knife is awesome

[BoostedDrummer]

So next question is are you going to keep the rod shift set up or are you going cable?
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
Hopefully you have this thing up and moving soon
Q

Im thinkin about just leaving it rod shifted. Nothing a little duct tape can't fix if it pops off

lol jk

[turbokid]

nice work.
That omni will fly forsure!
Q

[schenkr88]

thats a good looking engine haha

[Vigo]

Just so everyone up north knows, the beanie is just to keep my hair out of my face, and fairly clean. Its over 50F so plenty nice

[2.216VTurbo]

Actually, I was wondering what kind of magic the green knife has




"It slices, it dices, it chops, and watch it cut thru this aluminum can and still be sharp enough to slice this Tomato..."

[Vigo]

I have cut through entire wiring harnesses with it. Its magic for all kinds of hoses: fuel, radiator, heater, a/c, vacuum, brake, and every other thing you want out of your way on a junk car. Sometimes even carpet and seat belts.

Bolt cutters are another miracle tool.

Ive become REALLY fast at dropping motors out of junk bodies.

[BoostedDrummer]

Its time for some UUUUPPPPDDDAAAATTTTEEEESSSS!!!!

So today I went to U-Pull it to seek a K-member and control arms for the GLH. I had checked the junkyard close to my house(about 15 miles away) and all thats there is 7 L-bodies(3 Horizons, 2 Omnis, 1 Charger, and 1 Rampage; Charger's already gutted) but all of them, excluding the Charger, are automatics. I checked with the owner of that particular JY and the owner wants $150 for the K-member and control arms. I know right!?

Anyways, that was my only option then and I was gonna order a trans. mount from PolyBushings tonight.. BUT, instead of going to the JY locally, I opted to try U-Pull-It in San Antonio knowing they'd be a little cheaper(about $90 cheaper). So my dad and I head over there and find a Horizon with a K-Member still in great shape so we started wrenching on it when I realize something as I'm under it.. ITS A STANDARD! Now I don't have to get a new trans. mount welded onto an Auto K-member! I can just bolt this one up into the GLH and then roll it around to the front of the house to get the Shelby Z's engine swapped in and to take the T1 out.

Soo, tomorrow I will be bolting the new K-member up into the GLH. After that, I have work all weekend night shift, 6pm to 6am. But all thats needed for the GLH after the K-member is the engine swap(which I still have to put the turbo on the Z's engine before I drop it in), hook up a shifter, run the 2 wires for the AIS, and get a calibration for the thing.

[BoostedDrummer]

::January 22, 2010::

So today I went out and cleaned all the grease and grime off the 'new' K-member and got it ready to put on the GLH. I wrestled the damn thing over my fence so my Labrador, Pepper, wouldn't run out of the gate as I opened it. Anyways, it took me about 45 minutes to an hour to get the new K-member in and man am I glad its finally in there. Now I have to go to work at 6 and work all weekend so I won't get anything done at least until Monday.

Monday, I'm planning to roll the car backwards out of the really big gate and turning it around to face the other direction so we can get my dads forklift to hoist the engine out. So thats the plan so far, get the T1 engine out on Monday and maayybbee get the Shelby Z's engine in the same day but thats a long shot it looks like.

[blk86trbo]

Sounds like a good time...making progress is fun!

[BoostedDrummer]

::February 15, 2010::

So really I haven't gotten much done on the GLH besides making a list of things I need on it, diconnecting all the wires and removing the radiator. Lately I've been tinkering with the Charger tyring to figure out why it stumbles and bucks at 4psi.

-The Daytona Engine-
Thanks to a VERY GENEROUS donation from a source who shall remain anonymous, I recieved a complete T2 Garret in the mail about 2 weeks back. The turbo is now bolted to the engine ready for the first spool. Theres still the matter of attaining the drive axles for the A520 and I'm supposedly trading Adam(VIGO) a T2 compressor housing I have for a 2½ inch downpipe. After that is all squared away, then I can drop the T1 and swap the T2

[Vigo]

That A. Nonymous, he's a great guy, aint he?

And we're not the only ones who think so.. Ive heard multiple others sing praises for his generosity. I say the best way to pay it back is to pay it forward!

Im going to SA tomorrow so ill get your 2.5" downpipe set out.

[BoostedDrummer]

::February 20, 2010::

The T1 is OUT!! Yesterday we finally were able to get the engine out of the car with my dads forklift and some extra helping hands. Ryan(schenkr88; former owner of the Daytona engine) and his dad came over to help with the process before I had to go to work at 6pm. The whole process went pretty smooth...ish. What was funny was that we went through the engine bay and found every wire that connected the engine to the body and removed it making sure that nothing would get snagged or hold up the process of pulling the engine out.. Well, it turns out that we had to remove the altenator to shift the engine the right way to get it out. After the altenator was out it still wasnt coming out, the forklift would just pull the entire car off the ground. WTF. Then I saw it, the drivers side axle was still attached. Yeah, needless too say, we felt dumb. Anyways long story short we pulled the engine, put it aside and brought the Daytona engine from the garage into the backyard and set it down where it has been overnight since I went to work. Today, hopefully, the Daytona engine will breathe new life into the GLH.

[BoostedDrummer]

Pictorials!!!

The GLH with no hood


Pepper trying to help


"I can get it!!"


...turns out I cant, so here's the forklift!




Setting up everything


Lifting the engine slightly; my little brother in the background


"What's catching it?" Me and Ryan's dad




"It's gotta be something we're missing.."


Me and Ryan(schenkr88)


Finally!


Ugh, need to clean that up a little bit


Out with the T1...




Poor Pepper


...and in with the T2!



And just for laughs

[thedon809]

You southerners can complain about the heat, but until you break 6 exhaust manifold studs/bolts, every single swingvalve bolt in half, you got it easy . It's looking good though.

[2.216VTurbo]

Great shots I like the one where dad is looking in there like WTF is holding it in