New addition to the turbo Minivan guys

[QC DSM ESiT]

Hey there guys, I just got me a turbo Caravan a couple days ago and thought I would get your guys insite on modifications. I am going to be doing a lot of general maintence things to the van first. Including: Fully synthetic motor oil change, tranny fluid and filter change, new plugs, new plug wires, new cap and rotor, and other things it might need. I will try and give it a new paint job myself with a paint gun or if I can't get ahold of one I will just rattle can it. Anyway I was hoping you guys can give me pointers on what to do first after that. I have an front mount intercooler that I plan on trying to fab on there eventually but I wasn't sure if I should do that before upgrading exhaust yet. Any suggestions and tips or anything like that is appreciated. Also since I am going to be replace a lot of general maintence stuff is there any performance things I can upgrade to instead of replacing it with just OEM stuff. (ex: performace auto tranny fluid/filter or anything spark related) Thanks in advance guys. Oh and here are some pictures of the van.

[5sp. mini]

First off i think you need to just change to a good oil or thicker like 20/50 it,s all i run. under the front end check all your ball joints and lower a/ arm bushings, mine were all bad and with new stuts and springs there was a big diff. in how it drove. now mine is a 89 caravan es i,ve swaped out the 2.5 for a spare 2.2 i had. then turned a garrett t1 and used it. i run a factor g. body. intercooler and a full size rad from a 87 GTS and it has working air. i did a 5sp. swap almost 2years ago and have had lotts beter luck that way. also run a 3 inch dynamax and pipes out the rear sounds great. like a semi in the morn. i,ve found that if your over 100,000 miles the cost of rod bearings and a oil pump are cheap, and you will need to drop the bal. chains anyway. good luck. AL o ya nices looking van any inside pic,s pic,s of mine are on a other post {i got my demon out today} ralph post so pic,s for me.

[turboshadow]

You might want to do your motor mounts too.

[Darkwolf]

and clean that engine bay. Looks almost as bad as mine when I first bought it .

[QC DSM ESiT]

Ball joints look okay but I will have to get a better look later. Basically all my bushings are bad. Are any of them serviceable or upgradeable? I always thought most are just pressed in there and can only be replace which a whole new arm or whatever bushing it was. But I have been wrong before and if I can just replace them then that's all the better for me. I want to lower it to so I will have to make a post in the suspension section to hopefully see if I can lower the van for cheap. As for the motor mounts I would like to upgrade those too and hope you guys could help me out with a place to buy some upgrades.

[The S is Silent]

http://www.polybushings.com/pages/one.html

There is a nice walkthrough on how to rebuild the suspension, and explains how to get the old bushings out of your control arms. To get the rear bushings out, I recommend pulling them with a pair of vice gris, and using a utility knife to cut them in half at the smallest diameter. Then they fall right out. I've done it on two of the cars I have owned (both L bodies) and it isn't that bad. I can't comment on the ride improvement of either of them, because I did the horizon for my brother, and the charger hasn't driven yet under it's own power.

www.fwdperformance.com has everything you need to replace the motor mounts and the suspension bushings.

[QC DSM ESiT]

http://www.polybushings.com/pages/one.html

There is a nice walkthrough on how to rebuild the suspension, and explains how to get the old bushings out of your control arms. To get the rear bushings out, I recommend pulling them with a pair of vice gris, and using a utility knife to cut them in half at the smallest diameter. Then they fall right out. I've done it on two of the cars I have owned (both L bodies) and it isn't that bad. I can't comment on the ride improvement of either of them, because I did the horizon for my brother, and the charger hasn't driven yet under it's own power.

www.fwdperformance.com has everything you need to replace the motor mounts and the suspension bushings.

Isn't the suspension different in the van's from the other cars on here. Or at least in the back I thought they were. I have leaf spings and a shock in the back and I thought you guys actually have lower control arms with springs and shocks. So I would probably need some different bushings then from what you guys would get, wouldn't I? Anyway I took a took a good look at the back and the bushing through the leaf springs on both ends are pretty much shot too. So basically this means any bushing in the suspension is pretty much shot (sigh) looks like I have a lot of work ahead for me .

[The S is Silent]

It isn't that much work to re-do the bushings. The hardest part is just figuring out the best way to go about thigs. If you are unsure about which bushings to get, contact Johnny directly and ask. http://www.polybushings.com/pages/contact.html

As for the minivan front control arms, I'm pretty sure they are the same, or if not...they are very similar. That's what was so revolutionary about the minivan...it was a van that drove like a car, because it was built on the K-car platform.

Give the walkthrough on polybushings a good read over a couple of times, and if you are still uncertain about some things, I'm sure somebody here can lend their brain to be picked. I'll also climb under the van tomorrow morning and check out the front and rear bushings to see if they are any different.

[Devsdaytona]

Don't quote me, but I heard that the control arms are stronger, but would be a bolt in on Daytonas etc, and that caravan control arms are an upgrade for cars cause they are stronger and bolt right in.

[turbovanman²]

Welcome, nice looking van,

The front end is the same as the cars except the controls arms are braced. The bushings are not a bad job and worth it.

I wouldn't go 20/50 but 10w40 or 5w50, I run the latter and my engine is fairly new.

I would just go over it and fix all the little stuff, it all adds up. You need to figure out your goals, if your going to drag race, or just want more power. Intercoolers are always a good idea. The turbo you have is your cap right now, to get any type of performance, it has to go. I would go to www.thedodgegarge.com and read the turbo database section a few 100 times. It will give you the basics and answer a ton of your questions.

Lowering, use Daytona front struts and cut the mini coil springs. Rear, you can dearch the leaf springs or another member made custom shackles. 2 inches is all you should go. After lowering the rear, you need to adjust the brake compensator, if not, you'll lock up the back end on the slightest brake application-ask me how i know,

[Darkapollo]

20w50!! why dont you just pour some Aunt Jemimas Syrup down there!?
Whats next 75w90 gear oil?

I would never go with a 20 weight. I use 10w30 in my shadow, non synthetic. No problems at all.

I dont recomend cutting springs, but thats just my oppenion.

[turbovanman²]

20w50!! why dont you just pour some Aunt Jemimas Syrup down there!?
Whats next 75w90 gear oil?

I would never go with a 20 weight. I use 10w30 in my shadow, non synthetic. No problems at all.

I dont recomend cutting springs, but thats just my oppenion.

10W30 is too thin for a turbo motor.

Nothing wrong with cutting springs when done properly.

[QC DSM ESiT]

Welcome, nice looking van,

The front end is the same as the cars except the controls arms are braced. The bushings are not a bad job and worth it.

I wouldn't go 20/50 but 10w40 or 5w50, I run the latter and my engine is fairly new.

I would just go over it and fix all the little stuff, it all adds up. You need to figure out your goals, if your going to drag race, or just want more power. Intercoolers are always a good idea. The turbo you have is your cap right now, to get any type of performance, it has to go. I would go to www.thedodgegarge.com and read the turbo database section a few 100 times. It will give you the basics and answer a ton of your questions.

Lowering, use Daytona front struts and cut the mini coil springs. Rear, you can dearch the leaf springs or another member made custom shackles. 2 inches is all you should go. After lowering the rear, you need to adjust the brake compensator, if not, you'll lock up the back end on the slightest brake application-ask me how i know,

Yeah I'm giving it a good tune up now. I would love to be running 13's but I think that's a long way ahead for me. So right now I am aiming for 15's then 14's and just slowly work my way down the line. I was to get as much as I can out of the stock turbo for right now being that I can't really afford to be buying a $700 newer turbo or anything like that. When it comes to start modifiying though Turbovanman I'm sure you'll be the first I contact.

[beavis1313]

you don't need to spend $700 to upgrade the turbo .You can bolt on a Stock TII Garrett . You shouldn't have a problem finding a good used one on the boards here for Under $200

[Darkapollo]

Dodge recomends 10w30
You can pick up an early T3 for <$100 in most cases. I paid $50 for mine.

[Speedeuphoria]

do the exhaust 1st or cut it off, I wouldn't mess w/ the dwn pipe section if you will be upgrading turbos later because it will probably be different
pick up a garret turbo cheap at a JYor other turbo
change the fuel filter
change the brake fluid and pwr steering fluid
get colder spark plugs
hook up the intercooler
add an external trans cooler(biggest one) and inline filter
upgrade to a walbro 255 fuel pump
get a boost gauge and egt(narrow band a/f gauges are from the stone age)
do lots and lots of reading to save yourself time and money by finding out what really works and what is pointless
get a grainger valve to control/raise boost

this is not in order
some of this stuff may be down the road a little
here are some very helpful links
http://www.turbododge.com/forums/
http://thedodgegarage.com/
http://fwdperformance.com/
http://www.turbosunleashed.com/
http://66.78.24.116/Mopar%20Pages/Tr...s%20detail.htm
http://boostedmopar.com/forums/index.php?

this is a good one also
http://www.xmission.com/~dempsey/perform/

[1badgvr4]

Is there a how to on a 5spd swap.

[jay]

http://www.turbododge.com/forums/f7/...onversion.html
all you will need to supply is a tranny, flywheel and clutch its a pretty straight forward swap

[turbovanman²]

http://www.turbododge.com/forums/f7/...onversion.html
all you will need to supply is a tranny, flywheel and clutch its a pretty straight forward swap

Cables, shifter, clutch pedal, brackets, bobble strut mount and a few other knicks and knacks,

Its also covered here-

http://www.thedodgegarage.com/ddg_van_tech.html

[t2_85_lebaron]

Nothing wrong with cutting springs when done properly.

the issue with that is that most stock springs are flat on the top and bottom to sit flush, when you cut them the bottom is no longer flat