My 360 GLT project car

Hi, I have got myself a 1984 360GLT with 320,000k's on the clock and being 18 i went straight to the exhaust mob to fatten up the exhaust.
[br] After being told to fix up the backfiring and getting the car running well before doing it up i have been slowly bringing it up to its former glory. After fitting a reconditioned gearbox because the torque rod was chewed up by gear teeth, Patching up a pipe that was recycling exhaust back into the intake (it accelerates much better now)and a general service and clean up it runs very nicely for a 19yr old car and am nearing being ready to do it up. What areas should i be looking to for giving it more grunt as i am firstly going to do a port polish and forge up some pistons, valves, cams and conrods to cope with higher hp application, as i will be installing a garett ball bearing turbo as a final touch but want the car to be able to cope with it first. I cannot seem to find any parts for it, and the few parts that i can find are chokingly dear, so am getting custom made parts instead. I will be converting the intake to CAI soon, then widening the exhaust and straightening it out for better flow when i get extractors made. What else would i need to tend to if i wish to install the turbo, i realise it has 10:1 compression ratio, would shortening the conrod or boring out the cylinder head help to reduce this? Or would it be easier to install a B23FT instead of boring out the B19E, i have heard ppl putting in the B23 but not sure if there would be enough space under the hood, if not that is ok, will be putting on some hood and fender vents to improve airflow through engine bay and if need be will steal the scoop thats at the wreckers while i am at it. I will be making a real nice showcar outta this, i already have a decal and body mod design made up for it for when i am finished with all the performance factors.
[br] Before i do all this i wish to eliminate a knocking sound that occurs when turning, braking or turning and braking at slow speeds, the mechanics said the steering rack was absolutely dead and got another one and after reconditioning it installed it and created a new problem, the steering wheel would not center, took it back and they "fixed" it again for free, and it would center for a day and the knocking noise went silent, then both came back again and steering rack was doing the opposite of centering. So took it back to fix it up, they fixed the centering problem but the knock is still there, i wish to fix this before i trik it up, but not sure what is causing it. I heard the B19E is cast iron and very heavy, could it be that the front shocks may simply be dead and just bottoming out?
[br] Also, the former owners have put slightly larger tyres on it than the red sticker says due to cost reasons, what effect would this have?

Read the web link at the bottom, there is lots of useful fault diagnosys. Also if you look around the site there are articles about dropping in a B230FT or similar.

It would be definately alot easier to do this than mod the current engine. Apparently the right engine fits straight in with manifold and turbo, you just need a custom down pipe.

Rear axle - you need to think about straightening and strengthening this.

Front suspension - For a start replace the top bushes and spring mounts, and pretty much every other bush you can find, and shocks of course (Monroe gas are good value). Having said that you may need to consider something special for for brakes etc. I intend to do the Turbo drop-in then see how the brakes cope.

Steering rack and master cyclinder need heat shielding for Right hand drive.

Can't think what the knocking sound would be. Could the suspension be bent enough for the wheel to slip on slow corners, or touch the anti-roll bar?

[foggyjames]

It needs a custom turbo-side engine mount too, but other than that, its that easy...(probably need fuel pump, etc from the 740/760 too)

And yes, an engine swap is definitely the way to go, and yes, when I get round to it, I'm definitely doing it :)

cheers

James

lonewolf,

join the 360 modifying club. you are thinking in the right directions, but ill try and save you some money. dont go for 1 off parts. get a 2.3 turbo lump et around 1989, make sure it has the 13mm conrods and not the 9mm ones. the pistons are good for 450 hp, and a forged set will set u back £500-600, spend that money on balancing crank and rods and lightening flywheel,(£100). the g/box on kevs 360 is taking 303 bhp and holding up nicely, as is the torque tube. spend some money on the handling side as the better the car holds the road the more you will benefit from the power trandfer. a 2.3 lump will fit straingt in. you need to retain the sump from the 2.0 and the oil pump. get a better fuel pump to deal with the extra fuel needed. my 16v one currently uses the 360 inj system, with minimal wire changes. if you are near to gatwick let me know and you can come and have a butchers at mine to get some ideas, or if you want any photos sending contact me on mark@higgins340.fsnet.co.uk

good luck and give us a shout if you need anything

[foggyjames]

Hi Mark,

Few quick questions...
1) Why do you need to retain the sump pan & oil pump? I'm not doubting it...just curious! I'm guessing in the case of the sump, its because the 360 one is a special shape cos something's in the way of it or something?

2) I'm guessing if you use a non-standard turbo mounting location (ie: forward, like a saab 900), as I believe you are doing, you can use the standard engine mount, albeit with a custom manifold?

3) Bellhousing > Block bolt locations - I've heard some units don't line up - how was yours?

4) Intercooler - what are your plans, and what has Kev done? His looks a bit like it might be a standard 740 one...?

5) How do you tell the conrod size without stripping the block?

6) Speaking of handling / power transfer - in a straight line in my factory B200K you can dump the clutch at 3kRPM+ and there's no wheelspin, but pulling out of a T junction, it can let out a little squeel - in the wet it can be a right pain. Any sources on a LSD (about as likely as....). I guess the answer is to straighten up before planting it - or as you say sort the handling a bit more!

Speaking of Kev, I could do with asking him a few Q's...do you have a current email address for him - I can't get a reply out of the one I have.

cheers

James

the sump needs retaining so the engine fits over the steering rack and the oil pump for the same reason, to fit the sump. the intention with the turbo position is as you say to go for a custom manifold,the stock turbo b204ft one that volvo did will foul the body workand steering bits. mine is going to be forward to the front of the engine. the b204 one is only good for about 350hp so im told and is restrictive above 5,500 rpm. advice from dick prince in australia as he has allready tried it. the bellhousing bolts i had no trouble with and neither has kev. for the intercooler im doing the same setup as kev. its a good one as standard when you look at the sizes of others on other cars. for the conrods you need to be looking for a k stamp on later model k blocks. u can get lsd for the 360 the cost is £750 ea. remember though, that the more restrictions you put on the power train the more likely that something will give, probably the torque tube!! its better letting the wheels spin and get the back end out around corners, more fun and looks great.

kevs having probs with his pc at moment, the thing keeps locking up on him, hes waiting for a new motherboard

[foggyjames]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the info - this is proving really helpful! The list of people I owe pints too is growing daily!! Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but are you guys heading for Donnington any time soon? Thats only a few miles from me in term-time (Derby).

About the intercooler - which one are you actually using - the one from the 740? If so, are you using the radiator from this too, or just the stock 360 one?

What RPM limit are you aiming for, and where are you getting your manifold made? (I want the manifold info for a totally different project!!)

I think Kev is using the standard B230ET manifold (which I think fits inside the body ok?), with a custom off-side engine mount, right? Do you know what he did about getting that made? D'ya know where he went to get the downpipe made? Would Kev mind me checking out his car sometime, say around christmas when I'm with my car?

I'd love to see yours too sometime, but I think Kev's is a bit closer to what I'm aiming for, at least at first. Yours is built on a B230ET or FT block though, isnt it? Or is it using a 234 block, and 230 crank/rods/pistons? In other words, I could start with a 230, and convert it to a 234 later if I needed more power, right?

Ok, broken transmission is a good argument....as is £750!!....I'll scrap the LSD idea :)

Thanks again for your help - I totally owe you, Kev, and Dave S a pint or two!

cheers

James

not got any plans for donny at moment, maybe later on in the year.

the intercooler is 740 turbo standard, the rad is 360 standard. rpm is whatever the besttorque band drops of at, no point in knackering an engine just for big revs.

kev is using the standard manifold, and yes you could build up at a later date a 16v head. all you need to do is get releifs cut into the piston crowns the same as the 16v ones as i did.

was hoping to get to the castle coombe track day with the owners club, had the car loaded on trailer ready, went up the motor way and the trailer started snaking above 40 mph so reluctantly had o return home.

[foggyjames]

Thanks for the info. What sort of power are you running at the moment...let me get this right, its a 2.3 16v, but with low compression ready for the turbo?

cheers

James

Hi james, im back to normal now, computer sorted, 360 is going brill, can email you loads of new pics, on 305bhp now and have been for 2 years with no clutch, gearbox or rear axle problems, playing with varable boost now so should be hitting 350bhp++, mate your welcome here anytime to have a look. my email is the same kevin.strong360@virgin.net,as mark said, his is coming along well, keepin me on my toes!!!!