Turboing

Has anyone any experience of turboing an auto (don’t all shout at me togetherFrown)?

Thanks. 

I would think long and hard about adding a turbo to any manual car that is not or was not designed to have one in the first place. An Auto ? It could well prove to be the weakest link.

I suspect you will find vastly more advice on Nutz, if you can tolerate it. 

It’s been done quite a few times.

" Gixer" in bygone days ( Nutz) tracked & raced his supercharged auto. He had only one arm.

The weapon went like a stabbed rat. Reliably…sort of.

In any case, these auto boxes will “out-bullet proof” any manual box you will ever get in a 5.

They (the auto boxes) were a pretty heavy duty generic unit used in  larger & heavier vehicles including Black Cabs bolted onto Nissan oilers.

A well know chap ( RockDoc) in Scotland tracked his 1.6 FI’d Auto for years…it was in it’s class untouchable in his hands. He was of the American Track Dog community when over there on business. His engine …and…the slushbox in particular were fine, survived lap after lap of brutal use. I was in it… quite an experience.

They just don’t give pages of forum issues as a lot of manuals have.

The box will NOT be the weakest link, and as for turbo’d 5’s…don’t forget the basic mill also saw service in the fearsome factory 323’s etc long time back.

Age related weak links do exist. Cast iron manifolds cracking, weak 1840cc oil rings, cooling system…etc etc. 

These mills were engineered to take it in the beginning. 

However, any elderly engine will need thoroughly checked before hand. 

My 1840ccc Auto has been very hard used over it’s 16 years with me, and it’s in perfect working order. 

I reckon 170/180 bhp on midrange kick-down would be a real hoot.

Suffice to say, and LSD and chassis upgrade is VERY much adviseable. 

It’s crucial to ensure the chassis is much “quicker” the the engine first after checking the engine is still up for it.

Compression checks, swarf on the oil magnet…the usual stuff.

If it’s buring around a litre of lube every 1000/1500 miles that’s acceptable.

I’d also drain & refill around 5 litres of ATF ( you don’t get all the original 7 litres out unless you remove the tranny and empty the converter) plus a new filter.

1 Like

[qThanks mate ; really great advice. Definitely tempted.

 

uote=Scottishfiver;779926]

It’s been done quite a few times.

" Gixer" in bygone days ( Nutz) tracked & raced his supercharged auto. He had only one arm.

The weapon went like a stabbed rat. Reliably…sort of.

In any case, these auto boxes will “out-bullet proof” any manual box you will ever get in a 5.

They (the auto boxes) were a pretty heavy duty generic unit used in  larger & heavier vehicles including Black Cabs bolted onto Nissan oilers.

A well know chap ( RockDoc) in Scotland tracked his 1.6 FI’d Auto for years…it was in it’s class untouchable in his hands. He was of the American Track Dog community when over there on business. His engine …and…the slushbox in particular were fine, survived lap after lap of brutal use. I was in it… quite an experience.

They just don’t give pages of forum issues as a lot of manuals have.

The box will NOT be the weakest link, and as for turbo’d 5’s…don’t forget the basic mill also saw service in the fearsome factory 323’s etc long time back.

Age related weak links do exist. Cast iron manifolds cracking, weak 1840cc oil rings, cooling system…etc etc. 

These mills were engineered to take it in the beginning. 

However, any elderly engine will need thoroughly checked before hand. 

My 1840ccc Auto has been very hard used over it’s 16 years with me, and it’s in perfect working order. 

I reckon 170/180 bhp on midrange kick-down would be a real hoot.

Suffice to say, and LSD and chassis upgrade is VERY much adviseable. 

It’s crucial to ensure the chassis is much “quicker” the the engine first after checking the engine is still up for it.

Compression checks, swarf on the oil magnet…the usual stuff.

If it’s buring around a litre of lube every 1000/1500 miles that’s acceptable.

I’d also drain & refill around 5 litres of ATF ( you don’t get all the original 7 litres out unless you remove the tranny and empty the converter) plus a new filter.

[/quote]

Any progress on this? I’m also looking to add FI to a 1.8 slush box. Just trying to decide whether to go Turbo or Supercharger (and how to sell the idea to the missus)