71ChargerRT
Well-known member
I meant the 10 spoke aluminum, but OK. I'll round up some at Carlisle, if not before.
1981 LeBaron coupe - from the ground up.
- Thread starter Dr.Jass
- Start date
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Ah... frickin' Mopar used the term "road wheel" to describe everything from the C-body "Rallyes" to the Magnum 500s (Motor Wheel's trade name for them) to the wheels that came on my LeBaron to the alloys. They got as much usage from their terminology as they did from their tooling back in the good old days! 
The ones you seek are a scosche above 2-7/8" OD on the cap itself, and right around 2-3/4" across the retainer tangs. They snap in from the outside. The center emblem may read a few different things including having a Cordoba emblem, but it's an inlay that can be removed. Mine are blank; someone already pulled 'em and painted that area black.
The ones you seek are a scosche above 2-7/8" OD on the cap itself, and right around 2-3/4" across the retainer tangs. They snap in from the outside. The center emblem may read a few different things including having a Cordoba emblem, but it's an inlay that can be removed. Mine are blank; someone already pulled 'em and painted that area black.
Diplomat_Wagon
Hiding In The Bushes While
Mine are just spun aluminum discs with a black band around the outside that says "Chrysler Corporation". They look swanky! :dance:
71ChargerRT
Well-known member
I was referring to Mag 500's, I would've been more specific had I realized the term was so broadly spread LOL!
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Strangely, the torque curve remains about the same, but it does go up over the entire range. The entire horspower curve drops down a bit, with a peak @ 5500RPM noticeably lower than the 340 or 318 (the 318 remains the peak horsepower champ). It flattens out a little, but the optimal shift point is still around 6500RPM. It's yet again a little more street-friendly, to be honest, but not enough to recommend it over the 340 or even the 318 for that matter. That kind of surprised me, since I figured the longer stroke would make it a stump-puller, but boosted engines are different animals.
To be honest I've never considered a 360, even in the original modeling a year or more ago. From what I've gathered, boosted engines are actually easier on parts than a gnarly naturally-aspirated engine. There are stock-shortblock boosted 360s playing in this heighborhood or higher that survive just fine. That being said, I'm still planning a stout bottom end including H-beam rods, head and main studs and a main-stud girdle. I don't want to do this twice. I've already got two machined 340 blocks as well as a forged-steel 340 crankshaft lying around, and the numbers don't justify adding a bunch of money to the budget to get a forged 360 crank. That crank may not be necessary, but I'm the type of guy that would always worry about it, unfounded or not.
The 318 I'm using to get the setup sorted is a stone-stock cast-piston, cast-crank shortblock. I'm sure I'll limit boost well below my ultimate goal (probably 8PSI max) to keep it safe. Once I've got more knowledge on tuning the setup, I'll get aggressive when the final shortblock is in place.
To be honest I've never considered a 360, even in the original modeling a year or more ago. From what I've gathered, boosted engines are actually easier on parts than a gnarly naturally-aspirated engine. There are stock-shortblock boosted 360s playing in this heighborhood or higher that survive just fine. That being said, I'm still planning a stout bottom end including H-beam rods, head and main studs and a main-stud girdle. I don't want to do this twice. I've already got two machined 340 blocks as well as a forged-steel 340 crankshaft lying around, and the numbers don't justify adding a bunch of money to the budget to get a forged 360 crank. That crank may not be necessary, but I'm the type of guy that would always worry about it, unfounded or not.
The 318 I'm using to get the setup sorted is a stone-stock cast-piston, cast-crank shortblock. I'm sure I'll limit boost well below my ultimate goal (probably 8PSI max) to keep it safe. Once I've got more knowledge on tuning the setup, I'll get aggressive when the final shortblock is in place.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
see that was the other half of my thoughts to the 60 over the teen was the beefier bottom end and naturaly being a stump puller....your right tho turbos are a tottaly different animal..you can push them harder with less beef and have them last longer that the same numbers being squeezed out of an NA motor...the lower comp helps that the most i think..your looking at what 9:1...what about more boost and going to 8 or 8.5:1..you might find theres something to be said about lower comp and more boost as i recall anything from 8-9 was the best place to be depending on the boost levels....
id never consider a 340 just for the sake everyone wants too much for them and im never going to find one in a wrecker...and if i did id flip it lol..or atleast out this way.....
as i recall the biggest stumbling block about going turbo on a non turbo app was getting the heads to stay put and sealed..you going to o-ring it or?..and obviously the extra oiling needs
id never consider a 340 just for the sake everyone wants too much for them and im never going to find one in a wrecker...and if i did id flip it lol..or atleast out this way.....
as i recall the biggest stumbling block about going turbo on a non turbo app was getting the heads to stay put and sealed..you going to o-ring it or?..and obviously the extra oiling needs
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Well, the 360 only has a beefier bottom end if the 318 is using an iron crank. Obviously, I've already got good heads but other than that, I've got no goodies for a 360 other than a machined block. I've already got a steel crank for a 318/340, so the 360 is out. I'll likely use the 340, but then I've already got two so why not? They're both sleeved so they're not infinitely flippable like a virgin block. I may as well use one of 'em for this.
Part of the reason I started at 9:1 is because I don't want to try and push 20PSI through the thing, for the exact reason you mention: the heads. I've only got 10 head bolts per side, so I'm thinking if I limit myself to 12-15PSI I won't have to O-ring the block and heads, run copper gaskets, etc. I should be able to get away with head studs and MLS gaskets at that boost level. There are people running higher static CR (over 10:1) that seem to make 'em live at that level with nothing more than that. Also, I want the engine to be relatively efficient when not in the boost, and higher compression = higher efficiency. With MPFI, an overdrive transmission, and a 2.94:1 gear, it should positively sip fuel in normal driving with the puny camshaft. If EFI Ed can get more than 17MPG (highway) in a 4000lb B-body with 492 cubic inches, a gnarly .550"-lift cam, 3.33 gears, and a Richmond 6-speed, I'm thinking 20-22MPG would be a cakewalk for this combo. Unlike Ed's car, it'll idle like a stock 340... only more quietly. [smilie=i:
You'd mentioned exhaust previously; this is one place where the F/M/J cars shine: big holes for large down tubes since there are no torsion bars in the way. :dance: The plan is 3" downtubes into an X-pipe (they tell me this is totally unnecessary because after the turbos there will be no exhaust pulses, but flow is flow to me and I already have the parts), neck down to 2½", high-flow but quiet mufflers (probably Dynomax 17748s) and 2½" tailpipes with turndowns at the back, barely showing below the bumper. Since the cops have been real strict lately about converters, I'll probably order a pair of frozenboost.com's excellent simulated converters just in case they want to peek under the car. :toot: Even with the Dynomax Turbo mufflers, it should be very quiet. The exhaust is one thing that hasn't changed since the turbo engine was slated for the now-gone Imperial. I will also use quiet blow-off valves, since I hate noise, I [I]really[/I] hate the sound of a BOV, and I don't want anyone to know what hit them.
One really-nice thing about all this landing in the LeBaron is it's simplified everything. I have a ton more room since there's no PS pump or brake booster, and I don't even have to think about AC since the LB is a non-AC car. I planned to convert the Imperial to manual brakes, but I was hell-bent on keeping every other option. The LB should also be at least 500lbs lighter being shorter wheelbase, some of the planned changes (if I can ever get those God-forsaken front-bumper brackets off!), and having virtually no power options except a trunk release which weighs about 8oz. more than a standard one, including switch and wiring.
Part of the reason I started at 9:1 is because I don't want to try and push 20PSI through the thing, for the exact reason you mention: the heads. I've only got 10 head bolts per side, so I'm thinking if I limit myself to 12-15PSI I won't have to O-ring the block and heads, run copper gaskets, etc. I should be able to get away with head studs and MLS gaskets at that boost level. There are people running higher static CR (over 10:1) that seem to make 'em live at that level with nothing more than that. Also, I want the engine to be relatively efficient when not in the boost, and higher compression = higher efficiency. With MPFI, an overdrive transmission, and a 2.94:1 gear, it should positively sip fuel in normal driving with the puny camshaft. If EFI Ed can get more than 17MPG (highway) in a 4000lb B-body with 492 cubic inches, a gnarly .550"-lift cam, 3.33 gears, and a Richmond 6-speed, I'm thinking 20-22MPG would be a cakewalk for this combo. Unlike Ed's car, it'll idle like a stock 340... only more quietly. [smilie=i:
You'd mentioned exhaust previously; this is one place where the F/M/J cars shine: big holes for large down tubes since there are no torsion bars in the way. :dance: The plan is 3" downtubes into an X-pipe (they tell me this is totally unnecessary because after the turbos there will be no exhaust pulses, but flow is flow to me and I already have the parts), neck down to 2½", high-flow but quiet mufflers (probably Dynomax 17748s) and 2½" tailpipes with turndowns at the back, barely showing below the bumper. Since the cops have been real strict lately about converters, I'll probably order a pair of frozenboost.com's excellent simulated converters just in case they want to peek under the car. :toot: Even with the Dynomax Turbo mufflers, it should be very quiet. The exhaust is one thing that hasn't changed since the turbo engine was slated for the now-gone Imperial. I will also use quiet blow-off valves, since I hate noise, I [I]really[/I] hate the sound of a BOV, and I don't want anyone to know what hit them.
One really-nice thing about all this landing in the LeBaron is it's simplified everything. I have a ton more room since there's no PS pump or brake booster, and I don't even have to think about AC since the LB is a non-AC car. I planned to convert the Imperial to manual brakes, but I was hell-bent on keeping every other option. The LB should also be at least 500lbs lighter being shorter wheelbase, some of the planned changes (if I can ever get those God-forsaken front-bumper brackets off!), and having virtually no power options except a trunk release which weighs about 8oz. more than a standard one, including switch and wiring.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
in a turbo app..you want to do your damnedest to not step down and make as smooth and slow of bends as posssible..also it can be argured that an x-pipe adds turbulance in a turbo app thus slowing down the show...id actualy be suprised if you didnt get even higher mpg out of the combo to be honest...so long as you keep ya foot out of it LOL....there is also another argument ive seen go many ways about maintaining the heat inside the exhaust for x amount of distance as well as keeping the pipes to the turbo as heat=power lose of heat = power lost.....wrap/ceramic etc etc etc i dont even know what way id go
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
The X-pipe will be well after the turbos, to equalize exhaust flow. I cannot see how an X-pipe anywhere in the system could add turbulence, though. Pre-turbo, it would equalize pulses to the turbines; post-turbo it only increases flow if not doing anything pulse-wise since the turbines essentially negate exhaust pulses. As far as stepping down the size goes, my opinion is that by the time the exhaust hits the smooth taper I've got into the system, it will have cooled enough to make use of the higher velocity of the smaller pipes. Plus, air is compressible... the large mufflers could act as expansion chambers. I may be wrong; only time will tell.
Heat is energy in an engine; this is why, all else being equal iron heads make more power than aluminum. Maintaining as much pre-turbo heat means more pressure at the turbine wheel hence more speed and therefore boost more quickly. Ceramic coating is outside my budget, even if I was working. I don't know enough about welding to play with stainless, so my headers will likely be mild steel painted by my own process and wrapped. I'll also use turbine-housing heat wraps.
The real secret, though, lies in my approach to intercooling... and none of my modeling software can account for it. If is does what my calculations tell me it will do, I may well try to patent it.
Heat is energy in an engine; this is why, all else being equal iron heads make more power than aluminum. Maintaining as much pre-turbo heat means more pressure at the turbine wheel hence more speed and therefore boost more quickly. Ceramic coating is outside my budget, even if I was working. I don't know enough about welding to play with stainless, so my headers will likely be mild steel painted by my own process and wrapped. I'll also use turbine-housing heat wraps.
The real secret, though, lies in my approach to intercooling... and none of my modeling software can account for it. If is does what my calculations tell me it will do, I may well try to patent it.
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