Pontiac 301 Turbo Oil ???????

[JasonC]

Stock boost is around 7-9psi. Efi is mainly for better driveability.



Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: JasonC
No, its mainly just a stock rebuild.


Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Are you going to raise the turbo boost pressure on it?



No offense Jason, but I wouldn't even screw with that thing. that motor was one of the Generals flops big time! Your familiar with the phrase "ya cant polish a t-rd?"


One of my friends at college bought one new in 1981. I have no memory of being impressed by its acceleration. The turbo Firebird was about the hottest thing the General had going back then, but electronic port injection was still a couple of years away. The engine was really limited by the lack of a good fuel system.

What is stock boost? 5 or 6 psi? My friends car only had lights that lit up when the turbo was boosting.

 

[charbaby]

I do know of some folks in Phoenix that installed Buick GNX motors & transmissions in that gen Firebird Formulas/TransAms. IMOH, this was the way to go!

 

[UNC151]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I do know of some folks in Phoenix that installed Buick GNX motors & transmissions in that gen Firebird Formulas/TransAms. IMOH, this was the way to go!

If memory serves from back in the day, there are quite a few articles that commented the turbo on the OP's engine was sized for a Buick V-6 and thus one of the reasons the performance was not so hot.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I do know of some folks in Phoenix that installed Buick GNX motors & transmissions in that gen Firebird Formulas/TransAms. IMOH, this was the way to go!

If memory serves from back in the day, there are quite a few articles that commented the turbo on the OP's engine was sized for a Buick V-6 and thus one of the reasons the performance was not so hot.



They knew the 301 could not handle anything more. wheezy motor with severe lack of performance. my mom and dad had a 77 pontiac gp. it had the 301 instead of the 400 in it. what a disappointment that car was. talk about not being able to get out of its own way? that thing was down right dangerous!

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I do know of some folks in Phoenix that installed Buick GNX motors & transmissions in that gen Firebird Formulas/TransAms. IMOH, this was the way to go!

In the (3rd) gen Poncho after his, the General offered that drivetrain from the factory, albeit in VERY VERY limited production numbers.

 

[charbaby]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I do know of some folks in Phoenix that installed Buick GNX motors & transmissions in that gen Firebird Formulas/TransAms. IMOH, this was the way to go!

In the (3rd) gen Poncho after his, the General offered that drivetrain from the factory, albeit in VERY VERY limited production numbers.


Yes, I remember! Wasn't it in the Indy Pace Car and the fastest TransAm ever at that time???

 

[GSCJR]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I do know of some folks in Phoenix that installed Buick GNX motors & transmissions in that gen Firebird Formulas/TransAms. IMOH, this was the way to go!

In the (3rd) gen Poncho after his, the General offered that drivetrain from the factory, albeit in VERY VERY limited production numbers.


Yes, I remember! Wasn't it in the Indy Pace Car and the fastest TransAm ever at that time???


Pace car model was in 1980. IIRC the pace car had a series of lights on the raised portion of the hood scoop to notify the driver of boost level.

OP, I work on a stock one. Calls for SAE30 under the hood. Have only ever run dino in it. Quaker State Conventional 10w30 currently in the sump. Repairs were done to the turbo some 25 years ago according to the owner not sure to what extent. Turbo is never allowed time to cool.

 

[GMBoy]

I was always intriqued by the 301 Turbo Trans Am's and love the hood with the boost lights. Anyhow - like was said before, the turbo is not water cooled and can coke up so good oil is a must. I have an 87 Buick GN I have had since new and still has the original turbo. All I ever used was Mobil 1 and I feel that oil protected the turbo. Most replaced turbos were due to running conventional oil (which was not as good in the 80's as today) and shutting a hot engine off with out allowing it to idle and thus the oil coked up on the bearings.

I would run only a good Synthetic oil in that T/A after breaking in with a high ZDDP break in oil.

 

[charbaby]

Originally Posted By: GSCJR
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I do know of some folks in Phoenix that installed Buick GNX motors & transmissions in that gen Firebird Formulas/TransAms. IMOH, this was the way to go!

In the (3rd) gen Poncho after his, the General offered that drivetrain from the factory, albeit in VERY VERY limited production numbers.


Yes, I remember! Wasn't it in the Indy Pace Car and the fastest TransAm ever at that time???


Pace car model was in 1980. IIRC the pace car had a series of lights on the raised portion of the hood scoop to notify the driver of boost level.

OP, I work on a stock one. Calls for SAE30 under the hood. Have only ever run dino in it. Quaker State Conventional 10w30 currently in the sump. Repairs were done to the turbo some 25 years ago according to the owner not sure to what extent. Turbo is never allowed time to cool.


Right, I realize this. I bought a brand new and still have my 1980 FORMULA 301 and there was an Indy Pace TA on the showroom floor for $11,700.

What I meant was...The 3.8L GN Turbo was put into the 1989 TA Indy Pace Car. And this TA at that time was the fastest factory TA that Pontiac had ever produced. Even faster than any of the SD-455's or any other 400 cid in years past.

 

[JasonC]

This is why I pulled this engine to rebuild it.

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I do know of some folks in Phoenix that installed Buick GNX motors & transmissions in that gen Firebird Formulas/TransAms. IMOH, this was the way to go!

If memory serves from back in the day, there are quite a few articles that commented the turbo on the OP's engine was sized for a Buick V-6 and thus one of the reasons the performance was not so hot.



They knew the 301 could not handle anything more. wheezy motor with severe lack of performance. my mom and dad had a 77 pontiac gp. it had the 301 instead of the 400 in it. what a disappointment that car was. talk about not being able to get out of its own way? that thing was down right dangerous!

By having 301 cubes instead of 231, doesn't that mean that if the same turbo is used, the larger engine has less turbo lag?

That in mind, the Buick had a big advantage. The cylinder heads appear to be a better design.

 

[GSCJR]

Gotcha Char Baby! My bad.

 

[charbaby]

Originally Posted By: GSCJR
Gotcha Char Baby! My bad.


Never a problem my friend!

CB

 

[UNC151]

Originally Posted By: JasonC
This is why I pulled this engine to rebuild it.



How did all of the crud get underneath the intake (on top of the valley pan)? Major oil leak or?

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: JasonC
This is why I pulled this engine to rebuild it.




urrrrrk! Please, I just ate!

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Originally Posted By: JasonC
This is why I pulled this engine to rebuild it.




urrrrrk! Please, I just ate!



Ha. Didn't you know some M1 would have cleaned that right up.

 

[JasonC]

Im not sure, I had to scrub the valley pan with all sorts of cleaners and steel wool pads just to get it clean.

 

[afoulk]

i would love to see pics of the car when its done, i've heard of the 301 turbos, but i've never seen one.

 

[JasonC]

It should be finished in the next couple weeks and I will post pics then.


Originally Posted By: afoulk
i would love to see pics of the car when its done, i've heard of the 301 turbos, but i've never seen one.

 

[Clevy]

Im not sure, I had to scrub the valley pan with all sorts of cleaners and steel wool pads just to get it clean. [/quot


It was a joke. No oil or flush would have any effect on that type of deposit.
Was it dry like road tar or was it slimy or exactly what was the consistency.
Just shows the quality of the oil in those days.
It shows how well an engine was manufactured because the oil was barely an asset,and very often became a liability,yet many engines still went 200000 miles such as the ford Windsor small block and the legendary 350.
It's funny. The 350 chev was capable of running very high mileage yet the 305,which was the same except for smaller pistons was more often than not a piece of junk.
I have a chev work van with a 305 with 450000kms on it,with nothing but maintenance items,so they weren't all bad. But it was a joke putting them in the camaros and firebirds.
I think the Monte Carlo ss had a 305 too. Nice looking car, dismal performance.