Turbo On A Pinto?

[Guest fozzy2007]

Has anyone ever fitted a turbo or a supercharger to a pinto engine? i dont know exactly how they work so i dont know whether its possible. just wandering.

[Guest chris brown]

Has anyone ever fitted a turbo or a supercharger to a pinto engine? i dont know exactly how they work so i dont know whether its possible. just wandering.

Yep Cosworth that is what the 205 block was designed for in the first place

[Guest timswait]

I think Dan Beeston's going this route, so he'll be able to answer better. Personally I'd just fit a zetec, probably end up with a similar power output for less effort and possibly less money.

[Guest Dan_Beeston]

Tis true, I am currently formulating a plan.............but I can't find the thread I had running on it recently!

 

If you can find a way of searching for thread I started you should be able to dig it up, if not just give me a shout & I'll explain my thinking!

[Guest fozzy2007]

Yep Cosworth that is what the 205 block was designed for in the first place

 

very true but the cosworth is efi (i assume) and my pinto has a carbs. would i have to do something like retro fit an efi system to it. My question really is whether you can fit a turbo to a pinto engine running carbs.

[Guest chris brown]

would i have to do something like retro fit an efi system to it. My question really is whether you can fit a turbo to a pinto engine running carbs.

Yep it would need to be EFI

Before you go any further I would recommend you do some reading into the subject. Sidney Allard, among others, wrote a good book on the subject. You would also need a lower compression ratio. It is not just a case of bolting bits on.

BTW there have been some carb superchargers and turbos but are very difficult to retrofit and set up as the carb has to be prior to the compressor.

[Guest fozzy2007]

ok thanks. not really that interested in doing it now. just thinking that when i start to want a bit more power, whether its easier to fit a zetec or tinker with engine and a supercharger or turbo. Will have a good read up aboput it i guess and will see what happens. thanks again

[Snapperpaul]

There have been some Turbo kits on ebay and most are suck through, usually a big SU, a bit like the Maestro/montego turbo system.

Blow through systems usually need the carbs enclosed in an airbox with the releaf valve on that, very difficult to set up as the carbs are sesitive to air velocity and don't see air pressure, hence weak mixtures can occure rapidly. Hence fuel injection working better.

The best Pinto for a turbo would be the 8 to 1 low compression engine.

Still a lot of money and effort.

I have seen over 190bhp on a rally Pinto escort, DCOE 50's, special head,cam etc. and you would still have to do some serious work to get the turbo engine to make this.

[Guest Robin Allison]

Pinto turbo no problem. I have done a few now and it can be as simple as just bolting bits on and away you go.

 

I use a standard 2.0L Sohc pinto EFi. The easy one to use is from a Granada as the engine loom is separate from the main loom.

To this i fit a 4 into 1 stainless manifold which mounts a Garrett T3 turbo on. Fit all the pipework and an intercooler. Slacken the spring in the air flow meter (remove the black cover) by 4 clicks, retard the ignition by 4 deg from the unleaded timing mark. The away you go.

 

This set up will run at 6 to 7psi on 99 or 100 ron fuel with no problems and that is on a standard compression ratio 9.1:1 There is no need to lower the compression unless you want to run over 10psi, but then you need to look at fitting forged pistons anyway.

Mine did 163bhp at the wheels in my RS2000 another one which has a spacer plate fitted to the head is running 18 to 20psi boost and 220bhp at the wheels, it is still on standard pinto pistons but they are new.

 

This in my RS2000 with the T3 fitted.

 

 

And the manifolds used

 

 

 

And this is the first dyno plot running very little boost and ignition timing retarded to keep it safe. I don't have the plot after it was set up to 7 psi. Plot is at the wheels power

 

Edited October 31, 2007 by Robin Allison

[Guest Dan_Beeston]

Very impressive Robin!

 

Do you make the manifolds yourself or buy them in? Wouldn't mind getting myself one of those...................

[Guest Robin Allison]

I was making them but the cost was too high. Lots wanted them but few were going to pay the price.

For the stainless steel parts only it was £80 a year ago. Laser cut flanges and pipework does not come cheap and

that before its all welded up.

[Guest salty_monk]

So you use the standard injection system & cheat it by using the wires it has to retard the ignition & tricking the air flow meter into sending the message for more fuel a lot quicker & more so?

 

Looks good. Why does the manifold have to be stainless? It would be much cheaper to make from Mild steel, you could cut & weld it yourself then.

 

If we could get enough orders for a "bulk buy" I could get it arranged overseas at our shop.

 

Dan

[Guest Robin Allison]

I did mild steel but its not up to the heat. I found they crack.

[Guest timswait]

Very interesting, have you tried one in your 2B, Robin? I reckon fitting a Megasquirt or similar ECU would give even more power, the map the Ford ECU runs can't be perfect for the Turbo, even with the MAF sensor tweaked. What's it like drivability wise, is there much turbo lag?

[Guest Robin Allison]

I didn't get around to fitting the megasquirt that i have, but a m8 has it on his and its running big HP.

 

It drives with no lag, pulls all the way to rev limit.