Turbocharged F Head Update

Well...she still runs. Been years now and it still runs. I can no longer say it runs fine because it is in BAD need of a tuneup (haven't changes so much as a plug since I bolted it on) but it still runs. No broken rods, or cracked crankshaft. The head gasket didn't blow out and I never pushed water out of the block or into the oil. Essentially none of the doomsday ever came true. With 5 years of reflection on the project and to my knowledge as the owner and builder of the only turbcharged, gasoline F Head CJ5 in the world, can it be done, yes. Yes. Will it explode? Well... mine didn't. Should you do it? Look I am not a forum warrior who must bend all others to his will but you are asking the wrong question here. Is it worth it? Naaa. My turbo allowed me to run at much higher altitudes with almost no power loss. It was peppy around town and would pull hills much better than stock but never well. If you are after power this isn't your answer. Motor swap. If you like a mechanical challenge then heck yea take it on!

I did the whole thing with scrounged parts and backyard engineering and it worked. Not for a week or a month but for 5 years. If you are looking into doing this my advice is still don't bother but know that that advice is coming from someone who A. Did. It. and B: thinks it is awesome that you are willing to try anything like this. ...and would be willing to help you do it.

My success came at a cost however, a cost I just can no longer live with...starting. I know that a hot coil and full tune up would make it better but I am just sick and tired of fighting the beast to life on any sort of cold day. Last year we got 2 feet of fresh snow. Clearly that means we need to go for a snow romp. It took 2 hours to get it running. I think my long draw simply permits the gas to come out of vapor on very cold days. I have ideas on how to fix the issue, theories on how to solve the problem but life is different for me now. I have a son, I am working two additional home businesses (http://www.nelsonoffroad.com/) in addition to teaching full time and I have just lost the drive to deal with it. I think accomplished that task and the push to accomplish it better isn't there. Maybe if one of the forum trolls came back with all the "it can't be done" nonsense maybe... Anyway I am removing and selling the system. I will get to it in a few weeks and will be back with a whole post/video on it an everything... and then put it on eBay. If you have questions email me acme66[at]yahoo.com or read the build log at http://fheadturbo.blogspot.com/ Like I said, I think I know how the hard start could be fixed and it wouldn't be an issue if you live in a warm place anyway.

Build on friends.

Ken

 

I'll say it can't be done if that motivates you to prove me wrong. =)

 

Heated manifold? Or go back to blow through? Or blow through with TBI?

Interesting project. Power should be proportional to the amount of fuel burned per unit time, so you should be able to estimate your percentage power increase based on the change in VE (boost pressure + atmospheric / atmospheric) and RPM. Just thinking about it, I would guess that the power increase would be a lot in relative terms, but not so much in absolute terms.

 

Will I applaud you for the exercise..............But turbo's & superchargers are all about "Boost" so it allows more fuel to be burned.....( more Btu's = more heat= more power) so what boost did it make?............Without raising the pressure at the intake by a couple of atmosphere's it's hardly worth the trouble. But I still like the Idea!

 

:monkeys: And thus life goes on as man proves ones more that the imposable is possible

 

I don't know if it is really useful, but it is beautifully made, an artist.
In France, in some activities like carpenters, hand-work, the learners (students) must make a "Tour de France".
They work from place to place and learn with local masters.

Then they have to make an opus "oeuvre", something to prove their capacities.

For example a carpenter will build a small stair in wood, with 2 helicoidal parts one for up, one for down, like in the castle of Chambord (or Chenonceaux, I don't remember).

You did your opus. Now you are a master, (master jedi!) you can work and earn money according to your craftmanship (difficult to explain, I hope you understand).

The important is that it did not explode with you too near...

 

Not the only turbo charged Fhead, there was a young member here about 6 or so years ago that lived in Texas that posted videos of his intercooled turbo'd Fhead on YouTube. He ran about 6lbs of boost or so. His jeep ran great and sounded really cool!

You can find his video under 55m38A1

 

he ran a propane mixer find a fork lift.