I know that the subie swap is getting popular. I was wondering if you could turbo the stock 1.7. Probably utilize the turbo off a earlier ford probe or chrysler. They are pretty small. Do you think the motor could handle it? Or should I just quit thinking about it.

2 guys have done the same thing. keep the boost low enough, and your fine. Fuel management is the hardest thing.

Do a search.

Search for Airsix, he did a 1.7 and FI, he did convert to SDS or similar FI

Of course it can be done. The VW guys do it all the time. There are turbo sizing charts and everything if you look around on the internet. The site below has all kinda of calculators for that stuff.
http://www.turbofast.com.au/
As Andy correctly points out, the big deal is fuel delivery. The stock injection system opperates on manifold vacuum and doesn't understand manifold pressure. You can run carbs, but I personally would go to an SDS injection system found here.
http://sdsefi.com/
With that system you can map your fuel delivery and control your ignition timing with detonation protection all with one modual. Carbs definately can be done and would be a bit cheaper, but they're more much more fidely and you won't get the ignition control. However, there's plenty of people running turbos with carbs in the VW crowd, so there's plenty of info available. You'll just have to find that for yourself.
The other HUGE thing is cooling. More air means more fuel which means more combustion under more pressure meaning more heat. A highly upgraded cooling system and a big external oil cooler would be necessary. A thermostatically controlled electric fan system would be preferable, depending on how much work you want to do.
Those are the two big considerations. Assuming you don't get too rediculous with the boost, the bottom end should be able to take it. Also, the reletively low compression of the 1.7 will be good under boost conditions, especially if you have the US 7.6:1 pistons. It hasn't been done a lot, but take a shot and do something different. You may end up with something awsome!
Mark D.
P.S. Forgive any typos. It's late and I don't feel like proof-reading.

Everything can be done.... everything. That's what I learned recently. Others know much more then me.

search, I've posted titles of a few books that are must reads....no kits, everything will have to be custom....if you have to pay someone it'll be very expensive, if you don't have at least a welder and a method to cut metal, it'll be a challange...

Yes Ben (airsix) did turbo his 1.7. I acutally went to his house ounce and he showed it to me. He was using Perfect power fi if i recall. He did it with junkyard parts for the most part. He is or was building a six to put in his car but in the mean time he wanted a lil more pep. I havent seen him around town lately or on the board. His blog shows all his work for the most part though. I think he was running like 7 pounds of boost.

When experimenting, your time is never waisted. The bigest failures are those who fail to try. Money is worthless unless it's invested and yours would be investing it in knowledge and experience. The cheapest approach is to use proven methods and the experience of others. You ain't getting any older and time is a waisting!! Confusious say,"Chop chop!"

:beer1:Let me spend your money wisely for only pennies on the dollar.LOL

Ed Morrow did it back on the East Coast too. His is on his site but he has sold that sweet car. I think he did more than 7lbs...as they are tough little motors.

My son and I are thinking about boosting his 72 with a 1.7L we tossed in to get it running. I want to run more than 10lbs in it.

Thanks guys. I will look take your advice. I am taking the car to the garage next week and pulling the motor to fix the hellhole and such. I want to build everything while the motor is out. Money I do need more, but I got plenty of beer. I'll be fine.

okay what about boosting the horsepower thru naturally aspiarated ways? Are the gains worth the effort? i'd like to mildly pump up my 1.7L without robbing a Brinks truck.

Robin

Go to bigger valves (42x36), higher compression (9to1), bigger pistons/cylinders (1911) and a better cam (Raby 9550).

This should get you from 80hp to 'bout 100hp using the FI. If you have carbs a even better cam.

You will need to tune it.

a turbo kit

The most power I have gotten from a stock 1.7 engine through my Turbo development has been 150HP, that was running 12 PSI boost- then the pistons went south..

You can make a 1.7 or 1.8 into a 2.0 very cost effectively. I'll be doing a radio show on this topic soon and will be offering a conversion kit for the job immediately following the show. Expect to hear the show in mid November.

Up to 110HP is then a possibility with the stock EFI and no loss of reliability, longevity.

that's what i like to hear 'cost effective'
plus i think 110 h/p in this size and weight care is good. overkill in numbers is fun to talk about but sometimes not useful or practical.

Robin

IMHO they are both useful and practical but anyway you swing it it's going to

be expensive, so get what you can with the money you've got.

So, what would my expected hp output be if I did a cam swap on my 1.7? Also, what would a 2.0 cost me, and a rebuild for it if needed? Thanks for all the help, just trying to think of my options.

check out the engine kits

http://www.aircooledtechnology.com/store/home.php?cat=308

Who's Airsix? I thought that guy died or something.

Hey Ben good to see you around. I noticed that your car was in your drive way awhile back and I thought maybe you were getting ready for WCC but then i didnt see you there. Probably wont see my yellow car to often any more as I am up at WSU and my dad got a new car so he probably wont be driving it to much. Maybe you will see me around though when i am home for a visit, just honk at me or something.

You guys forgot about the Evil Ed's car started life as a 1.7 Turbo then went to 2.0 9 lbs boost on the street. Get a copy of Excellence June 02' four page article.

This is getting spooky. So close to Halloween and old nonmembers returning to post.

Stick around for a while so we know you are real.

Dave

A cam change will help but the heads with the small 39x34 valves need to be 42x36.
With a few mods, 100hp is close.

Here is a link to my SDS install. I'll be adding some "un-natural" aspiration to my car this winter, and will include photos and the story of fabrication. I'm planning a simple flange adaptor to add the turbo to the back of the kerry hunter header already on the car. This puts the turbo about in line with the back of the trans, so I can use the trans mounting points where the factory brace goes to hold up the exhaust to support a bracket to the turbo. This will also require a scavange pump to return the oil to the engine. An external oil cooler is also in the plans. A straight pipe out the back of the turbo to the stock lower valance notch leaves lots of room where the muffler was to mount turbo, oil cooler, scavange pump. The turbo charge line will run up the driver side, over the axel, and enter the engine compartment at the back tin. Still debating using an auqamist water inter-cooling system I have leftover from another turbo project, or mounting a suby wrx intercooler under a GT lid, or both. I'd like to see a reliable 10psi, but would be happy with 6-8 without melting anything.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?show...c=53733&hl=

The limits I have found on stock pistons is 8 PSI... After that the top ring land is toast really quick if you sustain the boost for more than 3-4 seconds.. When i have added water injection the limits have stayed about the same.

By far the best stock engine to Turbo has the 90mm bore size.. This year of purposely broken parts has taught me a ton about the limits of stock TIV engines under boost and when things start to break. I have a Turbo specific forum on my new forums that open on November 1 and I'll be sharing a lot of these findings there.

Jake, would the addition of piston oil squirters help?? by the way, there is a 914 race car for sale with a "Jake Raby" motor in it in Panorama

Hmmn, wonder if it's a real "Jake engine"..Lots of fakes out there these days..

If the car is in the 407 area code it's real- it is the only 914 that I know of for sale with my engine and it's an FP 914 for SCCA

okay a stock 1.7L is 90x66 what bore is needed to go to 1911c.c.? also, does the block have to be machined?

thanks

R

66 stroke by 96 bore = 1911

no block machining, but the heads will need to be opened up a bit, cost should be like $50 from Rimco

kinda of a waste to just open the head registers as the valves and ports are small.

find a set of 1.8L heads that are good and use those- bigger valves stock! 96's fit fine

Funny, I was thinking just that yesterday since it is a convenient place for a turbo.

Are you all thinking of using the stock FI cam with the turbo setup and SDS FI?

I know I've posting this many time before but it bears repeating:

YOU CAN TURBO ANY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE!

The only difference is how much boost you can safely develop.

A completely stock 1.7 can handle up to 7 psi boost as long as you run it a bit rich on the top end and don't advance your timing too far. That should be good for a lot more horsepower than any bolt ons would ever give you, and at least as much as a $6000 high performance engine modification kit will give you.

Yup.

Progress on the turbo will depend on how far I get with the tuning of the engine sans-turbo this fall. I'd like to have the engine maybe 95% good, across all MAP and RPM ranges before boosting. Some may call me a little chicken, to just go for it, I like to think of this as being a well thought out, tested install. If snow flys early, and I'm not completly comfortable with the n/a tune, I may fab up all the parts, but not bolt it in till I'm sure the n/a tune is under control.

I did a turbo focus a couple yrs ago. The word on that was it couldn't be done reliably. To much compression and a timing happy ecu. At around 30k miles the turbo went on, sold the car at 66k, it now has 135k on it and still suprizes the ricers. Do your research, set reasonable goals, and boost happily ever after.

Oh, I almost forgot. you can't turbo a 914