Turbo Tom set up questions in '72 240

[MikeZcar]

Trying to piece this together and have some general and some specific questions.

 

I am sure FI is a lot better way to go in many respects but the Turbo Tom set up sure looks cool. Gonna set up a couple solenoids and regulators on it so I can run 8 lbs and 14 lbs of boost with a toggle switch in the cab. Tom's water injection system will be installed and and probably plumbed to work on 14 lbs setting only (with a little alcohol in it) It's tapped for NOS in the carb base plate, might give it a small shot later on.

 

It's a stock, standard bore 82 turbo motor with an O ringed P79 head. When I took it apart it had 2 head gaskets on it, guessing it was for lots of boost and the NOS. Remember NO intercooler.

 

Do I really need 2 head gaskets for the boost I plan to run?

 

Going in my '72 240 and need distributor help.

 

What dist. can I bolt in that will allow me to either use a pressure switch on the manifold or an MSD unit to retard ignition?

 

Should I remove dist. vacuum advance?

 

Retard how much and when with this setup?

 

Thanks, Mike

[GT72Datsun]

I take it you just picked up the TT kit and are installing.

 

There are a few guys out there now running turbo Tom's kits and they all chimed into the thread below.

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=117481

 

1) Not sure why the two head gaskets. Oringed head should seal, do some searches to see about sealing with boost levels. Extra gasket could be for valve clearance or less compression?

 

2) I use an Electromotive crankfired with boost retard. I am not sure how much timing the other TT guys run, but I know one of them runs race fuel only. I have around 25 degrees advance at 6000 rpm with 15 degrees retard at 15 psi boost. i.e. full pull to 15 psi at 6000 rpm is only around 10 degrees advanced. Yes this is conservative, no intercooler makes me that way.

 

3) I have the Water injection coming in around 8-9 psi. Again i am not sure what the other tt guys have the water commng in at, but If you wait until 14 psi for the water you will likely melt something.

 

4) I have a wet NOS system and have never used it.

 

Ultimately fuel injection is more reliable, powerful, efficient...etc, plenty of people will be quick to point this out. Draw throughs are obsolete today, however turbo tom's kit was the early days of aftermarket turbo charging and was very well thought out. I like the nostalgia of the kit and will leave it on my car.

[GeeZ]

MikeZcar. Your setup must an early kit. Tom installed mine back in '94 and it was setup with the Electromotive ignition with retard, water injection but I opted out of the nitrous. If Tom "O" ringed the head, I also don't know why he (if it was him) installed double gaskets. The "O" ring would hold just about anything. I had way too much heat that bubbled the paint constantly, so I did change over to fuel injection and Megasquirt. When Tom died, all of that knowledge was lost. Another reason I switched.

[texis30O]

I am running 12-16 advance timing. I have it set at 12 right now and can crank it up to 16. I have notes from the po who put the kit on the car with tom back in 79 or 80. ( yes it has been on the car that long) I have a crack in my manifold right now and I am waitting to fix that as well as redo all of the rad hoses on the car.

[GT72Datsun]

GeeZ, did you do the FI/megasquirt conversion yourself? How does it compare? I am putting toegther the parts now and a long block to megasquirt (another car) using the Turbo Tom's FI parts I have.