Turbocharging a 8-71n

[Ericbsc]

Clifford, I know you are there!!! What can be done? The guys at the Carolina rally said a turbo would make a big difference not as much in hp but in tourqe. What would need to be changed. First long trip out. I can run pretty good @ 70 mph 2100 rpm. Loose some on the hills. Will it be worth it?

[Dreamscape]

Also Eric, not to hijack your thread, but it would be nice if someone who had done this post their real world results. I'm not from Missouri, but getting first hand results is the answer for me.

Glad you guys and gals had a great time at the rally!

Paul

[bobofthenorth]

TomC did this - I'm sure he'll chime in but here is a link to one of his posts after the job was done.

Just a by the by - the search function on this board isn't the most intuitive or useful implementation that I have ever seen but if you search for TomC and some combination of turbo and 8-71 you will eventually turn up the relevant threads.  The trick is to NOT use the "search" box in the upper right hand corner but rather to use the search tab in the upper left corner.

[luvrbus]

Not worth it Eric a very short answer to many other options out there at better prices , performance and fuel mileage to do a 8v71T right and get torque and hp it will cost my friend

good luck 

[Ericbsc]

Thats what I needed. Thanks!!

[lostagain]

I turboed my 4-71 last winter. It was definetely worth it... to me. Cost me about $7000 in parts, including having the head rebuilt as well as the blower rebuilt with newer seals. I put in cross head pistons, 75 injectors, standard timing, new crank and rod bearings, seals front and back, etc. I wanted to maintain the originality of the bus by keeping the 4-71. I don't have dyno numbers, but I gained a lot of horse power and torque. I go up the hills 1 to 2 gears faster (5 speed Spicer). The difference is night and day. Also noticebly more torque lower down in the rpm range, so you can hold the same gear longer going up hill. It wakes up the engine for sure. I did it myself, so the cost was reasonable. Having it done in a shop would be very expensive.

My next bus however would have a modern 4 stroke such as DD S60, like I have in the hockey team's bus. You can problably find one for as much or less than the cost of rebuiding your 8V71.

JC

[Chopper Scott]

Everything I ever wanted my bus to do is well handled by the 8v71 except for the fact that I still drive it by the temp gauge even after all the things I have done to help that situation out. Any alterations I do anymore will be for comfort and dependability. If you have deadlines and schedules where you have to be then you probably have the wrong bus to start with. Money would be better spent on fuel and traveling!!

[uncle ned]

What is a bus but a long tube to put money in. If not spending money on turbo it will be something else.

what is the old saying "the guy with the most toys wins"

uncle ned


4104 with 6v92 turbo and big jets   lots of black smoke and hp. and heat problems, but fun to drive.

[TomC]

Since I live in L.A., there's noway out of town but up and over a pass.  If you want to go to the really beautiful parts of California, you have to go up.  Last summer on my trek from 395 to 89 to 4 to Angles Camp, I'm convinced I couldn't have made it but for the more powerful turbocharged engine (having only a 3 speed automatic is limiting-if I had a 4 spd with better low gear, probably would have been OK).  I really enjoy the better power, and the lack of smoke when the pedal is floored both at sea level and at altitude.
Since I installed an air to air intercooler, it made the installation a bit complicated (like challenges).  The easiest would be to just swap out the 8V-71 (although I love the 8V-71 because mainly of the dry cylinder liners-of which a 92's wet cylinder liners can leak) for a 6V-92TA.  Relatively simple, and I imagine a whole cheaper then the $17,000 I spent on my upgrade ($6,000 was transmission overhaul).  Course, if going to swap out an engine, I would go for a more modern 4 stroke engine-like the Cummins L10/M11/ISM (all the same block).  Good Luck, TomC