Pinto Car Club of America

I have an 88 TC engine. Just stripped it down to the block today. Wow cyls still had crosshatching on them and no ridge in Cyl's.

Anyway it is going to be a carb engine. I will need a little more compression..

What makes the compression low on the Turbo engine..Is it the Dished pistons alone.. or does the Cly head also have larger volume?

I still have not decided which head to use for the street.

Here is what I have on hand.  An oval port cast iron head with big valves and ports that you could drive a truck thru. Work supposed to have been done by Esslinger. Head is milled 100 thou. Have Solid Lifter Track cam in it..I do not know specs although I will measure lift.

I also have the matching intake from esslinger for Holly 2 barrel...large plenum it seems.

I also have a Roller Ranger cam and followers.

I also have the stock 88 Turbo head with Hyd stock cam and turbo EFI lower intake. that I can get an adapter for Holly 350.

I have a Ranger header already...Will have the end modified for larger exit.

How would one of you guys go....don't be shy I like CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Don't start:)..No Turbo here..I do not want to twist up this nice 72 that I have..plus I am in a HOT area and I will have Ac and I am concerned about underhood temps. I'll save the turbo project for an 1980 or so body.

Should I go with Flat top pistons....large valve head...big intake ....roller cam..?

Or Flat top pistons...Turbo head...Ranger Cam....Efi Lower Intake with carb adapter?

I am more concerned with good driveability and low end rather than a  drag strip only set up.

It will be a play car not an every day car.

OK Guys lets hear some opinions please....

Had a blast today disassembling the engine with my 7 year old grandson...Have photos.

Dave

Dave, Ya got allot of parts there..... ;D
So, In a turbo engine the Pistons are the Deciding factor in compresion. If you are building a N/A Engine and want more compresion you can go to an dished piston and give it a raise in compression. You say one of your heads is 100t milled. Thats a bunch. That will bump the C/R way up. I don't know w hat you are looking for but 10.5:1 would be as much as I would go on the street. You will need to do some math to figure it all out. The "D" port head will out flow the oval head but it looks like you allready have porting done to the Oval head so I would use it. If there is any way you can get the spec's on the "track" cam and its a nice streetable cam " read 110-111 lobe centers" and not 108ish then it might be the best cam ( and its allready in the head? ). The ranger roller is a nice cam but would not help much with a high C/r, N/A engine. Use the Esslinger intake with a Holly 2300 series 2-barrel carb with the 50 cc accelerator pump and the Holly adjust-a-jet kit. Use a good fuel pump and a real good ignition.
Just my 2c

Thanks.....I was hoping you would be one of the people to answer.

One thing I do not understand...You say I can go to a dished piston to give more compression??? Did you mean domed??

I have turbo dished pistons and was thinking stock 2.3 Carb engine flat top pistons with the stock valve reliefs. As I do not have a "normal" engine to compare pistons with..The ones I see on ebay look like flat top with valve reliefs.

Yes I have a lot of stuff!!  If you have one of those Holly carbs I will trade you the turbo and exhaust manifold for it.
Turbo is here http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g227/Pinto72/88TC-Turbo/

Or I have one of the unilite 2.3 distributors like in esslenger catalog...would trade that.

Or one of those 2.3 C4 Bell housings with NEW flex plate-ring gear.....Or..........

I have a dial indicator..just need to buy a degree wheel and I will learn how to measure lift and duration... to check out the cam..Oh Boy a new tool.

Thanks again for the answer..Dave

Upps, Yeah Domed.Heh, Thats what I get for cleaning up in my computer room and trying to post at the same time.....
You also need to make sure you know how much the valve extends into the combustion chamber, as a consideration for the piston hight, above the deck. If that cam is a high lift cam, and you allready have 100t off the head, and a domed piston you need to be carefull. Of course, valve reliefs will most likely take care of that problem.However, you should do some careful checking. Your gasket will most likely have about an 11thousandth crush so factor that in also. I don't have any more of those carbs but thanks for the trade offer. ( I do not need more turbos though... :o :o )