I have the turbo fever again and needed info on the B230FT. Is this engine a better than the B21T and B23T? would this be the way to go over my great B230F? Advantages and disadvantages if any of this? There are no issues with the B230 in my 87 and should be good for at least 250 to 300k more miles but I want more power. I have been thinking of converting it to turbo but it was not designed for a turbo. A lot conversions have been done with little issue but my gut tell me I will want more that the 54 HP a 5-6 lbs of boost will give me. I figure a B230FT should have better/stronger pistons, rods etc. than a B230F. Any info and thought will be helpful. Thanks, Greg

Just as John said, those folks over a T-bricks have put it all together (and broken some of it) in the past. From bigger turbos, fuel and heat management, broken transmissions from too much power and more, they have a lot of answers. The 93 and later blocks are super candidates for a great sleeper. Good luck, and don't forget your credit cards!

Thanks, I will do that. I visit turbo bricks mostly just looking at the sale stuff. Guess I should consider the cost of this as well. I get real excited about power in a car and a sleeper is me to a T.

Greg

Up to a certain level of HP, you can do it with all junkyard parts. Pretty cheaply, in other words.

I wouldn't spend too much effort +t ing your cars current motor, since it was in the 'low friction' years for the B230 - meaning it has lighter rods that bend easily if you make any misstep in tuning along the way. The late 89 and on B230's have much stronger rods that can handle a few mistakes along the way without ventilating the block. You can blow up a motor with strong rods as well, but you have to try a lot harder.

93+ motors have piston oil squirters, which keeps the piston temps more controlled. Good for boosted motors. Whether or not the motr has them installed is a bit iffy, supposedly some motors built before 93 had them (the blocks got the casting change that allows for them in '90), But some blocks are undrilled, some are drilled and tapped but have plugs installed. Supposedly almost all the later engines ahve them, and a good way to identify a later engine is to see if it has the square toothed timing belt or the round toothed timing belt. The round toothed belt engines are the later engines that will almost certainly have the squirters already installed.

Of course, if a squirter motor isn't easy to find, and you are going to rebuild the motor anyhow instead of just installing a lightly refreshed junkyard motor (seals and gaskets), you can fairly easily put squirters in any block.
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'63 PV544 rat rod, '93 Classic #1141 245 (now w/16V turbo)

Thanks John, The info you gave me about the squirters is something I never new. I thought GM was doing Something Special with the squirters on the supercharged Corvette Motor. I have seen references here on Brickboard, about the light rods in my 87 B230F but never paid much attention. I have had 3 240's & the 87 that I purchased new is by far the strongest. I scored a 740 turbo so I'm rounding up the parts to get a little more power. Greg

You should have a blast with that newfound power. If you can, snag all the wiring and ECU's,etc. out of that 740, if it isn't too late.

Thanks but it was just the turbo and manifold for about $50.00. You all have me looking for a B230FT. I have said for year that all my 240 needed was a small block Chevy between the fenders and now I'm figuring out that its much easier to add a turbo. Always thought the compression was to high and no forged crank and pistons was a time bomb. Greg

Go to turbobricks and make this post. T-bricks is a great source of performance and conversion information.

The B21FT and B23FT are great engines. If I was making the conversion you are considering, I would use a B230FT from the 1993-95 940s. These are L block B230Fts and have piston oil cooling in addition to the 13mm connecting rods introduced as a running change in the 1989 model year.
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john