Phil "asked" me about writing this up some time ago, but I'm both lazy, and, thankfully, busy, and as I thought about writing the thing, I kept thinking about the ways I didn't do it, that other people have done, and definatly know more about than I do. Remember "lazy"? I'm about to put some of you to work.

Here's how I did it, and how I'd do it again.

Bought 85 Dodge Conquest donor car for $300 - rust bucket with blown head gasket - from buy-here-pay-here lot. Had never driven a Conquest before and had stopped jsut to look at this one. Opened the hood and said "Damn, that's a 2.6 block in there!", and a light bulb went off in my head. It was still running ok then, and it was a rocket compared to the D-50, and wieghed about the same. Left still thinking and went back the next day to buy it and it was already sold. 3 months later is was back on the back row with a dead engine. Bought it on the spot. Took it home and took it apart, bought the factory manual, had the motor rebuilt, yanked motor from 85 D-50, along with carb wiring harness and ecu. Spent hours in the driveway with two shop manual wiring diagrams in front of me dissecting the 'Quest harness. I used all of the efi harness, and acutally still have the 'Quest fuse block in the circuit, plus the wiring to the fusible links, and the link box itself, plus the cruise control system complete, including the control stalk, vac pump and all associated reservoirs and valves and switches, actuator, cable, and throttle pedal arm clip. Cruise never worked. Used turbo oil pump, but had to use truck pan after I found that turbo pan wouldn't clear front diff. Used truck p/s pump, but it had remote reservoir anyway. Put about 70k miles on it in the D-50 until it ate the second tranny (5spd). Bought 87 Raider, ran it until head gasket failed, and tranplanted the turbo into the a/t Raider. While the truck actually handled better (like a freaking sports car), the turbo/a-t is a much better match.

If I did it again, I'd use 88-89 donor, or at least an upgradeable 87, with intercooler and better fuel system. I'd build it with 8:1 hypereutectic pistons, 14G turbo, roller hydraulic cam, and 2.5" exhaust. Next upgrade would be mpi. I'd use KevinC's 90.5 lockup t/c v-6 tranny upgrade with a 2600rpm stall converter, and I'd put an lsd in the front pumpkin. I'd seriously consider 4.22 gears. I'd also import a 2dr Cabrio body tub, but that's another post.

Those of you who have done this, post your alternate fixes. I'll add stuff as I get the sections finished, like throttle cable, fuel lines, fuel pump, wiring tie ins to Monty, etc. If you want, grab some of those sections yourself ("lazy", remember).

I cheated. I had an 87 Quest that needed a new balance shaft sitting in limbo up at a warehouse in the city. Bought the 88 Monty from a gentleman who said it had a "shimmy" on the city roads but not on the highway. That "shimmy" turned out to be sticky valves and they finaly stuck themselves while I was in the middle of a road trip. Had the Monty towed up to the warehouse and parked next to the Quest. I was pretty warry of putting a BS elimination kit in the Quest w/o having the bottom end balanced out so I decided to swap the Quest head onto the Monty's bottom end w/ good balance shafts. Was fairly straight forward. Removed the carb ECU 'n harness and whatnot, then installed the Quest harness and modded the old ECU box to fit the Quest's board. The head/electronics swap should have only taken a weekend, but other commitments and chasing down electrical gremlins sucked up many hours.

What would I have done differently? Definitly would have gone for an 88-89 harness/knock box and ECU. Would have used a good Quest bottom end and -possibly- put the Quest's final ratios in the Monty. It doesn't like passing other cars going 80, but then its a truck not a sports car and changing finals would probably ***** its off-road abilities.

I don't have anything to post, yet. I'm sure in a few more weeks I'll have a bunch of what-not-to-dos as I make my [beginner's] way through it. I'll look to post back as I learn things...

I've stickied this one, at FE's request. Few pointers, by way of making it more effective: If your signature is on the multiline side, maybe turn it off, just for this thread. Also, try to avoid taking this one off course too much. If clarification is needed on an issue that offshoots from this thread, just start a new thread and link to it from here.

Okay, spool up them turbos!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

What parts do you need?

Factory wiring diagrams (whole manuals are VERY nice to have) for both your truck and the donor
Starion parts:
engine block (or modify yours to take the piston oil squirters).

intake manifold with throttle body and all sensors, and brake booster hoses and check valve, and thermostat top with turbo water line fitting.

Exhaust manifold, turbo (with all hoses and hard lines), O2 sensor and exhaust housing, and downpipe with first cat.
steel water line on exhaust/rear of engine block for turbo water line fitting, or late model water pump with integral fitting.

NEW turbo oil feed line.

oil cooler with lines and block adapter (oil feed line attaches here) - lines will have to be modified to fit - I just used the banjo ends by cutting off the crimps with a whiz wheel and pulling off all the hoses and used ATF cooler hose and double quality clamps).

ECU with case.

control relay (near ecu on outer side of passenger footwell, beside glove box).

complete ecu wiring harness and everything connected to it, plus about 6" of wire and both halves of the harness plug that connects to the cross dash harness behind the glove box - this will be your splice into the vehicle wiring for constant 12v for ecu memory, switched 12v for ecu, and gnd.

air filter can with air flow meter and air temp sensor inside.

vapor canister.

timing cover (or drill and tap yours for a nipple for the turbo oil return line - the boss is already there with a depression in the middle, just drill and tap).

turbo heat shields.

Spark box and all associated wiring, starion distributor, and coil.

Entire Starion throttle cable - it points wrong at the firewall, but you can twist the curved tube into alignment (just a tad above horizontal to the left) with a little persuasion.

Starion SAS system complete (black box with vac can on the side between t/b and valve cover, hard pipe to exhaust, all soft lines).

Starion fuel pump, or aftermarket pump (master e8000 is good minor upgrade over stock, and master e2315 is a marked upgrade - AutoZone has both at about $90 and $135 respectively).

Starion fuel filter and all fuel lines from frame mounted hard lines to filter and from filter to TB, and from TB to hard return line.

Intercooler is donor so equipped, and all hoses.


Modifications to Starion motor to fit the Monty:
Use Monty oil pan, oil pump, oil dipstick (bent at rubber grommet to fit under the turbo) and pan pickup. This loses the starion intake-side dipstick and the oil vapor/liquid separator on the air filter lid's oil return fitting. I never hooked my liquid return up, and haven't really noticed any dripping out.

Use the truck motor mounts from the block out to the frame.

Use the truck p/s pump and bracket, but mount it before you put on the oil filter, because the p/s pump integral reservoir and the oil filter block access to the rear lower pump/bracket bolt.

Use the Starion alternator - it plugs right up and is of higher capacity.


Stuff you have to make:
Suprisingly little to fab. You need an entire exhaust system from downpipe to tailpipe. The Starion downpipe and both cats can be spiced into the stock tailpipe/muffler system (alignment is perfect side to side, and only about 1.5" too long), but the Monty pipe diameter is marginal for a carb motor, and chokes the life right out of the turbo. 2.5" is a good size, and if you cut off the downpipe at the weld of tube to the o2 sensor housing, you get a nice cast stub over which 2.5" tube fits nicely.

You need to mount one of the fuel pump choices near the tank. I mounted mine to the tubular crossmember between tank and rear axle with two hose clamps, and put a rubber cushion between pump and rail and clamps and rail to kill some sound. I used ordinary fuel line for the suction line to the tank outlet, but I put a stainless steel spring inside the line to keep pump suction from collapsing it. A section of closely fitting copper tube would also serve but do not use it for the sole fuel line - copper fatigues and cracks if clamped in a vibrating bind. I used fi fuel hose from pump to monty hard lines, with double aircraft quality hose clamps. I used just the end fittings from fuel filter lines with more fi fuel hose and double clamps. the fuel return line was more fi hose (overkill - return pressures are low) and clamps. You have to run a new wire from the control relay harness to the fuel pump - use pretty good size wire here, and ground the pump to the frame.

If you have an a/t, you need to fab a bracket for the tranny throttle vavle cable. The TB has two return springs on the throttle. One is a helical spring wrapped around the trhottle shaft. The other is a coil spring attached to a fixed bracket and to a secondary arm bolted to the throttle shaft. I removed the coil spring, and rebent the secndary arm. I used a piece of 1"w x 1/8"th w/ 3/8" holes on 1" centers perforated steel strap for the bracket (hdw store has it in various lengths). I twisted it 90* about 2.5" from one end, and bolted it the the lower part of the driver's side of the TB where the fat ground wire goes. I positioned the other end by twising on the attaching bolt and bending to get it at about 4.1" from the end of the rebent arm. I had drilled the end of the rebent arm to accept the tv cable clevis end pin. The effective length of the tv cable is adjustable by two nuts that sandwich the mounting bracket on a threaded tube that forms the end of the tv cable housing for fine adjustments, and by moving the bracket for coarse ones. I had to find the proper adjustment by trial and error, observing upshift/downshift speeds until they felt right.

If you use the intercooler, you have to work on routing of the hoses thru the radiator core support, and mounting brackets. I haven't done one yet, so some of you "cooler" guys chime in. Use one if you can, as it's worth quite a few ponies.

You have to make the lines for and mount the oil cooler.

You have to supply the starion harness with constant-on 12v, ignition switched 12v, start position 12v, and gnd from the truck wiring system, and ground all the efi harness ground wires.

You have to relocate the firewall grommet on the starion harness to a position closer to the ecu, and provide a firewall hole for the O2 sensor wire which runs seperate from the main efi harness, and has it's own grommet.

You can (I didn't) provide mounting hard points for the air filter can.

There is an ecu function that shuts off the fuel to the engine during coast down with a closed throttle and vehicle speed above some minimum value. The ecu requires a signal from the vehicle speed sensor to do this (it works ok without it hooked up, but you are losing some mpg, and making a smidgen of extra emissions). The starion has an electronic speedo in some models (with the LCD dash) or a pulse generator (in the analog dash models) that provide this signal. The Monty has a reed switch in the speedo that gives an acceptable signal, and you can tap it's wire either at the main dash plug, or at the "4wd" and "Locked" light control relay over by where you're going to mount the ecu. think it's a yellow/green wire, but check your wiring diagram.

Now what have I forgotten....

Stuff you need to fix first:

You need a first rate cooling system in first rate operating condition. If you have a 3 row core stock radiator, have it rodded at a minimum. If you have a 2 row, have a 3 row new core installed in your tanks

This comes at a perfect time for me! Beers to you my friend... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I drink Cerveza Imperiale from Costa Rica (the gods dont' have it this good), and accept donations.... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

what he said! im starting on mine tomorrow, im getting a perfect '88 conquest engine <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Starion Fuel System Primer

Starions use throttle body injection with two injectors, either alternate firing 500cc (50lb+/-) injectors in < 86.5, and primary 600cc + secondary 1000cc in 86.5 and up. The system uses inputs from air mass meter, air temp sensor, throttle position, manifold absolute pressure (MAP), engine rpm from coil -, water temp, vehicle speed sensor, and O2 sensor (in closed loop mode) to regulate injector pulse time and secondary injector startup to adjust fuel quantity.

The air flow meter is a Karmann vortex sensor. The greater the air mass flowing thru the meter, the larger the number fo vortices formed in the flow, and the vortices are counted by an ultrasonic beam crossing the air flow path. Only a portion of the airflow is metered, with the balance bypassing the meter, and actual airmass interpolated from measured sample. The AFM is located in the lid of the air filter can, as is the air temperature sensor, a thermistor type sensor. The combo of air flow and air temp measured yields air mass flowing.

The water temp sensor tells the ecu if the mixture needs to be enriched for proper cold engine mixtures, like a carb choke works. It's another thermistor, two wire sensor on the water neck.

The throttle position sensor tells the ecu the driver's power demand at this instant, and over time, to tell the ecu if driver wants to accelerate (accel needs richer mixtures) or back off (mixture leaned or injectors killed for economy/emissions), or cruise at steady state (ecu goes into closed loop, where O2 sensor signals tell ecu to enrichen or lean the mixture to keep mixtures around 14.7:1 stoichiometric least emissions mixture. The ecu uses air mass as a basic paramater, adds cold enrichment, accel enrichment, and deducts decel lean out, and uses the final sum as injector pulse time from a master lookup table in ROM in the ecu (ROM is the "chip" that carries the permanent operating programs and lookup tables for the ecu). The injectors get 12v+ power all the time, current flow limited by resistors in between power source and injector, and the injector ground is switched by the ecu to make the injector circuit for the lookup pulse time. since the pressure is kept constant at the injector by the fuel pressure regulator, and fuel pressure as regulated is further adjusted by boost pressure (so fuel always has the same pressure drop across the injector valve opening), you only have to regulate pulse time to regulate fuel quantity VERY closely.

One further alteration of fuel pressure is performed by the MAP sensor signal. This is a 2 bar MAP sensor, convering a range of -15psi vacuum to +15psi of boost, and incorporates in pre 86.5 versions a 14psi boost pressure switch. The 14psi switch kills engine spark when triggered as a failsafe for overboosted engines. If the ecu does not see a spark event, it won't pulse the injectors and kills the fuel pump. The ecu uses MAP signals for enrichment when under turbo boost. Engines make best power around 12.0:1 - 13.0:1 mixtures. Low vacuum or high (really any) boost or a fast opening throttle (TPS over time signal) means power is required, and the ecu increases pulse time some more for more fuel to the motor.

The TB has a combo ISC and idle position switch. The isc controls idle throttle opening with a stepper motor to control idle rpm, and uses the idle position switch to tell the ecu driver is off the gas completely, and the ecu consults the vehicle speed sensor to be sure the vehicle isn't stopped, and if not, kills fuel entirely for economy and emissions, and if stopped, uses the ISC to control engine speed.

Turbo boost is limited by a mechanical system. A sealed can with single diaphragm (87 and earlier) or double two stage diaphragm (88-89) and a rod connected to the diaphragm control the opening of the waste gate, a valve that controls the bypass of exhaust gas around the turbo power turbine, limiting boost pressure by applying boost pressure to the diaphragm in oppositon to a calibrated spring. When bosst pressure hits 7.5psi (=<87 and 88-89 first stage), or 10psi (88-89 2nd stage), the pressure overcomes the spring, moves the rod, opens the waste gate valve, and limits power to the turbo. *88-89 a/t cars had up to 10psi in all gears. m/t cars were limited to 7.5psi in lower gears to protect fragile tranny. The StarQuest used the same m/t internals, so be warned.

When you swap a turbo motor in you have a couple of options for clutches if you have a standard tranny.

The 88-89 Starions used a larger diameter disk, pressure plate and a flywheel with a bolt pattern to take the larger pressure plate.

This clutch is nice since you get more surface area to absorb heat so it takes a bit more slippage when climbing rocks before it gets too hot. The complete unit is a bolt in.

The down side is it takes a bit more pedal effort.

The stock montero clutch will hold moderate boost levels when it is in good condition. 14 psi boost would be pushing it and if you tow it may not last very long with the added load.

The stock montero 4 cyl clutch is the same size as the 87 and older Starions.

Kevin C