Cadillac 500 turbo charging???

[jimmyflfr]

Ok caddy guys I got a question looking for some suggestions/comments. I just took my boat apart to redo the steelflex and since the engine is so accessable now I was thinking of making a turbo kit for it. It is newly rebuilt and I have a brand new 6cyl turbo and intercooler I want to put on. Me and my brother have done turbo 350s but never a caddy. I was wondering how it would hold up with about 5lbs boost. I figured that the smaller turbo would spool quickly and good at 3000 rpms since mine is a DD. So what do ya think? I just want a bit more power but mostly to say I got a turbo caddy!

[captain chad]

PUT IT ON THE BOTTLE!

[jimmyflfr]

Yea I thought about that but I want to fabricate the set up and I want the power all the time.... Maby BOTH?

[captain chad]

DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT TURBOS OTHER THAN I HEAR THERE NOT PREFERED ON AIRBOATS! AND THEY CAN BE A LITTLE TRICKY!

[Cadillac Performance Pts.]

The stock engine absolutely will not handle it. Stock rods are "armasteel" which is basically cast ductile iron. The cylinder pressure will squirt the rods out. I have done turbo Cadillacs and they are plain wicked. you will need the following.... Forged rods, forged pistons, a main girdle, ARP studs (top & bottom) , a good set of valves , rockers and springs. With 2800 and a small turbo, I'd use the stock exhaust manifolds. They can actually be machined out at the flange quite a bit for more ID. The reason for better rockers is due to stiffer springs. SNAP. You Cadillac guys know these oil the mains off of a galley that runs down the lifter valley on both sides. Kick out a pushrod, no oil pressure. Can't just turn a loaded airboat off, so by the time you bring er back to idle, it's cooked. Good valve train solves those problems. NO stock valves. Babbage! 2 pieces. Sometimes one of em gets stuck in the pistons. BAD!
Come to think of it, they are light as can be. A DD Cadillac turbo would be a badass. You could pull stumps with it. Same with a centrifigal blower. Roots are an extra 150 lbs. Top heavy too. Keep in mind also, you'll want better intakes and carbs on any upgrade. We look at the cadillac as a bullet-proof "platform". All the accessory parts inside are weak, but the block and crank will take anything you'll ever throw at it. The iron heads can be made to flow a bunch also and they already have heart shaped chambers that work very well. Can you say swirl?

[captfox]

Well did you ever do that 500 Turbo DD?
If so what's the update?

[Deano]

If I remember correctly (and chances are better than fair that I don't), the OP did not pursue this, for justifiable reasons.
Of course, it's possible that he did and I'm simply unaware of it, although I doubt that to be the case.
This has been done here and elsewhere, but results in more of a novelty than a replacement for a long term NA BB alternative, afaik.

The Song Remains The Same . . . Anything is possible given the time and the money.
Still, some things could never be perceived as being the most cost effective alternative toward a given end.
I believe this scenario readily fits the later profile.

However, If you are a stubborn masochist with an enormously enlarged bank account, this could be the perfect project for you.

[kwanjangnihm]

However, If you are a stubborn masochist with an enormously enlarged bank account, this could be the perfect project for you

you must be thinkin about my buddy swamp!! that's him to a tee

[ryansmoneypit]

welp, I am about to purchase a boat with a 500, and I have a pretty good history with turbo engines. hang on guys..might feel the need.


not very related, but here is a picture of my fun car. an old Mazda miata. Forged bottom end, lots up Ti up top, 20 psi boost.
about 375/350 hp/tq


dang it. full fail. this site uses 1950's tech for picture uploads.

[unforgiven11B]

Not worth it at all other than the cool factor of it’s a boosted Cadillac. I’m a big fan of the platform myself and have ran and built a few, but the cost of parts and LIMITED availability of stock or aftermarket is more cost to make power plus you add more weight to a 645lb beast............. now if you had a garage full of blocks, heads, and cranks and the loot to RnD then pull the trigger and ride that bitch till it croaks

[Slidin Gator]

However, If you are a stubborn masochist with an enormously enlarged bank account, this could be the perfect project for you

you must be thinkin about my buddy swamp!! that's him to a tee

Please refer back to Kwan's post! Well, that and the point about 645 lbs. I mean, one could make a 9 second stretch limo (4 seconds with a jet engine) if one wanted, but why would you do that when they sell some serious hot rods off the lot that do more than the 1/4 mile these days?

Functional is tops for cool in my book, form is way down on the list of priorities for me.

[SWAMPHUNTER45]

Cadillac 500 is 573 lbs with iron heads in running airboat trim.

If you swap out the heads, pullys and intake to aluminum you shave off about 40+ pounds.

They are very close to a iron head/intake small block Chevy.

[unforgiven11B]

My apologies on the damn weight, only factor y’all zeroed in on was the 100+ lbs mistake. SWAMP that’s DRy weight brother add fluids as she sits bet she’ll kiss 600# or be damn close. Sliding gator anywhere in that post does it say it can’t be done? Didn’t think so....... I’m not talking about making heavy shit move fast. I’m saying its NOT WORTH it. Cost vs results = hot garbage. That platform is a Tq monster they way it sits.

[SWAMPHUNTER45]

Your weight was not incorrect for a fully dressed auto application with the A6 A/C, smog pump, exhaust manifolds etc. but we take a lot of weight off them getting down to airboat trim.

Was down in St Pete yesterday with Mr. Branch and dropped off a rotating assembly for a GD520AL build I am doing that needed full balance and pin fit. The owner of the shop has built performance engines for 45 years and Mr. B and he were talking builds. He had just done a LS and had it on a dyno 427 inch so Buddy got to hear all about that build. On the way back to his shop Mr. Branch just kept saying that LS3 that's just a ugly engine...lol

I think you will see a big block Chevy come out of the Branch shop in late 2020 as there is a little talk about a 632 inch Merlin Gen 4 tall deck but evidently the 632 is very hard on pistons. He is looking into a way to minimize that concern by altering rod sizes and changing pin location on the pistons. The 632 is the only common build to offer a stroke greater than what we are currently obtaining in the off set process. Guess we will see how the R&D goes with that in the next 18 months.

Until then it is just junk yard Cadillacs for me.

On another note:

There is no engine that can provide the stroke that the Cadillac offers for the price. Even in stock form the 500 offers 4.304 this along with the head design yield budget torque. It is only when you seek rpm and insane upgrades does "STUBBORN MASOCHIST" start to take shape.

The next problem becomes people who try to treat a 472 / 500 like a Chevy and their tinkering does more harm than good. If you find a clean good running 500 out of a car and plan to use it on a airboat DD spend a little money to prepare it for that application. Simple things like a upgraded timing set and HEI with a timing curve really prolong the engines life.

If you think you know engines and are new to the Cadillac platform my bet is you will learn by mistakes you make more than you help the performance of your engine.

[CarMotorBarge]

You have to seek RPM to make HSP and more HSP is how you turn more prop.

[Deano]

Seeing how this thread is over ten years old, I see no harm in sliding it just for old times sake.
I will admit on the front side though, I'm not here enough to follow it for six or eight pages like we used to do.

You have to seek RPM to make HSP and more HSP is how you turn more prop.

There is no question this is true, IF you are going to start with a Mazda Miata take out.
Conversely, a man could seek DISPLACEMENT to make HSP and more Displacement is how you create longevity.
It really depends on your application and your beginning end game.

I will say that it is my opinion that if a man were going to boost a Caddy BB, previous experience
turning one successfully at higher RPMs would be much more valuable to the success of the effort,
than to have ANY amount of experience applying boost to a different platform.

[SWAMPHUNTER45]

I keep hearing that theory but for some reason these HSP engines struggle to spin them 4 big S blades like my low RPM junk yard engine???

You have to seek RPM to make HSP and more HSP is how you turn more prop.