Turbo only spooling sometimes

Rola · Post by **Rola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 2:48 pm

Hey guys, i have a bit of a strange problem with my Staz,

The turbo only spools up sometimes, no matter how much i give it sometimes it will only spool to zero and sometimes it will only spool to 5 and othertimes it spools to the full 10lb/inch (runnin it at 10 pounds)

Its a JA with a US FMIC and a microtech computer.

Ive checkd the pipes and there doesnt seem to be any leaks... do you guys know whats going on?

Cheers,

Rola.

iXNAY · Post by **iXNAY** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:24 pm

are you just free reving it or under load?

if your just free reving it thats the problem in itself i beleive.

Rola · Post by **Rola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:34 pm

sorry but what do you mean by free reving?

I take the clutch all the way out before i rev the car if thats what you mean?

iXNAY · Post by **iXNAY** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:36 pm

free reving meaning that its in neutral or u have the clutch fully in and your giving it a rev trying to get it too boost alot of the time it wont cause there isn;t enough load on the engine

Rola · Post by **Rola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:38 pm

naaa i dont do that, in first i let the clutch out early and then rev it to max 5000 but sometimes it doesnt boost, then i change to second max it at about 4000 - 5000 and sometimes it boosts to 10 sometimes to 5 and sometimes only to 0

iXNAY · Post by **iXNAY** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:46 pm

pull off the inlet pipe to the turbo and see if u can spin it nice and freely with ur finger if not i think that ur turbo is seized!

RiceThief · Post by **RiceThief** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:47 pm

Could be your wastegate not fully closed, also is your engine upto normal operating temperate when you are boosting your car.

Rola · Post by **Rola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:47 pm

Will do! first i have to wait for it to cooldown though...

Rola · Post by **Rola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:49 pm

RiceThief wrote:Could be your wastegate not fully closed, also is your engine upto normal operating temperate when you are boosting your car.

Yeh Flav said the wastegate may not be fully closed, ill check that out too... when i find out how too...

Yeh its at about a third to half way in the temp gauge when i start driving a little harder, before that i try not to thrash it at all...

iXNAY · Post by **iXNAY** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:49 pm

good thinking rice, if the wastegate aint closing properly then it will leak out boost and not boost/half boost.

Post by **Alspos** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:51 pm

What are you looking at to check the boost? Stock guages can be notoriously inaccurate. Does the microtech give you a live readout as you drive?

Also, check your wastegate isn't sticking open.
To check it, remove the rubber line from the turbo housing to the actuator. Get a bike pump or a compressor trigger gun. Use either on the hose GENTLY and see if air pressure makes the actuator and wastegate lever move (a compressor will deliver 100psi and blow the crap out of the actuator if you hit it hard. Bike pump can also deliver a bit pressure if you're not careful)
If they don't move, take out the split pin from the wastegate lever and move the lever by itself to ensure it moves freely and doesn't stick.

P.S Don't do this while the engine is hot cos you will get burned.

Rola · Post by **Rola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:51 pm

Hmm.. thats three people that think that it may be the wastegate, can anyone please take a pic of what a wastegate should look like? also there is a tiny bit of oil on the top of the engine cover that wasnt there before (about 15 - 20mL) is that of any significance?

Rola · Post by **Rola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:54 pm

I have to go for a quick drive down to the bank, ill test the car a bit more on the way and report back to you guys in more detail of exactly whats happening.

Thanks for helping out a noob.

Starion_Turbo · Post by **Starion_Turbo** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:07 pm

Also how easy is the auctuator lever on the wastegate is to move?
have seen similar problem before on decoys car were the spring in his wastegate was either too weak or broken, it was very easy to move the wastegate lever by hand were as it should be fairly stiff and only just moveable by hand, if its loose it will open the bypass valve early and prevent boosting.

Rola · Post by **Rola** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:30 pm

OK just came back from the bank.

I have a procomp boost gauge which reads boost up to 30pounds. It says that the turbo vaccums at 20 is this normal? (turbo is wound up to 10)

Here is what i found:

Taking of from first the turbo wont start boosting at about 3700-3900, then it will get to about 10 pounds just before 5000, after 5000 there is a huge power loss (the pull from the turbo disappears). When i spool the turbo so hard in first the car WILL NOT spool more than 1 pound of boost in second, no matter how hard i go. However if i dont spool hard or simply dont spool in first the car will start to spool at about 3500 in second and get to about 5 pounds at 4300 and finaly 10 pounds at 5000.

The turbo spools from 0 pounds to 10 pounds very slowly which makes it feel like it doesnt have much pull at all...

Didnt get to test out 3rd gear much because the max speed limit near my place is 80km/h on the highway but it seems if i spool in second i cant spool in 3rd and if i spool in 1st i cant spool in 2nd and 3rd (it spools up really late (4500) or not at all)

I hope i didnt confuse anyone :S

note: i dont usually drive the car this hard, it was just for testing purposes.

Austarion

Turbo only spooling sometimes

Turbo only spooling sometimes

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