And so it begins, then pauses, then starts again!
04-25-2010, 02:43 PM
#22
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Location: Seattle...I miss Boston
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Back up at 6:20am today.../sigh
Update:
Put the car back together and filled with oil. Test fired and let it idle for around a minute to see what would I was dealing with.
Car runs, but idles like garbage (duh...larger injectors/no tuning), and throws a P0031 code which is "A/F sensor heater current less than 0.8 A. The book says this could be the following:
Will wait a few, grab a drink, move the Mediocre 3000GT out from behind me in the garage, then try to see if it'll run at >30 mph speeds in the neighborhood.
If not...well. I guess I'll have to speed up my "learning how to self tune the F/IC" schedule.
Update:
Put the car back together and filled with oil. Test fired and let it idle for around a minute to see what would I was dealing with.
Car runs, but idles like garbage (duh...larger injectors/no tuning), and throws a P0031 code which is "A/F sensor heater current less than 0.8 A. The book says this could be the following:
- Open in A/F sensor heater circuit
- A/F sensor heater
- EFI relay
- ECM
Will wait a few, grab a drink, move the Mediocre 3000GT out from behind me in the garage, then try to see if it'll run at >30 mph speeds in the neighborhood.
If not...well. I guess I'll have to speed up my "learning how to self tune the F/IC" schedule.
Last edited by One-Nut_McGee; 04-27-2010 at 12:01 AM.
04-25-2010, 03:46 PM
#23
lol, was it the upper or lower one you broke? The upper one (4-wire) isn't an o2 sensor its an A/F-temp sensor (and bout $200) I might add). Hopefully the lower one if its is one of them as its cheaper, I busted mine too. Having done a few headers now, it appreasrs that about 1/2 are factory cross threaded, you might save some time and call around and see if any dealerships have them before you take it out.
04-26-2010, 09:07 PM
#24
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Location: Seattle...I miss Boston
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It was the primary (top) sensor... Are you serious though? They aren't standard 4 wire O2 sensors? If it's just a 4 wire O2 I'm fine and they're only around $100, or a quick trip to the junkyard and some good luck.
Update:
Sorry for the delay, was too busy, then too frustrated, and then waayy too drunk. Here's were we stand right now.
We fired up the tC and drove it around a little, but decided that it was just smarter to not risk it. We've parked it for now with the 630's still installed and I'm borrowing Alex's Prius until we can get this sorted out.
I just got off the phone with Alamo turbo and they're willing to take a look at the turbo and see if they can get the bolts removed. If not, they're a Turbonetics distributor so I'm sure they can get me a replacement housing. While I'm there I might just have them rebuild the thing to make sure the we're starting from brand new seals, but there wasn't too much shaft play so we'll see.
Otherwise, now we just sort of do the leg work until we can get to Turbo Install day: Round 2
Stay tuned.
Update:
Sorry for the delay, was too busy, then too frustrated, and then waayy too drunk. Here's were we stand right now.
We fired up the tC and drove it around a little, but decided that it was just smarter to not risk it. We've parked it for now with the 630's still installed and I'm borrowing Alex's Prius until we can get this sorted out.
I just got off the phone with Alamo turbo and they're willing to take a look at the turbo and see if they can get the bolts removed. If not, they're a Turbonetics distributor so I'm sure they can get me a replacement housing. While I'm there I might just have them rebuild the thing to make sure the we're starting from brand new seals, but there wasn't too much shaft play so we'll see.
Otherwise, now we just sort of do the leg work until we can get to Turbo Install day: Round 2
Stay tuned.
Last edited by One-Nut_McGee; 04-27-2010 at 10:59 PM.
04-26-2010, 11:51 PM
#26
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Location: Seattle...I miss Boston
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Update:
Alamo turbo just called back and it looks like the hot side bearing might be finished as it's out of spec. They going to check with tomorrow when they have more time, but this turbo is journal bearing on the hot side and ball bearing on the cold side...they don't work on ball bearings at this location and even if they did it might be smarter to just buy a new one.
Looking into new units now.
Alamo turbo just called back and it looks like the hot side bearing might be finished as it's out of spec. They going to check with tomorrow when they have more time, but this turbo is journal bearing on the hot side and ball bearing on the cold side...they don't work on ball bearings at this location and even if they did it might be smarter to just buy a new one.
Looking into new units now.
04-27-2010, 02:08 AM
#31
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Location: Seattle...I miss Boston
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Not worried, not upset. Just figuring out the next steps. I paid almost nothing for this kit and I was expecting there to be a lot wrong, so I'm not really worried. I'm still waaaayyy under the cost of a new kit.
The frustrations are mostly from the O2 sensor and the fact that my car is sitting idle right now just waiting for the good stuff. That and the fact that I have to suffer the indignity of driving a Prius around for a week.
The frustrations are mostly from the O2 sensor and the fact that my car is sitting idle right now just waiting for the good stuff. That and the fact that I have to suffer the indignity of driving a Prius around for a week.
04-27-2010, 09:51 PM
#34
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Update:
Alamo turbo confirmed again that the unit is basically screwed and then quoted me some options for next steps.
Did some looking around for prices and specs, then I called Don @ Dezod and had a nice chat with him about sizing and what type of turbo I'd be looking to get the most out of. Waiting to hear back from him on some other side parts I'm going to get from Dezod, but this is the turbo I'm going to replace the blown one with.
I'll be gathering up the Mediocre team on this coming Sunday to go for Turbo Install day: Round 2. I'm going to work on the gauges and other side stuff over the week so that we can get everything done in short order on Sunday.
Alamo turbo confirmed again that the unit is basically screwed and then quoted me some options for next steps.
- Replace the CHRA (center housing + rotating assembly), retain original hot/cold sides. $879
- New turbo. $1300 (!?!)
- Send the unit to their Calgary location to do a full rebuild. $530 + 1 week
Did some looking around for prices and specs, then I called Don @ Dezod and had a nice chat with him about sizing and what type of turbo I'd be looking to get the most out of. Waiting to hear back from him on some other side parts I'm going to get from Dezod, but this is the turbo I'm going to replace the blown one with.
I'll be gathering up the Mediocre team on this coming Sunday to go for Turbo Install day: Round 2. I'm going to work on the gauges and other side stuff over the week so that we can get everything done in short order on Sunday.
Last edited by One-Nut_McGee; 04-27-2010 at 11:04 PM.
04-27-2010, 11:20 PM
#35
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Location: the EVT 425
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check out micturbo in florida. i got an srt4 replacement turbo for
my sisters pt cruiser there. they apparently do good work. and
that turbo cost 600 bucks...(without a core)
http://www.micturbo.com/
my sisters pt cruiser there. they apparently do good work. and
that turbo cost 600 bucks...(without a core)
http://www.micturbo.com/
05-06-2010, 07:06 PM
#38
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Seattle...I miss Boston
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Update:
Ok, so after a looong few days worth of working on the car, working at my job, trying to spend at least a little time with my girlfriend I'm completely exhausted. The kit is in, the new turbo is on the manifold and the pipes are routed. We've got to find a location for the oil cooler, although I think we've got one ready, and finish connection the gauges and vacuum manifold. Otherwise we're pretty much done.
Now, here's the funny part. Now that everything is on the car I'm most likely going to take this kit apart and pick up a new one.
Sayy whaaat?? But, but, but...you're just about to get tuned aren't you!?
The kit is junky which I knew and am ok with (again, I got this kit for ridiculously cheap even after getting a new turbo) and I'm totally fine runnning the car on the streets for daily driving and minor romps. What I'm not fine with is trying to trust this kit to deliver high quality reliable performance on the track...which is really the only thing I want and need from it.
The turbo is brand new, so I know it works. The wastegate and BOV work fine and were tested by Alamo turbo. The intercooler seems to be in good working order (minus the broken bracket) and really I'm pretty ok with the charge pipes now that I smoothed out all the dents and divots the previous owner/installer had mangled into them.
Problems:
The main problems now are with how everything fits (or doesn't fit) together. The downpipe doesn't seat properly against the turbo outlet, the mounting bracket on the lower block, or the wastegate. This is due to the new turbo being marginally wider than the original Turbonetics unit.
The turbonetics turbo had a 90 degree bend at the end of the cold side outlet so that it would fit up with the pipes and clear the starter. The Comp turbo doesn't have this and I don't have a 90 degree silicone coupler handy so we rigged up a flexible 90 degree coupler from a water piping system for the interim.
The Turbonetics turbo must've been mounted a little lower on the manifold and was certainly physically smaller than the Comp turbo I have now. Because of this, the intake pipe leading to the cold side routes directly where the radiator hose is and the only way to mount the intake pipe is to put pressure on the radiator hose. Technically it fits and the pipes all still connect properly (also still clears the hood), but this isn't really an optimal situation to be in.
Solutions:
Downpipe: I can adjust this by putting some time and effort into making it work
Intake pipe: I can fix this by popping off the radiator hose, getting a new hose design to route under the intake pipe, then refill the system
90 degree pipe: I can fix this by getting a proper 90 degree silcione coupler instead of this little temporary fix
What's next:
I'm frustrated, but not nearly as much as I thought I would be. I've already got a good set of injectors, I've got an F/IC, I've got a vacuum manifold and all the gauges I need as well as a new oil cooler. Right now I just want to replace out the actual hardware of the kit. I'm toying with the idea of piecing together a compeletly custom kit, but right now I'm without car and my motorcycle is awesome...but cold and wet to ride to work every day.
I'm also considering the "tuner" kits from Descendant and Dezod. (I looked at Ptuning, but it's ~$1k more than the other two and has nothing special compared to the other two...no thanks). If I were to buy a new kit, I'd have a completely reliable (comparative to the current kit I have) system that I wouldn't feel worried about punishing at the track. If I DO grab the new kit, it'll give me time to go through the old kit and fix all the little annoyances and either sell it once it's fixed or keep it for a future project. Hmmm...lots to think about now.
I'll keep the post updated as there's more news. Stay tuned!
Ok, so after a looong few days worth of working on the car, working at my job, trying to spend at least a little time with my girlfriend I'm completely exhausted. The kit is in, the new turbo is on the manifold and the pipes are routed. We've got to find a location for the oil cooler, although I think we've got one ready, and finish connection the gauges and vacuum manifold. Otherwise we're pretty much done.
(Turbo in the bay! Downpipe not yet attached in this pic)
Now, here's the funny part. Now that everything is on the car I'm most likely going to take this kit apart and pick up a new one.
Sayy whaaat?? But, but, but...you're just about to get tuned aren't you!?
The kit is junky which I knew and am ok with (again, I got this kit for ridiculously cheap even after getting a new turbo) and I'm totally fine runnning the car on the streets for daily driving and minor romps. What I'm not fine with is trying to trust this kit to deliver high quality reliable performance on the track...which is really the only thing I want and need from it.
The turbo is brand new, so I know it works. The wastegate and BOV work fine and were tested by Alamo turbo. The intercooler seems to be in good working order (minus the broken bracket) and really I'm pretty ok with the charge pipes now that I smoothed out all the dents and divots the previous owner/installer had mangled into them.
(Why yes, that IS rope holding up the intercooler while we work on the pipes...stupid broken brackets)
Problems:
The main problems now are with how everything fits (or doesn't fit) together. The downpipe doesn't seat properly against the turbo outlet, the mounting bracket on the lower block, or the wastegate. This is due to the new turbo being marginally wider than the original Turbonetics unit.
The turbonetics turbo had a 90 degree bend at the end of the cold side outlet so that it would fit up with the pipes and clear the starter. The Comp turbo doesn't have this and I don't have a 90 degree silicone coupler handy so we rigged up a flexible 90 degree coupler from a water piping system for the interim.
The Turbonetics turbo must've been mounted a little lower on the manifold and was certainly physically smaller than the Comp turbo I have now. Because of this, the intake pipe leading to the cold side routes directly where the radiator hose is and the only way to mount the intake pipe is to put pressure on the radiator hose. Technically it fits and the pipes all still connect properly (also still clears the hood), but this isn't really an optimal situation to be in.
(Hooray! Interference!)
Solutions:
Downpipe: I can adjust this by putting some time and effort into making it work
Intake pipe: I can fix this by popping off the radiator hose, getting a new hose design to route under the intake pipe, then refill the system
90 degree pipe: I can fix this by getting a proper 90 degree silcione coupler instead of this little temporary fix
What's next:
I'm frustrated, but not nearly as much as I thought I would be. I've already got a good set of injectors, I've got an F/IC, I've got a vacuum manifold and all the gauges I need as well as a new oil cooler. Right now I just want to replace out the actual hardware of the kit. I'm toying with the idea of piecing together a compeletly custom kit, but right now I'm without car and my motorcycle is awesome...but cold and wet to ride to work every day.
I'm also considering the "tuner" kits from Descendant and Dezod. (I looked at Ptuning, but it's ~$1k more than the other two and has nothing special compared to the other two...no thanks). If I were to buy a new kit, I'd have a completely reliable (comparative to the current kit I have) system that I wouldn't feel worried about punishing at the track. If I DO grab the new kit, it'll give me time to go through the old kit and fix all the little annoyances and either sell it once it's fixed or keep it for a future project. Hmmm...lots to think about now.
I'll keep the post updated as there's more news. Stay tuned!