Help with car, no power...

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Ok I install the turbokits.com on my car a little while back. Everything went great and I had it tuned and it only put down 170 to the wheels well I wasn't to happy but either way I had my car and it felt like it had a lot morepower. Lift stills engages for some reason and it's only putting out about 7 psi. There was a bad storm here about a month ago and my car got hyro locked. Just my luck, the insurance replaced the engine with a used 50k motor and it's back where it was tuned the first time and now it's only putting 160 down. The idle was fine on the car, but getting on it and coming to a stop the car bogs down and cuts off. Does anyone know what could be the cause of this?

Also I have a 2003 gts, with the basic turbokits.com kit.

[lVlemphizStylez]

have you boost leak tested the car and checked for exhaust leaks as well?? These things can cripple a turbocharged car...

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Yes the whole car was looked over by the shop, and there wasn't any leaks. They did it before they put it on the dyno

[lVlemphizStylez]

no...did you boost leak test the car...I don't mean did they visually inspect and tighten clamps.. I mean did they pressurize the system and listen for leaks. There is a HUGE difference between the two

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Oh, I'm not sure, I'll look into that. I'll let you know.

[lVlemphizStylez]

Oh, I'm not sure, I'll look into that. I'll let you know.

yeah your clamps can be tight and you can still have a boost leak (silicone coupler didn't sit right on the pipe etc).

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Does anyone know if having a 3in back to the trd exhaust make me lose a lot of power? Also what kind of spark plugs should I run and what gap?
I'm going to install a vacuum manifold once I get my car back, they are going to be replacing the throttle body hoping that will fix the problem.
I will also have a leak test down done to see if I am losing boost, if the gauge is holding at 7psi, I shouldn't have a leak I wouldn't think.

[v3bahumut]

Does anyone know if having a 3in back to the trd exhaust make me lose a lot of power?
A free flowing exhaust is beneficial, but I don't see a huge negative impact going from a 3" to a 2.5" exhaust...nothing like what your seeing.

Also what kind of spark plugs should I run and what gap?
2 ranges colder, most people use NGK or Denso iridium plugs...they come pre-gapped

I'm going to install a vacuum manifold once I get my car back
I don't follow, what is a vacuum manifold?

they are going to be replacing the throttle body hoping that will fix the problem.
Doudbtfull, unless that is where your bleeding boost from

I will also have a leak test down done to see if I am losing boost, if the gauge is holding at 7psi, I shouldn't have a leak I wouldn't think.
Once you have the system pressurised whatever they fill it to, if it holds at that pressure then your fine, if it doesn't then listen to where the leak is coming from and fix it.


If it's not a boost leak then it's something else.
What EMS are you using, and are you sure it's tuned properly?

[CelicaGTSGuy]

I'm not sure if it's getting tuned right, not saying they know they what they are doing. But this is them doing what they are doing. I just have the AEM FIC, nothing to much but it should work just fine. A vacuum manifold is just something you can run all your vacuum lines to instead of having stuff tapped into one line. Makes it cleaner and have a better seal, great investment. Thanks for the input.

[02celica]

With a turbocharged car you want the biggest exhaust you can possible have. Theoretically you want your exhaust to be small coming off the turbo and getting larger as it exits.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040718015215/http://www.vishnutuning.com/exhaust101.htm

Like memphis said though. Check for leaks by pressurizing the system. Last time I saw this done, they unhooked the outlet on the compressor and attached (idk how to explain it) a piece to it, then had that hooked to an air compressor and checked it that way.

Sorry if that doesn't make sense lol.

[v3bahumut]

A vacuum manifold is just something you can run all your vacuum lines to instead of having stuff tapped into one line
Always heard them called vacuum distribution blocks.

[CelicaGTSGuy]

yea I'm going to look into all of that.
I guess it's the same thing.

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Here's my first dyno with the turbo before I hydro locked the engine:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a387/CelicaGTSGuy/IMG_3327.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a387/CelicaGTSGuy/IMG_3326.jpg

[v3bahumut]

That looks more like a bolt on GT-S dyno, not a turbo dyno.

Something is very wrong.

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Yea I know lol

[lVlemphizStylez]

With a turbocharged car you want the biggest exhaust you can possible have. Theoretically you want your exhaust to be small coming off the turbo and getting larger as it exits.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040718015215/http://www.vishnutuning.com/exhaust101.htm

Like memphis said though. Check for leaks by pressurizing the system. Last time I saw this done, they unhooked the outlet on the compressor and attached (idk how to explain it) a piece to it, then had that hooked to an air compressor and checked it that way.

Sorry if that doesn't make sense lol.

http://www.modernperformance.com/images/mpxboostleaktester2.jpg

Here is the piece you saw (or something similar, you can make one easily with plumbing parts and a tire valve). Real POS engine bay they chose to take the picture on

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Yea I'm going to have the shop do it. I'm pretty sure it's losing air at the throttle body.

[TurboKits.com]

Yes it seems exactly like you are not getting the boost to the motor. Have a true boost leak test performed and take it from there...

Yea I'm going to have the shop do it. I'm pretty sure it's losing air at the throttle body.

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Picking the car up today. Going to go over it myself and see what's all wrong.

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Got the car back, there's something's on it that need to be fixed. The place that installed the engine dented one of my intake runners and are going to be getting a new one in. I am going to fix the little things and do the boost leak down test to see what's the problem. My steering also feels real tight and the main thing is it's making whinning sounds like a supercharger, lol. I think it's the powersteering because the fluid for it is really black and low. Details coming up this week, going to be helping my buddy finish up hopefully his hatch and go from there.

[youngxlos]

keep us posted

[lVlemphizStylez]

keeping highly modified cars running at their peak is always a battle man (I go over mine daily)...it never ends. Good luck, don't give up cause the reward in the end is worth the work you're putting in now (nothing is worse than performance gremlins)

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Will do, yea I know it is totally worth it. I love working on my car, just finished up my buddy's charge pipes, his car is coming along nicely. Thanks for all the help,

Kirk

[CelicaGTSGuy]

Update:
So I started looking at the car and first thing I noticed was it had green coolant in it. The charge pipes weren't on very good, and there was a hole in one of them, right by the MAF. I bought a plug at home depot, I took of the charge pipe to the throttle body and there was just a nipple chillin. It's part of the throttle body, on the back side. something for a breather I guess, I capped it off and did the test. The intake and throttle body are good. I also noticed the worst thing, my transmission mount only had the bolt and not the nut on it. People these days, can't even do something right. That's fixed, and just a few more things to go over, and figure out why my radio doesn't work.

Kirk

[youngxlos]

great job, sucks you have to deal with idiots at shops half assing sh1t like always.
main reason i do 99% of my work, so i know im doing it right, and if i fvck up i know who to slap and blame lol
that port you are talking about on the Throttle body has to be blocked off, i made the mistake of not securing the cap that Tk.com sent me and when Jesse was tuning my car i took it to boost and the car turned off and it wouldn't start because of the massive leak.
and did you fix the intake pipe hole by the MAF???
you should consider getting the 3" MAF pipe from TK.com

[lVlemphizStylez]

man a hole in your charge pipe wtf??? I'd slap somebody. Sounds like you found a bunch of significant leaks (one in the charge pipe should have been obnoxious, you should have heard the boost escaping making a winding kind of noise)

[v3bahumut]

I am a little concerned as to how you "plugged" the hole, is it something that is going to stand up to the pressure?


If all your leaks are fixes then it's time for a re-tune now that the boost will actually be reaching the engine.


you should consider getting the 3" MAF pipe from TK.com
He is Running the AEM FIC, the larger MAF pipe is only needed for people using the PFC.

[keebler197]

Does anyone know if having a 3in back to the trd exhaust make me lose a lot of power? Also what kind of spark plugs should I run and what gap?
I'm going to install a vacuum manifold once I get my car back, they are going to be replacing the throttle body hoping that will fix the problem.
I will also have a leak test down done to see if I am losing boost, if the gauge is holding at 7psi, I shouldn't have a leak I wouldn't think.

Just to let you know I have a Magna Flow Exausht which I think is the same thing as the TRD one and I made 237hp. but that is with a PFC.

[CelicaGTSGuy]

I used a aluminum expoy and it works great to fix the hole. The car idles much better now and there no other leaks. It builds 8-9 psi and is much better now. Just need to get a new clutch, it can't hold the power it's making now.

[adosdrummer]

i still have the dbw ported tb/im for sale. ;)