Got a new toy but has some problems, oil leaks, sluggish every now and then

[andymac40330]

So i just got my first dsm and so far i love it. the only problem is that there is an oil leak (the guy said it was the oil pan gasket and the dipstick) and it seems sluggish between 3-4 rpm in 3rd gear up. The modifications are as follows: FMIC, Hard piping all around, HKS BOV, DEJON intake tube w/ K/N filter, and the engine has been rebuilt about 1500 miles ago. now im sure this has been covered before but i didnt see anything specifically like the lagging in the 3-4 rpm range, however if you give me a link it would be greatly appreciated. If no link is availble and someone could help pinpoint the problem that would be awesome too. Thanks in advance

 

[TSiAWD666]

Exhaust leak pre-turbo which would be the exhaust manifold. Check torque on the nuts to the head and nuts/bolts to the turbine housing. also you may have a blown gasket there, or a crack in the exhaust manifold.

 

[andymac40330]

recommended order of checking stuff and fixes?

 

[mygsx2120]

Welcome to the dsm world. You best bet is to just search around on this website. The tech section is extremely informative. Plus you can find just about anything searching the forums. Also check out www.vfaq.com. It will become your best friend.

As for you problem, I would agree it is probably a leak. Take your heat shield off, and tighten everything up. Also, you might as well buy a boost leak tester and see if you are leaking after the turbo also. There are instructions to do all this if you look where I mentioned above.

Good luck , and welcome aboard.

 

[andymac40330]

as far as the oil leaks go, im worried about it because it is slinging oil all the way to the back bumper and my engine is covered in it if i drive it hard. The oil pressure is not dropping at all and i didnt see a noticable difference in the level of oil after about an hour and a half or hard driving. Did notice that the oil dip stick was sticking up about 2 inches when i stopped to look and there was oil all over the right side of the engine well, none on the left side (if your looking from the front). Sorry for all the questions im coming from a 300zx to a turbo talon tsi (95) so im completely in the dark as to the whole dsm and turbo thing. Thanks guys

 

[ricktb]

300zx sweet car, how you compare dsms to this car? anyways, when I bought my talon there was oil everywhere hard to see what is leaking...

I bought like 4 cans of foaming engine degreaser and sprayed down the whole engine top and bottom and pressure watched it off (don't spray electrical components) Now the engine was clean so I can see new oil leaking again right from the spot (I had to replace valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, and also my oil light sender was leaking too) theres a million more ways to leak oil so check everything

also check if dipstick has 2 O-rings on the stem.. Mine only has one and sometimes it pops out to. I need to buy a new one.

Hope that helps.

 

[whiteflash]

do a boost leak test. and are you on the t25?

 

[andymac40330]

well other than the obvious problems (the 300 needed some work too) i love the talon (which has been converted into an eclipse (bumpers, lights and such)). The engine was recently rebuilt and the guy i bought it from said that the oil pan gasket (cork) was leaking and also the dipstick isn't even from a dsm (lost the original in the rebuild) so im hoping this is all it is. if it was the manifold gasket by chance, how hard is this to replace (if i was to do it myself, i have done it on a 3000gt but im completely new to turbos and the 4g63 platform as well). There aren't many people i trust where i live to work on my car so i would like to find a way to do it myself with minimum down time but if you guys recommend a professional look at it i would definatlely respect your opinion. I'm hoping i can find a easy way to fix the dead spot between 3-4 rmp as well. it so wierd, it seems to boost up super fast (to like 15 psi) and it's set up stock, and once it gets to that 15 psi it just sort of levels out and takes forever to get to redline. also when you push it hard it seems to studder a little or something, like it may be misfiring or something. i dont know, ill just have to take what you guys give me and run from there. Thanks again for all your support and i look forward to many years in the dsm world.

 

[andymac40330]

just came to another conclusion that may help diagnose the problem, it seems to put some oil out the exhaust pipe when you rev it hard and also it will not boost up sitting still when reved up to about 5-6 rmp it still shows vac. It seems like it gets worse just setting there.

 

[oldman420]

If you're running 15psi on a stock t-25 with no fuel mods you may be experiancing fuel cut. Try lowering your boost down to 10psi and run it, not as much fun but may be the reason why you lag bad at 3-4 grand and stutter at 5-6

 

[andymac40330]

it has no boost controller on it, is there any other way to do it? also what about the oil coming out of the exhaust? What exactly could that mean?

 

[oldman420]

almost sounds like turbo seals, take your turbo off and if their is a bunch of oil and gunk in there you know the turbo is leaking. cheap fix, turbo re-build kit.

 

[andymac40330]

that would be hard to tell because i have a hellacious oil leak as it is (all over the right side of the engine well) but ill take a look at it and try to see if it is leaking, it seemed ok when i looked a little while ago but i wasn't specifically looking for oil in the turbo.

 

[oldman420]

im not exactly sure if a t-25 has a sealed turbine you would have to ask a 2g guy that question

 

[andymac40330]

could a head gasket cause the psi to drop and oil to come out the exhaust by chance?

 

[andymac40330]

i just went and checked all around the turbo and there is no oil or anything at all on it, i also checked to see if my hoses were all clamped down tight and stuff and everything seems ok, im baffled.

 

[andymac40330]

if im sitting still and i idle up slowly to redline it will not boost up, only shows like 20psi vac. If i punch the gas it will boost back to 0 and no further?

 

[96N/TalonLP]

When you free rev the car, the engine isnt under much of a load so the turbo wont create much if any boost. This is why it reads vaccum when you slowly rev it when you are stopped. When you rev it quickly the engine sees a temporary load which in turn can create very little boost.

 

[D_Roc1320]

yeah I would definitely check everything and if there is a oil leak. Then fix it asap.. cause I learned the hard way in not repairing things as soon as possible.

 

[diddy456]

Stop free reving the car, it will not show boost, only vacum. Your just hurting your engine.

 

[Turbo Talon DL]

It sounds to me like you just bought somebody else's problem(s). Make sure you're using the highest octane possible, (I recommend Shell VPower) check for boost leaks like somebody here has said already. When you take the turbo off to replace it (upgrade while you're at it) buy a heli-coil kit and a 4 layer exhaust manifold gasket. Sometimes the studs like to come loose or just break all together when you torque them to 25 ft/lbs. Torque in sequence also. If you're belching oil from your exhaust, your turbo is bad or your exhaust valve guides/stem seals are fried. It is highly recommended to have your turbo spin-balanced if you decide to take it apart. You're going to have to check for dynamic leaks also. The car should pull hardest after 3-4000 rpm all the way up to at least 6500 rpm, so I would talk to the guy who sold you that car. Let me know if I left something out.

 

[Turbo Talon DL]

it has no boost controller on it, is there any other way to do it? also what about the oil coming out of the exhaust? What exactly could that mean?

Make sure the WG vac line is attached to the turbo outlet elbow and not the intake manifold.

 

[Turbo Talon DL]

if im sitting still and i idle up slowly to redline it will not boost up, only shows like 20psi vac. If i punch the gas it will boost back to 0 and no further?

Fortunately, your car is turbo, not supercharged.

 

[andymac40330]

alright guys thanks alot for all of your help. Sorry i ask so many queistions, im just learning.