fuel problem (long)

[jaders]

My car does not seem to have much power in the top end. I just installed a stage 3 eprom chip. The factory boost guage is set up to run as an o2 volt guage. When I let into the gas the guage will get burried at 0 volts.It will continue to stay that way until I let up off the gas enough so that my vacuum is at 28-30 psi. When the guage finaly adjust back to the middle I can feal a slight kick. Now I know I should have a logger but at this time I have no money to buy one. I can only use what I currently have. I thought it might be a clogged fuel filter. Replaced that,(man was that a pain). I installed a fuel pressure guage on the filter. With the vacuum hose attached it reads 31 psi. A bit lower then what the manuel says but not much.When I take the vacuum hose off, it only read 39 psi about 6 psi lower then what the manuel says. Is this what could be causing my problem? I have 122000 miles on my talon.I have no idea what has been done other then what I have done myself.I just replaced the timing belt,balance belt,tensioner pulley,tensioners,harmonic balancer,fuel filter,spark plug wires,spark plugs.I would like to add that I first put bosch plat. in and only had them in there one month.then I put in the ngks in. I went back and looked at the bosch's and they are smoke white. Another sighn that my car is and alwys has been running lean. When I replaced the valve cover gasket I noticed that the head looked realy good. Real clean. I think I have a clogged cat and I know that I have at least one broken exhaust manifold bolt. Could this also affect my top end power?I have rewired my fuel pump and am only running 10 max psi and around 8 psi after I reach about 4500 rpms. I have not checked for boost leaks.I am just trying to figure out a game plan.Right now my concern is that I am running lean.I would grealtly appreciate any help. Also how much would it cost for a pocket logger and pda? I have been looking on ebay but they only seem to have them for the obd1. thanks jaders

 

[GTM]

Originally posted by jaders
My car does not seem to have much power in the top end. I just installed a stage 3 eprom chip. The factory boost guage is set up to run as an o2 volt guage.
...

I have rewired my fuel pump and am only running 10 max psi and around 8 psi after I reach about 4500 rpms. I have not checked for boost leaks.I am just trying to figure out a game plan.Right now my concern is that I am running lean.I would grealtly appreciate any help. Also how much would it cost for a pocket logger and pda? I have been looking on ebay but they only seem to have them for the obd1. thanks jaders

Woah! Slow down here a min. You have tossed so many things out that no one can help you.

You have done all these mods and not proofed the car as you went along it would seem??? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you need to back up a bit, restore to known running condition and then add them in one at a time to see which is giving good performance and which is not.

As if that's not enough to confuse anyone in one place you report the fuel pressure is around 30 and another place it's 10. At 10 the car probably wont run so give us a break and make sure we understand who, what, why, and where.

Not trying to be flip just need some logic of what sounds like a hornets nest or can of worms.

Cheers,
GTM

 

[NOSLO2PT0]

You got mad boost leaks!!!!

 

[jaders]

Originally posted by GTM


Woah! Slow down here a min. You have tossed so many things out that no one can help you.

You have done all these mods and not proofed the car as you went along it would seem??? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you need to back up a bit, restore to known running condition and then add them in one at a time to see which is giving good performance and which is not.

As if that's not enough to confuse anyone in one place you report the fuel pressure is around 30 and another place it's 10. At 10 the car probably wont run so give us a break and make sure we understand who, what, why, and where.

Not trying to be flip just need some logic of what sounds like a hornets nest or can of worms.Sorry I have done a few mods but never relized that I was running lean.The stage 3 eprom chip was the last thing I did to my car, besides doing the fuel filter. As far as the 10 psi I was talking about boost.I run max 10 pounds of boost and 8 pounds of boost at 4500 and beyond. I noticed today that the o2 volts drop to .0 after I boost over 5 psi. It does not matter how soft or how hard I press the pedal down. At idle the car runs about .6 to .8 volts. Is this too rich? could this be a bad fuel pump? ^^^^^ boost leak?? how can you tell from what I have said in the above post???Thanks for any further input

Cheers,
GTM

 

[jaders]

That did not turn out how I had planned. Sorry... I did all these mods not knowing that my car was running lean.The last mod I did was the chip.That is when I found out that I was running lean. I added the fuel filter and guage hoping this would fix my problem.Only to find out that I was not getting the correct fuel pressure as stated in my manuel.As far as the 10 psi I was refurring to boost. I run a max psi of 10 pounds of boost.. I noticed today that the volts on the o2 drop to zero if i go above 5 pounds of boost. It doesn not matter how soft or hard I press the pedal. Thanks for any further help. ^^^^ How can you tell I have a boost leak from what I have said in the above post?????

 

[NOSLO2PT0]

Originally posted by jaders
How can you tell I have a boost leak from what I have said in the above post?????

By looking at your base fuel pressure. The more leaks you have in the intake system, the lower your base fuel pressur will be. Base should be 43psi with the line OFF. Imagine this: Take a straw, put one end into your mouth, and plug the other end with your finger. Now suck. The suction you feel on your finger is vacuum, same thing the engine does at idle. Now, lets recreate a boost leak in your straw by cutting a slit into it. Now do the vacuum test again. The suction you feel against your finger will be much less because the system (the straw) is no longer closed. It has openings where air can get in.

Go get a boost leak tester and test your system. Crank it up so the boost gauge will read a steady 30psi. Listen for leaks and spray soapy water on EVERY SINGLE place air passes through. Where you have leaks, you will seebubbles.

 

[jaders]

I will try this. Do you think that it would have something to do with why my o2 guage is .0 volts when I boost over 5 psi??? To my understanding the o2 volt guage is the same thing as a a/f guage. So I don't know how accurate it is, but if the o2 is reading no volts then something should still be wrong. I used paper gaskets on my 1g tb, do you think that could leak???

 

[NOSLO2PT0]

Be a hero and spend the $8 for both gaskets from the DEALER!!

 

[jaders]

Thanks for your help. I will throw on my red cape and fly to satan and buy the real gaskets super

 

[jaders]

It only took till about 3psi before I found my first leak. Turns out on my dejon tools uicp were it welds to flange for the tb, is cracked. Now I have to take that apart and get it welded again and then I get to check for leaks at higher psi. 3 psi no wonder my car has been driving like sh@%.