Spyder Bought my first DSM and am in quite a situation

[Bladed]

This is a long story and a lot of stuff happened so bare with me, I’m aware I’m kinda at fault for most of this, it’s my first DSM however I have some experience with them from family who owned multiple.

So I went out and bought a 97 GST Spyder with 160k miles, replaced belts, replaced seals, replaced water pump, new Konig backbones and good tires, small oil leak on the right side (seller suspected cross threaded bolt or loose bolt of some sort), a power drain somewhere (suspected something with the convertible so I switched top to manual mode), automatic but it shifted fine, 100% rust free even strut towers, and bone stock besides a 16g turbo. I drove it for about a hour at highway speeds and long story short, I rear ended my friend at maybe about 10mph (owe him a bumper and scuffed up mine but it was super scuffed before so I wasn’t too worried).

The car threw a few lights up but they went away immediately and the car continued to chug along and my friend was in a rush to get home, cut to about an hour later I noticed the low oil light going on and off inconsistently. I went to the nearest gas station since I was also low on gas and picked up a quart of full synthetic that the seller said he was using, I top off the oil use maybe half the quart and then eventually get going again.

Well cut to me driving on the highway, acceleration wasn’t being great so I gave I slowed down and then gave it a little gas and then shortly after car starting being a bit rough then there was pretty distinctly blueish maybe whiteish smoke coming from the exhaust. I immediately pulled over and shut off the car and the battery died while waiting for a tow since I was worried about the timing belt or bent valve stems. I don’t recall hearing any bad mechanical metal on metal type noises but the cabin was so insanely loud at highway speeds I'm not 100%. The tow driver asked to look at the engine bay and there was lots of oil kinda everywhere near but not touching the timing belts and turbo.

Later I take a look at stuff myself and I found a coolant line disconnected from the radiator, at this point I’m suspecting either turbo or headgasket issue primarily and planned on removing the exhaust manifold to see if the ports were wet and to take a closer look at the turbo itself. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get to that part because my neighbor in a large truck backed into the driver side of the car leaving their driveway which messed up my hood, broke the headlight, and messed up the bumper some more.

I do not yet have insurance on the vehicle but was told by an officer that essentially my insurance company should help take care of me with getting it insured even after this. I haven’t yet seen if there’s any structural damage but the neighbor was just backing out of the driveway so I don’t think so, but in this situation I’m not sure what the good ending is as I still need to charge the battery and see if the car even runs. I’m worried that the cost of repair will likely cost more than the car so not sure how I should approach this. I will try discussing with my neighbor and seeing if they are maybe willing to pay for the parts out of pocket and I might just do the labor myself regardless of it being 100% their fault as I found a replacement headlight and hood in the same color however not a front bumper color in the same color.

I would love to see this car live mainly due to the rust free factor and it really did seem like a great project to fix up but not sure which angle to approach this at. Any guidance is appreciated, I’m aware that I was kinda extremely stupid about a lot of this as to be honest I was only really looking out for crankwalk and replaced timing belt, tensioner, 60/120k stuff.

I suspect the coolant line detached when I hit my friend and it overheated but I think it’s more something with the turbo then the headgasket. Any advice is appreciated and im aware It’ll likely be deemed totaled but if it is then I’ll maybe part out some interior pieces and keep the wheels and move on, just really don’t wanna see it go since it’s totally rust free. (I’ll try to add photos soon)

 

[Bladed]

Removed the

Damage definitely looks repairable. I have a 1g, so not familiar with 2g parts availability and price. Unless this was partially caused by you parking in some unusual location, or other compounding factor, your neighbor should make it whole again, no question. It should be his (her?) insurance that covers it, not on you. Although you should still investigate the homeowners policies. We upgraded to an umbrella coverage at my house because it was only slightly more annual premium, and it covers some kinds of liability even away from home.

I’ll ask about the insurance stuff, neighbor was at total fault and they admit it just don’t really want to total out the car if i don’t have to.

I also removed the dipstick tube today and was able to remove the old broken dipstick and replace it with a new one. I had to use my 1/2 inch torque wrench with a 1/2 inch to 3/8 inch adapter and a extension with a 17mm (or maybe 14mm I forgot) socket to remove it without getting under the car. When I removed it I noticed the o ring on the end of the tube had a small chip in it so Ill be getting a new o ring for it and I also noticed the washer for the bolt that holds the dipstick tube is broken and has like a crack in it. I’ll attach a picture but I wonder if this could’ve been causing a small leak.

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[Mello]

I also noticed the washer for the bolt that holds the dipstick tube is broken and has like a crack in it.

To me it looks like a split lock washer not broken.

 

[Bladed]

To me it looks like a split lock washer not broken.

Ahhh probably my bad. I also noticed something odd. Whenever the car is off all the gauges are at 0 but when I turn the car into accessory mode the boost guage goes up like a 1/3 even though the car isn’t being turned over or building boost.

 

[pauleyman]

The factory gage actually zeroes in the middle. At key off the needle should be all the way down. At key on it goes to the middle or "zero" basically. Boost gauge displays both vacuum and boost.

 

[CKOPOCT]

The factory boost gauge is not of much use anyway. Don't rely on it for accuracy beyond "I'm in boost" or "I'm in vacuum." It receives its signal digitally and is not hooked directly to a vacuum/boost source.

 

[Bladed]

The factory gage actually zeroes in the middle. At key off the needle should be all the way down. At key on it goes to the middle or "zero" basically. Boost gauge displays both vacuum and boost.

Ahh alright then mines acting normal. I’m trying to get to the turbo now to inspect it but I’m not sure which pipe is the charge pipe and how to remove it and it’s a little difficult finding threads on it with pictures. Is it the pipe I circled in the picture it?

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[Bladed]

The factory boost gauge is not of much use anyway. Don't rely on it for accuracy beyond "I'm in boost" or "I'm in vacuum." It receives its signal digitally and is not hooked directly to a vacuum/boost source.

I’ll be picking up a guage pod for my a pillar and some proper gauges once I get the car running again for sure it’s just a little hard finding a 3 gauge one for the spyder

 

[dwb]

Ahh alright then mines acting normal. I’m trying to get to the turbo now to inspect it but I’m not sure which pipe is the charge pipe and how to remove it and it’s a little difficult finding threads on it with pictures. Is it the pipe I circled in the picture it?

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Find the air filter and follow it to the turbo. That's your intake snorkle and that's what you need to remove to inspect the turbo. Should be a clamp holding it on the turbo.

 

[CKOPOCT]

I’ll be picking up a guage pod for my a pillar and some proper gauges once I get the car running again for sure it’s just a little hard finding a 3 gauge one for the spyder

I tried to find one and couldn't. I ended up getting a non-spyder pillar pod and used a heat gun to gently heat the pod, then pressed it and formed it using the factory trim as both a form and guide.

 

[Bladed]

I tried to find one and couldn't. I ended up getting a non-spyder pillar pod and used a heat gun to gently heat the pod, then pressed it and formed it using the factory trim as both a form and guide.

thanks for the tip, i'll definitely be doing that once I get the rest of the car fixed and working again, where did you order the guage pod from? All the old threads mention loteks website but either the website is too old and it doesn't work properly or i'll need to email them to place an order.

 

[Mech Addict]

here's a photo of my turbo. It's a 1G, but basically the same. This show's where the boosted air comes out the top, which you circled in your photo. That's called the J-pipe, and is not the one you need to remove. you want the one that goes into the side (which is really the "front" of the impeller housing). I'm not exactly sure how you remove it on a 2G .spider, but it's the big snorkel that runs form the air filter/mass air flow box, and down to the turbo inlet, and is held on each end by hose clamps. It would be quite easy without all the other whatnot in the way. these engines are quite packed in, so sometimes something simple on it's own takes way more steps just to access. Unfortunately on an older car (meaning any dsm) removing other parts can be the last straw in making a deteriorating part finally fail. Like, for instance, the upper radiator hose. It should come off to get it out of your way, but sometimes the rubber gets torn, and has to be replaced. Go slowly, and post questions if you get stuck or something doesn't seem right.
Once you get that snorkel off, you can visually inspect the end of the impeller, and grip the center shaft (not the fins) and try wiggling it with low to moderate force, sideways (radially), and in/out (axially). It shouldn't have much play in either test. It should also spin freely just by twisting with your fingers. If there is binding, or you see evidence that the fins (blades) have been making contact with the housing, you need a new/rebuilt turbo. There also shouldn't be much oil in there, although some is tolerable, at least for a time while you get other issues sorted.

A real boost/vacuum gauge can be handy for tuning when you have the engine otherwise running well. Particularly if you are going to adjust the boost with an aftermarket boost controller, and/or replace the factory tuning program with aftermarket mods that give control of the programing. Again, those are things best done after you get it running well and maintenance up to date (all those old hoses, belts, timing, compression checked, etc.).

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[Mech Addict]

If you haven't yet found and downloaded the Factor Service Manual (FSM), them check here: https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/dsm-maintenance-guide.476550/
Read through all the tips that are in there too.

 

[Mech Addict]

Another good reference is VFAQ.com. The website can be a little squirrely, but the information is helpful.

 

[Bladed]

here's a photo of my turbo. It's a 1G, but basically the same. This show's where the boosted air comes out the top, which you circled in your photo. That's called the J-pipe, and is not the one you need to remove. you want the one that goes into the side (which is really the "front" of the impeller housing). I'm not exactly sure how you remove it on a 2G .spider, but it's the big snorkel that runs form the air filter/mass air flow box, and down to the turbo inlet, and is held on each end by hose clamps. It would be quite easy without all the other whatnot in the way. these engines are quite packed in, so sometimes something simple on it's own takes way more steps just to access. Unfortunately on an older car (meaning any dsm) removing other parts can be the last straw in making a deteriorating part finally fail. Like, for instance, the upper radiator hose. It should come off to get it out of your way, but sometimes the rubber gets torn, and has to be replaced. Go slowly, and post questions if you get stuck or something doesn't seem right.
Once you get that snorkel off, you can visually inspect the end of the impeller, and grip the center shaft (not the fins) and try wiggling it with low to moderate force, sideways (radially), and in/out (axially). It shouldn't have much play in either test. It should also spin freely just by twisting with your fingers. If there is binding, or you see evidence that the fins (blades) have been making contact with the housing, you need a new/rebuilt turbo. There also shouldn't be much oil in there, although some is tolerable, at least for a time while you get other issues sorted.

A real boost/vacuum gauge can be handy for tuning when you have the engine otherwise running well. Particularly if you are going to adjust the boost with an aftermarket boost controller, and/or replace the factory tuning program with aftermarket mods that give control of the programing. Again, those are things best done after you get it running well and maintenance up to date (all those old hoses, belts, timing, compression checked, etc.).

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Lots of super useful information I really appreciate it! Makes way more sense now and I'll be updating as I go with the turbo.
I currently plan on washing the underside and outside of the car from all the grease and dirt tomorrow since it's not supposed to drop back down to freezing temps until the end of this week so once I get the car cleaned up a little, I should be able to make some solid progress. Normally I wouldn't care all that much until I get it fixed but I had to park it in front of my house (busy road) last week during a snowstorm and a ton of salt and dust got caked onto the car besides the mess of oil on the underside so I wanna make sure I clean it up a bit so I can locate the original oil leak and so it doesn't start rusting or anything.
I'm definitely starting to get the whole old parts thing too since yesterday I was fixing my driver's side door (the window switch bezel/vent piece wasn't attached) and the little plastic screw hole thingys that were still intact kept turning into dust if I even looked at them wrong so had to improvise a bit to make the power switches assembly piece fit and stay in the bezel.

 

[Bladed]

Trying to inspect the turbo tonight, removed the radiator hose but can someone circle what I need to remove next before getting to the turbo? I tried looking around vfaq and searching the forum but I couldn’t really find a detailed thread with pictures. I’m about to Jack the car up to replace the oil filter with a oem one so if I need to do it from underneath that’s fine I can send more pictures

 

[Bladed]

Trying to inspect the turbo tonight, removed the radiator hose but can someone circle what I need to remove next before getting to the turbo? I tried looking around vfaq and searching the forum but I couldn’t really find a detailed thread with pictures. I’m about to Jack the car up to replace the oil filter with a oem one so if I need to do it from underneath that’s fine I can send more pictures

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[Bladed]

I also can’t seem to get my dipstick tube back in

 

[Dericsh]

You just need to remove the air intake tube to inspect the turbo.

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[Bladed]

I also can’t seem to get my dipstick tube back in

Got the snorkel off, inspected the turbo, not much in and out play but a bit of side to side, managed to kinda get a videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS5rEILoseU

 

[Bladed]

Got the snorkel off, inspected the turbo, not much in and out play but a bit of side to side, managed to kinda get a videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS5rEILoseU

And got the dipstick tube back in

 

[Bladed]

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once i change the oil filter and get the spark plugs would I be safe just trying to crank it? There's not really any in and out play just the side to side in the video.

 

[luv2rallye]

You've got WAY TOO much side to side turbo shaft play! IMO you've got something broken inside or at least the shaft bearings are wasted. Time to rebuild or replace.

 

[CKOPOCT]

Could you crank it? Sure. If it doesn't fire then you won't do any damage. But as soon as it fires and the exhaust starts flowing, with that shaft play you run a very high risk of breaking stuff in the turbo. It matters because of the bearing wear, bits getting into the oil and intake, etc. You're playing Russian Roulette with your engine. Not worth it. As @luv2rallye said, rebuild or replace before cranking.

 

[Bladed]

Could you crank it? Sure. If it doesn't fire then you won't do any damage. But as soon as it fires and the exhaust starts flowing, with that shaft play you run a very high risk of breaking stuff in the turbo. It matters because of the bearing wear, bits getting into the oil and intake, etc. You're playing Russian Roulette with your engine. Not worth it. As @luv2rallye said, rebuild or replace before cranking.

Is there any way for me to do a compression test with the turbo in its current state before removing it? I assume not but I'm not totally certain. I Still need to change the spark plugs and confirm that the engine isn't seized I just need to go get a spark plug socket first, luckily my local menards had a bunch of ngk bpr6es spark plugs on sale in stock so I was able to grab some yesterday.

Also maybe dumb question but can anyone tell if this bolt looks cross threaded, I have my suspicions that this could be where the original small oil leak was coming from but I'm not totally sure I just suspect that the leak has something to do with the oil filter housing area.

 

[dwb]

You have to pull the MPI fuse before performing compression test so the engine won't fire. No issues doing that with your current turbo issue as long as you have sufficient oil.

That port on the oil filter housing *looks* cross threaded but it is not.