97 GSX bad turbo?

[tweek814]

Hey guys, im going to look at a car this weekend. Its a 97 GSX auto. 153k. He only wants $1800 for it.


The guy says that the only problem with it is it has a bad turbo. I have never owned a boosted car but am slightly familiar with the concept, thats about it. So what im asking of you guys is, How do i check to see for sure that the turbo is bad? Besides smoking, no boost pressure, and checking for left/right play in the turbine? And could a bad turbo cause any other problems in the motor?

If the turbo does in fact need replaced, should i replace it with a stock turbo, or are upgraded turbos available that bolt right up with the stock manifolds/lines?

Also, anything else i should look for in a 4G63T, or 2g in general?



Oh yeah, the car is a good hour and a half away, would i be ok driving it home if it is in fact a bad turbo.

thanks in advance.

 

[tweek814]

i just took it for a ride today, it will go over 45 it really drives fine.. it just has no power, the boost gauge actually goes up a little, almost to 5psi.. the entire car is just reeeaaallly slow. other than that it is a really sound car. especially for the mileage.

i pulled off the intake pipe from the turbo and tried to check the shaft for play with my fingers, couldn't get it to budge left right up or down. like i said tho i could only use my fingers so, hard to say atm.

im gonna try and drive it home, once i get it ill get to take a little more in depth look at it. probly gonna do a blt before anything else.


how do i check the wastegate arm clip?

 

[1993eclipseGS]

Just look at the wastegate arm, And follow it to the turbine housing, Where it connects to the little arm. If it is not on there, You need to CONNECT IT, And put a cotter pin through the whole, To have it stay connected.

It sounds like either the wastegate arm is not connected, Or it has a bad wastegate actuator, OR a vac line is messed up somewhere, Or a boost leak.

 

[tweek814]

well i grabbed the wastegate arm and tried to pull it in and out of the wastegate by hand and it wouldnt move.. so that means it is probably connected right?

the boost gauge shows good vacuum, and goes up to probably 3psi of boost as you accelerate. but it really doesnt miss or act up like there is a vacuum leak or anything.


i want to get a fmic regardless. that would fix a boost leak as long as its not past the throttle body right?

 

[1993eclipseGS]

Sounds like a bad wastegate actuator, Or a criss-crossed/un-connected vac line.

 

[tweek814]

so my actuator could be causing my wastegate to be stuck open? should i be able to open/close wastegate by manually moving the actuator arm in and out by hand? i tried this and it didnt move, maybe i didnt pull hard enough.

how exactly would i go about checking the wastegate/actuator?

thanks for all the help guys, its much appreciated

 

[1993eclipseGS]

It would take probably both hands, (or visegrips), But you should still be able to move the actuator (even if only a small amount), Both toward the drivers side of the car, And then it should move back to where it belongs, Toward the passenger side of the car.

I have stock actuators for both t25 and 14b+, Type mitsubishi turbos if you need one to see if that is the problem.

I had this problem on a car and the wastegate actuator arm was not connected to the flapper on the turbine housing, The cotter pin fill out, And the actuator slipped off the little ''stub'' of the flapper arm on the turbine housing. Car ran GREAT, Just no boost.

 

[tweek814]

i got her home!!

$1700 + taxs tags etc.

runs like a champ not under boost.

a friend followed me home, and any time i left the car boost whatsoever, he said that it began throwing black smoke. but it was dark out so it could have been blue? idk gonna double check tm.

if its black smoke thats fuel right? could it just be running rich because im not getting any boost?

also you can hear a really loud whisper or whoosh when boosting. almost like a really bad boost leak.

gonna do a blt tm, and considering a new turbo.

 

[wishnfor4g63T]

Thats awesome you bought that car man! great deal, get some pictures and videos of whats going on an we can help you out alot. be very thorough with your search make a boost leak checker! you will not be disappointed!

 

[1993eclipseGS]

I still believe it's a boost leak, Or just a faulty wastegate actuator. I do not think it's the turbo itself. It should still build boost even it if were bad, As long as the wheel spun, And the actuator was not bad.

 

[fran_drivertsi]

post some pics up! under the hood etc

 

[gsgoingT]

how do you check for incorrect vac connections, or is there some kind of map? I replaced all of my vac hoses, replaced 1 by 1 all where old ones were connected, but at the solenoids I'm a little concerned. I have 2 solenoids but there is a slot for third one and I have that one as extra part, just another part I got when I bought this car 91gsx5speed it also came with a new cluthch.

 

[tweek814]

I still believe it's a boost leak, Or just a faulty wastegate actuator. I do not think it's the turbo itself. It should still build boost even it if were bad, As long as the wheel spun, And the actuator was not bad.

Yeah I would have to agree. You can hear it boosting but it sounds like, well the only way to describe it is, it sounds like all the boost pressure is just spraying right out under the hood on the passanger side. And as this is happening the exhaust is smoking badly, and a strong burning smell, but doesn't smell like oil?

Will take some pics tonight. Thx

 

[1993eclipseGS]

It could be fuel. The car could be running extremely rich do to the boost leak.

 

[tweek814]

sorry didnt get around to taking any pics tonight, but i do have some good news.

its fixed. it was a bad, BAD boost leak. one of the ic pipes was completely disconnected

i did a boost leak test and couldnt hear anything, but luckily i noticed some duct tape under the air cleaner box... wrapped around the ic pipe. i was like wtf? and when i pulled out the air cleaner box i noticed that the pipe was completely disconnected, and that a previous owner (for some reason) had duct taped the ic pipe??

anyways, now runs perfect.. boosts good up to about 14 psi.. needs a little tlc here and there but, $1700!! talk about a steal

 

[1993eclipseGS]

As I said in my first post on the first page, A very bad boost leak.

Glad you fixed the problem.