Buyin new dsm small worries

[zachwilliams02]

Ok so I'm looking at this talon tsi that is almost rust free. It has a wide and and a 16g fuel pump and other bits. Well I can see a small oil leak around the head by the thermostat. I had the guy start the car and run it for like a min and I didn't see any oil dripping or anything like that it was more like a moist sludge buildup. Should I be worried about this?

 

[sapper12b]

Could just be a valve cover gasket, very common. If you have the means to do a compression test, do it. How many miles are on the car, what year? Did you drive it at all?

 

[zachwilliams02]

I didn't drive it I rode in it and it drove great. 10miles literally 10 on a new transmission with paperwork and 50k on the engine. It does have a cracked valve cover but over by the belts so it may be from that but it is jammed full of rtv thanks for the quick reply. It's a 97

 

[sapper12b]

I would say do a compression test if you can. Mine had a nasty oil leak in the same area, it was a valve cover gasket that had been bad for a while. Reciepts are nice, especially for the tranny and engine. I would highly recommend doing a timing belt and all components if you do buy it. Mine snapped about 2 weeks after I purchased. Good luck.

 

[zachwilliams02]

Yea I will I actually just got a whole engine gasket set for my build so I have extras it also has this weird apex I turbo timer with a wideband integrated in it and finally what are the numbers on a 16 g he says it has a evo turbo but this Kidd is a mustang kid that daddy buys him everything he points his finger at. T me itjust looks like a 14b

 

[sapper12b]

Ahhhhh yes, one of those. I know there is alot of info on this forum on how to tell if its a real mhi 16g or not.

 

[NY 95 TSI AWD]

14b and 16g numbers.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-turbo-system-intercooler/313105-16g-serial-numbers.html

 

[zachwilliams02]

I know the numbers but the car was hot when I looked at it so I immidateky burned myself when I went to look at the numbers. Ik my 14 b the last 3 are 030 but I couldnt see the stamped numbers on it. Does a 16g look bigger or no because it looked the same size to me

 

[sapper12b]

I can't tell the difference in the size. If you can pull off the intake pipe and look at the compressor wheel you can tell.

 

[redheadbov]

Best way to verify an oil leak is to clean the whole surface and surrounding areas, then drive for ten minutes or so at varying rpms, then recheck the area and if its something to worry about it will show itself, otherwise its more than likely just some deposits,
+2 on a compression check
also a good thing to do is a vacuum test

 

[sapper12b]

^^^^^^
And a boost leak test.

 

[zachwilliams02]

I think it may have a boost or a vaccume leak because idling at 1k at 14.7 afr it is pulling 15 inch lbs maybe a little more. Now all of the dsm I've owned have pulled around 20 at idle. So it could have one. All of the vaccume lines have been replaced by New red hoses.... Kinda annoying because the person didn't bother tucking them or making it look clean so there are hoses everywhere. And it even has a hose hooked up to every port on the intake. Which is stock haha. Luckely I have a 97 tsi at home already with new headers and 02 housing. Intake and some other things. So I have a bunch of extra parts. He is pretty firm on 4300 but I'm going to point the cracked valve cover. The cruise controll is ripped in half at the rubber bushing.the exhaust manifold has a crack on top of it. And some other small things

 

[1995silvergst]

Pull the dip stick make sure oil looks clean, watch for smoke, check a/c, all lights, make sure valve cover is just a gasket and bolts aren't stripped. Also is the turbo fed from the head or oil filter housing? Do you have a obd2 code checker? Even if no light I check them, look for camber/tire issues, rust in wheel wells or strut towers can be a real pain also.

idling at 1k at 14.7 afr it is pulling 15 inch lbs maybe a little more

Throttle body shaft seals?

 

[sapper12b]

The exhaust mani being cracked could be more than just the mani. My exhaust mani was cracked, then i pulled it all off to find the exhaust housing on the turbo cracked, and the turbo was toast.

 

[zachwilliams02]

the turbo is good with no shaft play and i have an extra ported 14b and ram horn headers at my house. just wanna talk him down on the price.

 

[Breezio69]

Just be straight up with him, he's high on his pricing by about a grand unless its still got better than new paint etc..

My personal experience with buying used cars, especially ones that have just had MAINTENANCE work done on them. They jack the price up by using the cost of recent work done on the vehicle to feel like they came out ahead. But in hind sight, had he not fixed the car he could ask a realistic price and come out ahead, instead of trying to recoupe the cost of recent repairs in his pricing... which any smart person wouldn't pay for someone else's mishaps through the purchase of a car. That car sounds like it has nothing on it that screams pay over book for me... he just made it driveable out of his own pocket.

That's how I see it.

Edit, plus, you've already pointed out problems that would "cost you money" to repair.... had you not had the parts to fix it already. But, you had to pay for the parts sitting waiting to go on it, right? So that's still $$$ out of your pocket to make it right.

 

[zachwilliams02]

Ok so I forgot to clairfy something. It is almost completely rust free which is impossiable to find here in ny. There is one small bubble on the left shocktower which isn't a hole yet so I can patch it and the rear wheel wells have a little bit gone from them on each side. In ny cars are all rusted out. My current project talon has no rockers oh and it was red but the previous owner before the kid I'm looking to get it from spray painted the entire thing matt black...... It was red which I loved on my 95. Is it possiable to sand the black off and get red again

 

[zachwilliams02]

ok so i got it compression tested and im picking it up this weekend. the numbers from left to right were
160, 166, 164, 175. now the oil leak is on the left of the block by the t-stat housing. that is the lowest number but i would think that it would be a ton lower than that. correct me if im wrong?

 

[97blkeclipse]

I believe the service manual calls for no more than 15psi between cylinders. That would be a red flag to me.

 

[Breezio69]

^^^^^ 15% not psi

Did you end up paying his asking price?

 

[zachwilliams02]

Just bought it today 4200 the guy was really firm but ohwell. I'd rather have a reliable dsm and overpay then have a fast one that breaks a lot.