GSX doesn't pull like it should

[1AWD90]

Ok so I installed a manual boost controller in my new gsx that I just picked up. Yeah I have 2 '90 gsx now anyways I installed a manual boost controller and the thing just doesnt seem to pull at all. It has a new evo 3 16g on it and 3in. exhaust, 3in uicp, new ngk plugs. It doesn't matter if I set the boost at 10 or 15 it still doesnt pull for shit. Also when its set higher I get a backfire that I can hear threw the intake not the exhaust. It seems to pull less in 3rd 4th and 5th gear. Also I did a boost leak test and had no leaks. Anyone got any ideas im kinda lost on this one.

 

[NavyP583]

Do you have something to log with? Are you seeing knock?

 

[1AWD90]

I did have a palm I used to log on my other gsx but someone decided they needed that and my stero worse then I did so im shit up a creak with out a logger for now.

 

[Bmxr152]

Sounds like your pulling timing which means your probly getting knock for one reason or another. Check for boost leaks and exaclty how much boost are your running and you have an aftemarket gauge right?

 

[1AWD90]

Yeah I have an after market gauge and right now I have it set at 10 and 12 with the spike ### it seems to be better there then if its set any higher. Also I check for boost leaks lastnight and I didnt have any. I also was thinking I was getting some knock but I have no idea if I got a bad sensor or if I got some bad gas.

 

[diddy456]

Did this just happen after you installed the MBC?

 

[1AWD90]

Yeah, I believe so. I think im gonna try switching it back once but I don't see why it would make a differnce when I'm running the same amount of boost.

 

[don97cc]

Have you checked fuel press. the back fire in the intake sounds alot like a lean missfire

 

[Apeximprt2nr]

I would check for shaft play in the turbo. Are you running atleast 91 octane? Is the car stumbling, bucking or anything? Hook up a logger and see from there.

 

[1AWD90]

turbo is brand new from dsmparts.com so I know its good. It does stumble some but it seemed to do that before I changed the IC. I put a differnt stock sidemount on and that helped some. I don't have a logger anymore because somone stole it out of my other gsx. Guess im gonna have to break down and buy another. As far as gas almost 80% of the time I can only get 90octane sometimes only 89octane my area in MN sucks for good gas. My other gsx ran fine one 90-89 but I had my logger then.

 

[oldman420]

Try an octane booster next time you fill up. I do agree that it may be running lean, with my big 16g i used to run a little lean and thats with 93 octane. My new injectors pump and afpr will fix that for next summer though.

 

[1AWD90]

Ill give that a try. But I wish I could burn airplane fuel. Because I can get that easy. I dont even member the octane but I know its really high. However, I just order a logger from obdloggers.com so hopefully it will get her soon god for bid if I have to drive my 1.8L while my gsx are down but atleast thats reliable.

 

[Talesin]

Octane boosters don't really help... 10 octane points per octane number on the pump. So you'll get a fractional boost with just about every product on the market.

Is your MAS hacked? It definitely sounds like you're running lean, especially if you're only using 89 (hell, 91 is enough of a PITA out here!), and a hacked MAS will only contribute to the problem, using crap gas like that (a hacked MAS runs leaner, and you need to run a lot richer to prevent knock with crap gas). Sounds like you're just knocking like mad, pulling timing, and risking damaging your engine. Not supposed to use less than 91 octane for a reason with these cars.

 

[1AWD90]

Yeah I know but 91 is a ***** to find around here. Yeah it's hacked the lower honey comb is removed and the screw is turn all the way out. I'm gonna go to a bigger town they got some 91 octane there and try that for the hell of it tell my logger comes. Maybe ill stop and pick up an a/f gauge. Because if im running as rich as you say that should tell me that atleast right? Because I dont wanna go threw the work of pullin my wideband outa my other car.

 

[Bmxr152]

yeah octane booster dosnt really work. Get a logger, there only like $30 on ebay, and does it pull alright and then once it hits boost it starts to fall on its face?

 

[1AWD90]

Yeah I guess you could say it's something like that. Theres no extra power from the boost in the top 3 gears.

 

[1AWD90]

So last night I drove to a near by town and found some 92 octane. I filled up because I had under a 1/4 tank. However, it still seems to be the same. Maybe just a bit better. But it is wierd because some times it pulls good and other times it just falls on it's face. I also noticed that the stock gauge only goes to about 8. I know there pointless but before I always thought it went to 14 at WOT. My after market gauge peaks to about 11 then holds at 9-10. Anyone got anymore ideas for me to try my logger should be here tuesday.

 

[stomp]

How noisy are your lifters,I'm not sure about your year of car.but my car does the same thing with noisy lifters,might be the phantom knock

 

[Black_Bullet]

Try an octane booster next time you fill up. I do agree that it may be running lean, with my big 16g i used to run a little lean and thats with 93 octane. My new injectors pump and afpr will fix that for next summer though.

Octane boost doesnt really do shit .

How noisy are your lifters,I'm not sure about your year of car.but my car does the same thing with noisy lifters,might be the phantom knock

Not likely. Youd need something like rod knock or ign knock or sever vibrations for it to pull timing or get phantom knock. Buying a new knock sensor and making sure its tightened in correct spec could help though....

So last night I drove to a near by town and found some 92 octane. I filled up because I had under a 1/4 tank. However, it still seems to be the same. Maybe just a bit better. But it is wierd because some times it pulls good and other times it just falls on it's face. I also noticed that the stock gauge only goes to about 8. I know there pointless but before I always thought it went to 14 at WOT. My after market gauge peaks to about 11 then holds at 9-10. Anyone got anymore ideas for me to try my logger should be here tuesday.

Hook it back up like it was before and see how it runs then put the mbc back on.
Confirming that you have no boost leaks, good ignition timing *( timing marks dead on.)
Good compression, no smoking, no shaft play on the turbo, a bov that isnt leaking,
and checking your spark plugs after a pull to check for a overly rich or lean condition should put you in the right direction after you do all that...
Confirm that your mass isnt jacked up, and that your ecu harness is plugged all the way in tightly ( One of my harness connectors was half way in one and caused me to run like shit.) Also open up the ecu make sure there isnt acid damage on the board from leaking capacitors that could give a abnormal condition in the state of tune if its going haywire.
Then check your throttle body as well to make sure its going completely open under wot,
even get some tb cleaner and spray in there. And make sure your coil pack is firing properly and that your spark plugs are getting full voltage, a cracked, ripped wire can cause a decent power loss if its leaking voltage in the high rpms....
Also i hope your smart enough to know if your clutch is slipping or not, that will make it rev up but not move that fast, and if thats not the case make sure all your tires are rotating correctly and in sync with each other while the car is off the ground jacked up with all fours in the air... That will make sure your not getting drag from a broken awd system. And after you do all that you should be able to figure out your problem.

Also how fast does it boost, try to see what rpms you get full boost,
because a defective mbc can cause you to boost too slow or too fast, or too much or too little...

Good luck.

 

[1AWD90]

I just thought about the vibration causing the knock sensor to have a readding and pull timming because it has a strange vibration once you get to about 3k that last tell redline. I have yet to figure that out almost sounds like a bad exhaust leak. However, I cant pinpoint the sound sometimes its sounds like the front of the motor in sometimes the back.WTF

I had it serviced right after I bought it well my mechanic whos also a good friend did it at my shop because he owed me. He did the timing belt and all that jazz so I know thats on. I know the turbo is good because I just got it from dsmparts.com. I know there is 0 boost leaks just checked that and I pulled my brand new rebuilt ecu out of my other 90 gsx.

I see boost as low as 2400 usually full boost around 3500. I almost one bet its that damn vibration anyone have an idea of what could be causing it? Thank you everyone for your help so far.

 

[Talesin]

Narrowband A/F gauges are useless. Don't bother. All they do is tell you that your O2 sensor is still good and cycling.. aside from that, they're a total waste of money.

I said you need to be running richer, not that you are running rich. With a hacked MAS, you're running lean. You can only run leaner safely with higher-octane fuel. I REALLY hope only the lower honeycomb is gone. Turn in that screw as far as you can get it, too... turning it out leans the car out even more. You should consider getting an un-hacked MAS if you're forced to use crap gas.. though you really should make the sacrifice and switch solely to 92 octane. It's what your car was designed for.. anything under 91 (and even that's borderline) is just asking to blow your engine, if you boost on it at all.

What you need to do is reset your ECU... it's 'learned' that you're using crap gas. You still have some mixed in with the 92, but it's better than it was, at least. Open the fusebox near your left foot in the passenger cabin, and remove the lower-rightmost fuse. Wait two minutes, then put it back in and close up the box again. Congrats, you've reset your fuel trims and lost all your radio settings. But you should feel a lot more oomph, without all that assumed knock.

Phantom knock can be a problem, yes. If you have a datalogger cable, log for knock and do a pull. If your knock sensor hasn't been replaced in recent memory, change it out... the original ones DO go bad, the rubber degrades and all the fluid leaks out, and they see knock at random, as well as when the engine actually knocks.

 

[1AWD90]

Yeah sorry I ment lean not rich. My upper honey comb is intact. Im moving to laramie on thursday so I will be able to run 92 octane all the time thank god. Also, my new logger will be here monday so I will be able to tell whats going on then. However, in the mean time my water pump decided it was it was time to move on. So im gonna pull that apart and double check my timming. Also I think my balance shaft maybe 180deg off. off causing my vibration. From what I have read thats what seems to cause a vibration around that rpm. Is this correct?

 

[Talesin]

Just make sure to reset your ECU, to see the most gains from switching to good fuel. The ECU won't have to 'creep' back to zero on the trims, it can just work toward whatever is appropriate for the new fuel.
And no idea on the b-shaft... of the three engines in this car, none of them had one; and on my former GS-T it was set right.

 

[1AWD90]

Well ill rest the ecu tonight thanks for the help man!

 

[1AWD90]

Hey everyone thanks for the help my balance shaft was off 180deg. so I got that taken care of a new harmonic balancer and a new upper motor mount because of the damn balance shaft. But everything came together nice. Got my logger and got her tunned and left for school made it out here with no trouble 800 miles But I got 33 mpg driven between 65 and 85