My New 93 Talon TSi AWD

[fourgsixthree33]

Hey guys. I am new here but not new to DSM's. I have had a few non turbo 1G DSM's in the past and finally got a Tsi Awd. The day I went down to get it, I got a text at 4am from the girl I bought it from and she said it wouldnt start. So later on in the morning, I talked to her dad and he said it was not getting spark. I pulled the ECU and it looked great. Then swapped the CAS. Still nothing so then we swapped the coil and it fired right up.

Checked everything over and drove her home. A 3 hour trip that was very nerve racking. I was just paironoid. The chicks dad told me it runs 35lbs of boost. Thats crazy for a street use car. So I need to change that. He also told me that he rebuilt the engine. Aftermarket cams, all new and upgraded internals. I am having him make a list for me of everything he did to it. He says it has 425awhp as he had it dynoed.

On the way home, I was getting close to home so I got on her a little. I just heard a pop. I knew right away what it was. IC Pipe popped off. The clamp was loose so I reclamped it and no problems with that again.

There is some turbo lag that is more frequent while using overdrive. It usually runs great but once in a while, it will bog down.

Looking for some help on fixing the turbo lag. This is an all new thing for me. How do I check boost leaks, etc.

But other than that, this thing drives very smooth. The engine is crazy smooth. Idles awesome, no surge, very clean engine. Engine has very low miles as it was rebuilt not too long ago. Which is a great thing because I feel I could drive to florida and back if I had to. This will come in handy for the 2011 Shootout
Here are some new pics. I have cleaned her up a bit since these pics.

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[MichaelSuch]

Did you line up the crank too? the valves would be hitting the pistons with it being 9 teeth off. The timing belt may have been replaced but was the hydraulic tensioner changed out? That's what fails 75% of the time and causes the belt to jump.

 

[91_GSeX]

i kno its been said but yeah theres no way that thing is even pushign 250whp

it looks like it has exhaust and thats it
theres no way with stock IC piping, intake, and all that it's making anywhere near that but for a running/driving awd dsm for $700 you did very good.
clean it up and do new plugs/wires/timing hardware&belt/other general maintenance.

Then start modding!

 

[fourgsixthree33]

Did you line up the crank too? the valves would be hitting the pistons with it being 9 teeth off. The timing belt may have been replaced but was the hydraulic tensioner changed out? That's what fails 75% of the time and causes the belt to jump.

Not sure if the tensioner was replaced. A shop did it. I will take a picture of the cam gears. But I know how they are supposed to line up. Both marks are supposed to line up with eachother.

 

[cookmeup272]

They are supposed to line up when the car is at TDC. Those two dots will line up when the crank is lined up and the oil pump is lined up (assuming there are still balance shafts in there)

 

[spooln4fun]

I would find out which shop did it, then ask them for a list of things they replaced. Hopefully they wont pull your chain like the seller did. Pretty decent buy over all.

 

[fourgsixthree33]

Well the timing marks on the cam gears are way off. Like I said, about 9 teeth. I know these things run like crap with just a few teeth off but with 9 teeth off, it definitely wouldn't run. I just dont understand why it runs so well being that far off.

 

[wkmitsu]

I'm not going to lie, it looks like pretty much everything on that car needs to be gone through. It looks stock besides your exhaust, so I highly doubt it's even pushing 300 whatever whp like that girl told you, let alone the 400 something whp that the dad told you. Everyone has been hounding you about maintinence and I'm sorry but I'm going to do the same thing. Change your timing belt and balance shaft belt and all the components for those regardless of whatever they told you about them. Do all the little stuff: fuel filter, air filter (or clean it at least), PCV valve, clean the MAF, drive belts, spark plugs, plug wires, change fluids, etc. Inspect your brakes and change anything thats necessary. If theres a MBC on there back it off all the way until everything is good to go and you have a boost gauge to monitor the boost level. Check for boost leaks. Check the turbo for shaft play. Fix any and all fluid leaks. Look over the suspension components: struts, control arms, tie rod ends, sway bar links, etc. If you have a CEL, address whatever is causing that. Theres a lot of things that can be causing your bad gas milage. Doing all the maintinence is going to help everything work better. Don't even think about performance upgrades until all the maintinence is done. At this point maintinence will be upping the cars performance anyway. Good luck.

 

[fourgsixthree33]

I'm not going to lie, it looks like pretty much everything on that car needs to be gone through. It looks stock besides your exhaust, so I highly doubt it's even pushing 300 whatever whp like that girl told you, let alone the 400 something whp that the dad told you. Everyone has been hounding you about maintinence and I'm sorry but I'm going to do the same thing. Change your timing belt and balance shaft belt and all the components for those regardless of whatever they told you about them. Do all the little stuff: fuel filter, air filter (or clean it at least), PCV valve, clean the MAF, drive belts, spark plugs, plug wires, change fluids, etc. Inspect your brakes and change anything thats necessary. If theres a MBC on there back it off all the way until everything is good to go and you have a boost gauge to monitor the boost level. Check for boost leaks. Check the turbo for shaft play. Fix any and all fluid leaks. Look over the suspension components: struts, control arms, tie rod ends, sway bar links, etc. If you have a CEL, address whatever is causing that. Theres a lot of things that can be causing your bad gas milage. Doing all the maintinence is going to help everything work better. Don't even think about performance upgrades until all the maintinence is done. At this point maintinence will be upping the cars performance anyway. Good luck.

Thanks for the info. Yea maintinance is always my number one priority with any vehicle. As for the upgrading, I dont really want to do much at all. It is my daily driver. Not my race car. There really is no need to do too many upgrades on this. Maintinance is 110% most important.

First thing I need to do is get this running right. Hopefully the mantinance work will fix it. I have been changing clamps, cleaning things off, taking things off and looking at them, etc. I will pick up some fuel injector cleaner today as well. I cant do much until my next pay check. But I am getting a boost gauge next week. I guess you could consider that to be on the maintinance list.

 

[fourgsixthree33]

Alright so my sputtering/missfire/bucking problem only occurs when I am driving in gear. When I am in park or neutral, the car sounds great when I rev it up a few times. There is no sputter or anything at all. This only happens when I am in gear. I have searched and searched on here and couldn't find anything that sounded similer to my problem.

Also, when I am driving and it starts to sputter, I back off the throttle, get on the throttle again smoothly and slowly, back off the throttle, then back on until eventually the sputter goes away. This is a very odd problem and would like to see if you guys have any input.

 

[PWR4HIM]

Good find for 700 bucks, but i agree with everyone else is that it looks like the exhaust is the only aftermarket part on the whole thing. I wouldn't be surprised if it was completely stock other than the exhaust. Do some good maintanance before you start any mods

 

[fourgsixthree33]

Thanks. I really hope everything else is stock. Just so that I know what is what. I will take the valve cover off soon and take a picture of the cams. Supposedly, they are aftermarket. Along with the injectors.

 

[MichaelSuch]

I would hope the injectors are factory with factory tuning. If they are aftermarket injectors with factory tuning that could be a bad deal. The sputtering is probably due to boost leaks. I wouldn't do anything until I do a boost leak test. And changing the plugs would be a good idea. Out of the 3 DSMs I have bought all of them had some shitty champion plugs in them.

 

[fourgsixthree33]

Would the BR7ES or BPR7ES plugs be a good choice? I have heard they are descent for our cars and can be bought at Advance pretty cheap.

 

[cyclonekid77]

Get the BR7ES.

 

[Clinical]

get the BR6ES

BRP7ES is really only necessary for higher boost.

 

[fourgsixthree33]

Alright good to know.

 

[1gdsmftw]

my car bucked under boost for some time...turned out my maf was shot!

stop posting on here and fix your stock car (not trying to be a dick...)
as stated...

- timing belt and pullies and tensioner
- fluids
- plugs and wires
- leaks
- check all vacuum lines for leaks
- check all air gaskets for leaks (jpipe intake manifold, throttle body etc)
- blt with soapy water when engine is cold will do you the best job when looking for vac and boost leaks believe me
- make sure you check your rear difs fluid level...all u need is a rear dif seizing up on the highway one day

and btw our cars stock get like 25mpg so if you are only seing 10mpg then your car is horribly whacked out....

as far as the timing marks did you make sure you were in the right stroke? if you arent your cams will be off....and when u say off..your sure the pins are pointing straight up right? if you are 9 teeth off no questions asked you will destroy your engine....as soon as you turn the key

1/2 a tooth off runs like crap, 1 tooth off runs like even worse crap, anything higher is broken valves

 

[TSI from Hell]

Yea I am getting a list of the mods. The injectors are 450's. The turbo is just a small t5. Stock side mount intercooler. He said he didn't know what cams were in it. I guess he didn't put those in because they were in there when he got the car for his daughter. It idles like they are 272's. But yea, the only other thing I know that is for sure done to it is the 4" exhaust.

Btw, I only payed $700 for it. So I think it was well worth it. I want something close to stock so I can upgrade things myself. Then I know what's done to it and I learn in the process.

Wow, they seriously hyped the car's performance ...

No way that talon would make 300hp on 450's... You got it for a decent price; like everyone else said, just give her some love, do all the maintenance and start modding it properly.

 

[fourgsixthree33]

my car bucked under boost for some time...turned out my maf was shot!

stop posting on here and fix your stock car (not trying to be a dick...)
as stated...

- timing belt and pullies and tensioner
- fluids
- plugs and wires
- leaks
- check all vacuum lines for leaks
- check all air gaskets for leaks (jpipe intake manifold, throttle body etc)
- blt with soapy water when engine is cold will do you the best job when looking for vac and boost leaks believe me
- make sure you check your rear difs fluid level...all u need is a rear dif seizing up on the highway one day

and btw our cars stock get like 25mpg so if you are only seing 10mpg then your car is horribly whacked out....

as far as the timing marks did you make sure you were in the right stroke? if you arent your cams will be off....and when u say off..your sure the pins are pointing straight up right? if you are 9 teeth off no questions asked you will destroy your engine....as soon as you turn the key

1/2 a tooth off runs like crap, 1 tooth off runs like even worse crap, anything higher is broken valves

I get paid by-weekly so my next pay check will be next Thursday. And I am kinda broke at the moment . That's why I have been posting on here. Just trying to get an idea of things I need to buy come pay day.

I will run out and take the upper timing belt cover off and snap a pic. I dont really know how else to describe where the timing marks are. But I had a friend tell me when the exhaust cam timing mark was at 3:00 while I bumped the car over. We got it as close as we could and counted the teeth.

 

[1gdsmftw]

are the dowl pins in the same position on each cam?

 

[fourgsixthree33]

Ok so here is the picture. I dont know how we got 9 teeth off last time but its like 3 or 4 teeth off I guess. So, pay day I will get a new timing belt and tensioners and get started. Here is the picture.

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[1gdsmftw]

being that far off...u better hope u dont have broken valves....\

but i dont see the dowl pins....i cant tell u for sure the timing without seing those pins...they are the copper circles in the middle of the cam

 

[white92talontsi]

Ok so here is the picture. I dont know how we got 9 teeth off last time but its like 3 or 4 teeth off I guess. So, pay day I will get a new timing belt and tensioners and get started. Here is the picture.

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rotate the motor over 180 more degrees. the dowel pin will pint straight up and the marks will line up. if the dowel pins are pointing down in your picture then your 180 out.

Reason I say this is because at TDC only the intake cam will have a white dot on it at the mark when timed correctly. (both gears have a white mark on them but when properly times only the intake cam will reveal the white dot)

 

[fourgsixthree33]

Hope this is a good enough pic.

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[1gdsmftw]

ok your off a few teeth...dont start that car....DO NOT START IT....

pull the lower timing cover and pull that hydrolic tensioner off...throw it in the trash! pull both pullies off..throw them in the trash.... buy new ones...

install them and get a new timing belt...if you are willing to spend the extra cash...buy a kevlar timing belt kit they are much more durable do both the timing belt and the balance shaft belt....do NOT skip that...if you do u will jump time in a few thousand miles....

set your base timing follow the timing marks...do not turn the crank counter clockwise....there is a silver shield behind the crank pulley that shows the timing dimple that will match the block! and the oil pump pulley has an arrow that will match the timing mark on the block....crank mark will be about 2 o clock and the oil pulley will be about 10 or 11 o clock

compress the hydrolic tensioner with a vice and stick a skinny alan key through before installing.... when you set the cams make sure those marks match and the dowl pins are on the very top

cake