2G new car, whole lotta problems

[Shanerz]

okay so just got my first car (99 eclipse gst) and wanted to go through it with someone because the car would take 3-5 business days for the turbo to actually kick in, and as we go through it he says i think we have an exhaust leak.

Now i am new to cars, i know a little but not enough about engines so i got no clue whats happening but he takes off the manifold cover and there is a huge crack in this thing, so exhaust manifold is messed up pretty bad. we take it out and realize another problem the wastegate is basically stuck closed and its not exactly pulling up when you push the throttle, so now those are two big problems. last problem even better, the car has 200k on it so its been pretty used and the turbo is basically pulling but sometimes the fan gets a little stuck and the turbo doesnt work. I was thinking buy a whole new turbo kit for the car but i have no idea what to buy and how much to spend.

if someone can help that would mean a lot

 

[steve]

Welcome to the forum!

With 200k on the engine and drivetrain, I'd suggest continuing your inspection so see what else is in store. Once you know the extent of what's needed you can start a budget and set goals for what you want when your done.

This will also help you discover if the car is stock or if there are some more surprises in store.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Do not get a turbo from Ebay or Amazon.
Our resident turbo guru, @JusMX141 can probably fix you up with a stock replacement or equivalent for a reasonable fee.

 

[AWD-Tony]

Sounds like there’s a lot of issues. The wastegate doesn’t open when you give it gas. It opens when there’s a certain amount of pressure built to overcome the spring pressure that’s inside the wastegate. Stock I believe is 8-9psi. So to test the wastegate you’d have to supply the air pressure to the nipple.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[Mech Addict]

I concur with Steve, in that you shouldn't spend anything until you've determined the extent of all pressing needs. Timing belt failure can spell disaster. Granted I don't actually take this advice myself, but wish I did/had/will ever. I just bought a 2g manifold (which is factory replacement for your car) for $50 plus about $20 shipping. That seems like low hanging fruit. Consider new gasket, studs, and nuts. We're still talking in the range of $100~$150ish. It's not too bad to then bolt on the turbo you've got and see how it responds to just that fix. You can also take the intake snorkel (the one from the airbox to the turbo) off and check for free operation of the turbine with little play (or a lot, if in bad shape). Buying a new turbo, or even rebuilt, might not be necessary once you get a properly working manifold. You can check the waste gate with essentially a bike pump to see if it is in fact opening and closing. And if you need a turbo, I also would go with a quality rebuilt OEM part, not some cheap copy that promises a rocket ship.

How are the brakes? Clutch work OK? Steering not too loose? Bald tires? Those are way important. Turbo lag can come second to essential items.It could be the result of some mismatched "performance" parts from a previous owner. Budget is a difficult thing to assess. More parts go on the "No Longer Available" list every day. Then you're searching for a decent used piece of whatever, or trying to find a supplier that has a limited stock and charging a lot (which, hey, I would too for gold!).

If you have a friend that can tell the difference between the stock and aftermarket parts, then make a list and update your profile. Plenty of help and advice is available here every step of the way (even if you are told the the answer was already available in some previous post from years back, which many are).

Welcome and good luck. These cars are very special, and very fun when running well.

 

[pauleyman]

okay so just got my first car (99 eclipse gst) and wanted to go through it with someone because the car would take 3-5 business days for the turbo to actually kick in, and as we go through it he says i think we have an exhaust leak.

Now i am new to cars, i know a little but not enough about engines so i got no clue whats happening but he takes off the manifold cover and there is a huge crack in this thing, so exhaust manifold is messed up pretty bad. we take it out and realize another problem the wastegate is basically stuck closed and its not exactly pulling up when you push the throttle, so now those are two big problems. last problem even better, the car has 200k on it so its been pretty used and the turbo is basically pulling but sometimes the fan gets a little stuck and the turbo doesnt work. I was thinking buy a whole new turbo kit for the car but i have no idea what to buy and how much to spend.

if someone can help that would mean a lot

Minor cracks in the manifold will not cause it to not build boost at all. It will slow it down some but it isn't so dramatic that the car is undriveable. "huge" crack is subjective. Post pics if you have them. Yes, it needs to be addressed but it is likely only a small part of your problem unless that crack is just massive.
Others have already stated the wastegate does not move when giving gas. The gate should be closed in order to build boost. Fully closed.
You mention "he" does xyz. Who is he if not you?
Welcome to the forums. Please fill out a profile completely and catalog any mods you know about. It helps us help you if we know about the car.

 

[waltah]

Welcome from another Eclipse newbie! I've driven and repaired (sometimes broken but we don't need to talk about that now ...) nothing but Mitsubishis for about 30 years now but got my first GS-T just about when you did. There's a lot of first rate advice here from experienced people: I would echo "Don't focus too much on the turbo/manifold issue but look at the whole picture." People often sell a car when they believe it has such serious/expensive problems that they can't afford to fix them: They may be wrong about how bad the problems are, but there are nearly always real issues and the challenge -- for some of us it's half the fun -- is figuring them out.

On a car with 200k you probably won't be able to fix everything this month, maybe not even this year unless you have a ton of money to spend and a skilled mechanic to shovel it on. Start a list: My 150k miles '95 -- here since Sept. 27 and worked on some nearly every day -- has 70 items of which maybe the easiest 1/3 are already fixed and several more are underway. But I was very lucky: There were no serious safety or 'this might trash your engine' problems to start with. My state requires an annual safety inspection and the car had passed in the last year so most of that stuff was covered, at least to 'it's okay to drive it' level.

The number one 'might trash your engine' issue on these cars is the timing belt -- toothed belt driven by the crankshaft that turns the two camshafts as well as some other things. If it jumps a tooth you will lose power, if it jumps more than one or breaks you will likely have to at least take off the head and replace some valves. If you haven't looked at the timing belt yet, take off the top cover and do so: Should be tight and look good -- not much wear, no cracks or missing bits. Replacing that belt is a full day's work for a skilled mechanic plus maybe $100-200 parts plus there are 'tricks' that less-skilled mechanics get wrong ... owners tend to put it off, especially if "I'm gonna sell it pretty soon anyway."

IF while the top cover is off YOU DROP anything into the timing belt space you have to fish it out with a telescoping magnet or else take off the lower covers (that's half the 'replace the belt' job) to find and remove it before you crank the engine again. There isn't enough room down there for a cover bolt to be harmless and it will trash something, quite likely causing a belt failure ...

SAFETY: #1 way to get killed working on your car is it falls on you. NEVER get under a car supported by a jack -- always a solid jackstand (or stands) or ramps. #2 way involves a gasoline fire: Don't do anything with gas in an enclosed space, while under a car, etc. also no smoking, flame of any sort.

Ask any long time mechanic, he'll have stories of someone killed one of those two ways. This is a fun and pays-for-itself lifetime hobby but like most others the safety rules were written in blood.

"These cars are very special, and very fun when running well."

What Mech Addict said.