Problems after upper intercooler piping install.

[96gstdsm]

Hey i just installed the upper intercooler piping setup i bought, haven't gotten to lower yet. I just took it for a spin and now it is bucking crazy, and stalled out a couple of times. I then tightened up the coupler connecting to the intercooler, i drove it and it seemed ok for a few seconds, i stepped on it and i heard a kinda pop sound, and then it bucked crazy again and i could hardly drive it back. I checked that coupler again and it is still all tight and all. I checked all the other ones and they all feel tight. What i did notice is that the piping is not beaded on the edges. Would this make it definitely leak under boost? I know i should check for boost leak, but everything is tight and all. The idle got all messed up also, would bounce up and down. I do have it recirculated, but it seems like the recirculation tube might be a little bit bent with the new location of the 1g bov. The flange for the 1g is welded on so that would not be leaking there and i rtv'd the flange to the 1g bov. Would this still be just a boost leak problem most likely? Could it be from the mas plug getting messed up during the install? It is an extremely tight squeeze to fit it between the fuse box and the intake pipe and filter i got on it.

Any help would be much appreciated as i need to drive this first thing in the morning.
Also I read somewhere that on the lower intercooler piping there is a resevoir attached which i saw, that can just be hacked off cause it is a muffler for the turbo noise? Is that correct?

Ryan.

Oh this is the link for the one i got and how it is supped to sit when installed.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=020&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=300080027428&rd=1&rd=1

 

[SinaiTSi]

If the Mas plug got messed up, it will throw a code. If a CEL hasn't come on, then your maf/maf plug should be fine. Sounds like you might have a boost leak though. I know with my 1g bov, it would never make a perfect seal at the flange, and I had to seal it with a little RTV, but when it was leaking it would never make the car act as bad as you're describing. Beaded pipes definitely help with sealing the connection, but, they're mostly there just so your couplers don't blow off under high boost. My guess is you're leaking in alot of areas just a little even though everything is tight, or you're leaking badly in one area that you've missed. Only suggestion I have is do a boost leak test and see if you're leaking, or put on your old i/c hoses back on and see if that helps so you can narrow down the problem.

 

[ILLiCliPSE]

i suspect boost leaks. theres no way to tell if you have any unless you actually do a boost leak test...the pipes and clamps might seem as tight as ever, but theyre really not under boost.

 

[96gstdsm]

Ok yeah thats what i'm figuring, it is a boost leak, but didn't know if it would be something else. No cel has come on so i'm sure that's not the problem then. I'm running like 15psi now, would unbeaded pipes, blow off under that amount of boost? It held for like a few seconds the second time i drove it, and then a i heard a pop noise and it got all crazy.

 

[96gstdsm]

i suspect boost leaks. theres no way to tell if you have any unless you actually do a boost leak test...the pipes and clamps might seem as tight as ever, but theyre really not under boost.

If they feel as tight as ever and their not how would i make them even tighter or prevent any boost leak in that area? I have gone over every connection and i tighten it as much as i am able. My only guess now is that it not having beaded edges could cause this.

 

[kmoore]

I can't really tell the quality of the couplers but, make sure that the coupler itself didn't "pop" or break. Maybe that was the "pop" that you heard. Also, check the throttle body for leaks too. Is you gasket still in place between the throttle body elbow and throttle body? Like every one else is saying, the only way to tell is to do an actual boost leak test.

 

[JayRolla]

You bov is recirculated right?

You could have a leak at the bov, what is your boost hittin?

 

[romeen]

The sudden pop that you heard is completely consistent with a sudden release of pressurized air from the intake tract. And the idle surge and poor driveability since suggests a fairly significant leak. So do the boost leak test like everyone else suggested. Even though you didn't find anything obvious on the visual inspection it has to be there. If you don't want to have a bead welded onto your pipes you can use JB Weld. I did this on my LICP and it has held up perfectly. Here is a link on how to do it without making it messy. Scroll to bottom of page. It actually turns out very nice and neat.http://www.roadraceengineering.com/eclipsetech/icpipebead.htm

 

[96gstdsm]

You bov is recirculated right?

You could have a leak at the bov, what is your boost hittin?

yes it is recirculated. The stock recirculation tube i had to bend a little bit to make it fit since the new upper intercooler pipe has a different location for the 1g bov. The flange is welded on and i have put rtv to seal the bov to the flange. I would be very surprised if that was leaking.
My best bet would be the coupler connecting to the intercooler is some how not sealing properly, i tightened it, took it for a drive and it stalled right out right as soon as i hit any boost. I then tightened it up as much as i possibly could drove it again seemed ok for a second and then that's when the pop noise happened and the idle went all crazy, and i had to keep it in 4th gear going like 15 miles an hour to make i back or it would stall out.

I will have to do a boost leak test then as that is what i figured and most people seem to think. If i have tightened it as much as i can, if it is still leaking would that man i should just get new couplers or piping or what? Cause i really went over each connection many times to make sure it was as tight as i could get it.

 

[96gstdsm]

Also on a different note, when i removed my stock upper intercooler pipe, i noticed some oil was around the bov flange and inside the piping and some right by the turbo inlet. Is this normal? I now that some of it getting into the intake and such is somewhat normal(installed an fuel filter to stop the oil and seems better now) but i didn't know about it getting around the bov area.

 

[JayRolla]

I think your breaking that seal on one of the couplers. You can try to use a better clamp because it may be loosening and spray some hair spray on the pipe. Ive done this and it helps it from coming off but you never said the couplers slip so it may do nothing. Could be a bad clamp.

 

[96gstdsm]

I think your breaking that seal on one of the couplers. You can try to use a better clamp because it may be loosening and spray some hair spray on the pipe. Ive done this and it helps it from coming off but you never said the couplers slip so it may do nothing. Could be a bad clamp.

Ok i'll have to check that tomorrow. Hopefully just a bad clamp or something obvious and easy like that. Although seemed to all be good when i looked.
Boost leak test time i guess.....AGAIN

 

[romeen]

You can also try t-bolt clamps. They clamp down with quite a bit more force than standard clamps.

 

[SinaiTSi]

Also on a different note, when i removed my stock upper intercooler pipe, i noticed some oil was around the bov flange and inside the piping and some right by the turbo inlet. Is this normal? I now that some of it getting into the intake and such is somewhat normal(installed an fuel filter to stop the oil and seems better now) but i didn't know about it getting around the bov area.

Basically any little bits of oil in the intake tract is going to be somewhat normal due to the egr system. I wouldn't worry too much about that unless it's a whole ton of oil, but it seems like what you described is perfectly normal.

One thing with the i/c piping kit is it's just a good example "you get what you pay for". In no way though, I'm saying that you shouldn't have bought it, I buy pipes and whatnot from ebay all the time. Mostly because I would rather save the extra money and deal with little issues I can solve myself than shell out a whole bunch of money for a higher end product. With that said, if you were to buy a dejon tool i/c piping kit, I can almost guarantee that none of this would happen, but then again, look at their prices. Moral of the story, Ebay non-moving parts are great for the money and they're not junk, but don't expect them to work as perfect as that of something from a higher end company.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Boost leak + terrible kit.
remember to research your purchases! There a few posts about this particular kit and how not cool it turned out to be.

But good luck, I'm sure you can get it to work properly.

 

[96gstdsm]

Boost leak + terrible kit.
remember to research your purchases! There a few posts about this particular kit and how not cool it turned out to be.

But good luck, I'm sure you can get it to work properly.

OK well i think i fixed the leaks. It kept popping off the coupler in one place, but i just did a few good pulls in a row and it held on tight so far. Sounds awesome and it really feels like it spools up faster. Still have to do the lower piping, but i am hoping that i am done with the upper, but not having them beaded worries me that it might be popping off in the future.
Hey do you know where the posts are regarding this kit? When i purchased it i did not realize it was some home made kit, some pretty bad angled cuts in a few places. Also it is only spray painted, and has rubbed off in numerous places. 0



Also the resevoir type thing on the lower intercooler piping, that is just to deaden the turbo noise? Thats what i read somewhere, and they said it could just be chopped of since it restricts airflow anyways. Anyone know for sure?

 

[romeen]

As I suggested in posts 8 and 13 you can apply your own bead and/or use t-bolt clamps if you're still worried about it popping off.

 

[JayRolla]

Or hair spray, it works wonders.

 

[96gstdsm]

Or hair spray, it works wonders.

Hey how does the hair spray thing work? Haven't heard of that before. Just spray the connecting components?


Do you know about the resevoir thing attached to the lower intercooler stock pipe?

 

[96gstdsm]

As I suggested in posts 8 and 13 you can apply your own bead and/or use t-bolt clamps if you're still worried about it popping off.

Hey yeah sorry missed that one just now. Should the t-bolt clamps hold it good even up to 20 psi(not running that now)? Or would i eventually with higher psi need to do some sort of beading the edges?

 

[SinaiTSi]

Hey yeah sorry missed that one just now. Should the t-bolt clamps hold it good even up to 20 psi(not running that now)? Or would i eventually with higher psi need to do some sort of beading the edges?

Worm clamps and non-beaded piping ---------
T-bolt clamps and non-beaded piping ---------
T-bolt clamps and beaded piping ---------------
T-bolt clamps, beaded piping and hairspray --

Basically, the more you have the better. T-bolt clamps hold very, very well under lots of boost, yet the beaded edges help tons. I run 20 psi with no problems yet my piping edges are beaded.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

I dont know if all the 2gs have that lower ic pipe silencer. I know my 95 has it. My 98 if I can recall did not. PErhaps only the 95-96s had it. I recently took it off, dont really feel much of a performance difference. Placebo effect if you ask me. It made it a teeny bit louder.

 

[95TalonOwner]

You can make your own bead on the pipe by using JB Weld.

 

[romeen]

Hey how does the hair spray thing work? Haven't heard of that before. Just spray the connecting components?


Do you know about the resevoir thing attached to the lower intercooler stock pipe?

I haven't used the hairspray technique before. But having talked to one person who has he said it really does work quite well at holding the coupler in place but makes it difficult when you want to remove it.

 

[JayRolla]

You can make your own bead on the pipe by using JB Weld.

I would be carefull with jb weld, it can break off and suck into the motor.

Just spray hairspray where the coupler sits on the pipe. It will not come off. My brother used to pop off couplers all the time, we used two t bolt clamps where the licp connected to the FMIC. Now we have no problems.