This weekends turbo FAIL

[Moparbishi]

So i just got me friends 420a eclipse done this afternoon. It was running pretty good with good afr so, I decided to go to the 8psi max that I could go on this setup. Made a few pulls everything was a go. Then on the last run, in third gear the boost droped down to 5psi and I could feel a power loss. Then it leaking real bad out of the timing belt side of the motor. Havent dug into it yet to see what happened. The vacume line for the fmu did come unhooked, I think durring that pull. I dont know if it went lean when it happened, but thats what I'm assuming.

Mod list

Walbro 255
Blox 12:1 FMU
Greddy Turbo Manifold
Turbo XS BOV & Boost controller
Ebay 50trim
Ebay 38mm wastegate
Ebay FMIC custom piping
Custom DP
Wideband and Boostgauges

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[LD25Delta9]

You blew something bad. I'm betting on head gasket, or worse. If it was your valve cover gasket or a cam seal, you wouldn't have lost power. But, if you blew your vaccum reference line for your FMU then, it would definitely run lean, which we all know can cause catastrophy. Hence my theory of the head gasket. Did you do all the other proper maintenence for the vehicle before you turbo'd it? Cometic or Fel-pro headgasket, NEW TTY head bolts or ARP, the valve stem seals? Checked for tolerance limitations of stock specs? New or at least newer sensors? No blatant abuse of RTV? I'm not trying to demean you in anyway man, I'm just running through some my own personal expierence with friend's cars. I've found that NONE of my friends like to listen. You tell them an 1/8" dab of Copper RTV in the corners, bends and long straights. They hear "Use as much as your wallet can afford. It's really good to get stuck in oil passages" Source your leak and post some progress.

 

[Moparbishi]

After looking at it more, I think I came up with what happened. The breather that goes between the front of the valve cover is connected to the intake manifold. I think it pressurized the front valve cover and cam seal, and blew it out. And I think it felt like I had a loss of power cause the vacume line came of and had a made a bad boost leak.

 

[LD25Delta9]

Aha! The cam seal plus the blown PCV hose could definitely do that. I blew my cam seal after doing my ARP's and shot oil all over my timing and alternator belt. No loss of power but damn did it leak like a stuck pig. Had to get new belts and a cam seal. Good luck with the fix.

 

[Moparbishi]

Update. This eclipse blew out the head gasket. The kid got a used motor and took off the turbo kit cause his parents told him it was going to blow up again.

To the point of why I updated this thread was. Another kid wants me to turbo his 420a. But I dont want the same problems I had with this one. Could I take out each head bolt individually and replace them with arp's and call it a day. The problem is with this new kid is that he a is a HUGE ricer and beats on his car alot. And I dont want it to blow up on him right away. He has a good supply of money for this build and doesnt want to cheap out. The only kit I have heard of before was the Hahn kit, but I seen the Star kit and it seems legit. Any suggestions.

 

[davidalindsey]

there is a Treadstone 420a Turbo kit.
Pretty good price, and looks reliable.
I was thinking about geting this kit when I had my 99 GS.
But instead I just bought a 98 GST,

 

[Rob10_99]

From the reasearch I've done for a 420a build the hahn kit is the most complete and tested.

 

[96TurboGS]

Update. This eclipse blew out the head gasket. The kid got a used motor and took off the turbo kit cause his parents told him it was going to blow up again.

To the point of why I updated this thread was. Another kid wants me to turbo his 420a. But I dont want the same problems I had with this one. Could I take out each head bolt individually and replace them with arp's and call it a day. The problem is with this new kid is that he a is a HUGE ricer and beats on his car alot. And I dont want it to blow up on him right away. He has a good supply of money for this build and doesnt want to cheap out. The only kit I have heard of before was the Hahn kit, but I seen the Star kit and it seems legit. Any suggestions.

Sounds like an OEM gasket, if his tune was on point. (Thin gasket that always caused oil leaking problems in the back of the block, seen many cause issues like this with boost) You don't need ARPs if you're running on stock internals; at the bare minimum get a MLS gasket from partsdionosaur.com with fresh studs. And a tell the other kid to take it easy before he blows his differential out of his transmission.

 

[rstare]

From the reasearch I've done for a 420a build the hahn kit is the most complete and tested.

This is correct, and it's a great kit. It's also quite expensive. You're best bet is going with the Treadstone kit, for the price, it's the best. Or, if you know what you need just piece it together yourself. That would be the absolute best, if it's a possibility for you.