Would a leak cause this?

[tay97gst]

Alright so I've been experiencing what i thought to be a leak or something in the exhaust manifold area. Theres been black buildup and stuff around the exhaust manifold and i smell gas when i accelerate so i figured it was some sort of leak in the exhaust manifold. Theres a new symptom now though. boost gauge is reading 10hg instead of 20 and when i go in boost( which takes a while) above 5psi it like stutters and bucks. Please tell me this is just a big boost leak through my exhaust and not something bad with the turbo. Thanks a lot.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Sounds like maybe a exhaust leak, could be a bad turbo, seals could be shot, does it have any shaft play.

 

[tay97gst]

Sounds like maybe a exhaust leak, could be a bad turbo, seals could be shot, does it have any shaft play.

TBH i havent even looked at the turbo. Even though im pretty much a noob when it comes to working on my car i could probably feel for shaft play if i had to. I'm just hoping to hear some consensus before i poke around.

 

[Erosmark]

Sounds like maybe a exhaust leak, could be a bad turbo, seals could be shot, does it have any shaft play.

+1 That's all I can think of.

 

[tay97gst]

+1 That's all I can think of.

Which part?

 

[obryantms]

if the exhaust leak is before the turbo (turbo to manifold, or manifold to head) that will definitely kill spool and make the car run like poo.. try tightening the bolts if that doesn't work you probably need new
manifold gaskets.

 

[tay97gst]

if the exhaust leak is before the turbo (turbo to manifold, or manifold to head) that will definitely kill spool and make the car run like poo.. try tightening the bolts if that doesn't work you probably need new
manifold gaskets.

Im hoping its just a gasket, that would be pretty simple

 

[tay97gst]

Anyone else have any input?

 

[WES_393]

Stuttering when boosting sounds like a boost leak. The low HG when idleing could be a bad intake manifold or throttle body gasket. Do you have any idle surge or low idle? The long spool time and black soot is from an exhaust leak. I would replace all of the exhaust gaskets and check all the couplers/hoses to make sure they are tight and free of leaks. It wouldn't hurt to check the turbo for shaft play as well, but I think you'll find that fixing all the leaks will bring back performance.

 

[miguelmcv]

Remove your heat shield (if you have), Clean the exhaust area, turn the car on, and check for leaks, you can even put your hands in the exhaust gaskets to feel the hot air coming out of there.
Check your Turbo as well to see the conditions, Just remove your intake and move the shaft (turbo) to see if there is any play.

But, seriously, I would say, a leak is what is causing your issue.

 

[Clever Gs-t]

Are the turbo and manifold stock?

A studder while under boost is a definate sign of a boost leak. Dsm ehaust manifolds are notorious for cracking. So I would definately pull the heat sheild and inspect the mating points, for loose bolts, and for cracks.

 

[tay97gst]

Ok guys thanks so much! So if there is a crack in the manifold is it best to just replace it or will a mechanic be able to fix it somehow? If so should i go OEM or what? I dont have much to spend but love this car to death so I'll do what i have to. I'll also check the turbo for shaft play but i dont think it should be too bad. Hopefully its something this simple. Thanks a lot.

 

[Albrecht09]

Ok guys thanks so much! So if there is a crack in the manifold is it best to just replace it or will a mechanic be able to fix it somehow? If so should i go OEM or what? I dont have much to spend but love this car to death so I'll do what i have to. I'll also check the turbo for shaft play but i dont think it should be too bad. Hopefully its something this simple. Thanks a lot.

If its cracked, (depending on severity) it can be welded. But odds are, unless you know a buddy that can weld it or can do it yourself, you will be better off just replacing it. Either way, look into getting it ported while its off.

 

[miguelmcv]

If it is cracked, I wouldn't recommend to weld it, I would go with an evo 3 manifold if you are planning to go faster later, it will be around 150 shipped (new), or something around, I just give an Idea so you can judge later, But the cheapest would be to find a used 2g manifold and replace it, they go for around 40 or 50, which it will cost less then just weld your manifold and be weaker.
Check the Classified, I have seen tons of them.

 

[tay97gst]

Ive seen some on ebay for around 100 with gaskets, should i stay away from those? Also, is there any other place there could be a leak in the exhaust that could cause similar symptoms beskdes the manifold? Just trying to see if this is something i could do myself. I probably wont but just throwing that out there.

 

[tay97gst]

Well i figured out why i thought my leak progressed so quickly all of a sudden. I heard a whistling noise come from my boost gauge and sure enough my vacuum line was falling off. DUR. I plugged it on snug and now it idles at 20hg again. And im assuming is why i had such a drastic boost leak. I still know i have an exhaust leak but its good to know that it didnt get worse all of a sudden.

 

[hadouken97gsx]

I know this is from a year ago, but I had a similar problem and it turns out it is my exhaust manifold leaking. My idle pressure has been at around 12hg when warm instead of 17-19 and I have absolutely no boost leaks. Even put some rtv over the biss to make sure it wasn't that. My 16g's exhaust housing had a couple stripped threads from it's previous owner so I am in the process of helicoiling it. I am posting this just incase someone has a similar problem and can't figure it out. My leaky o2 housing was masking the EM leak. Doh!

 

[Felipe_slowdsm]

hey guys im new here have a very serious question i have 98 gst and it was running perfect one night then got home parked it following day im going to work and give it gas right when the turbo is spooling it starts bogging out i have it set aat 12 psi but since it starting bogging out boost gauge only reads 5psi where can ths leak be coming from ### help

 

[ShadowTalon]

hey guys im new here have a very serious question i have 98 gst and it was running perfect one night then got home parked it following day im going to work and give it gas right when the turbo is spooling it starts bogging out i have it set aat 12 psi but since it starting bogging out boost gauge only reads 5psi where can ths leak be coming from ### help

Throttle Body, intercooler piping, vacuum lines, take your pick. Make a boost leak tester and do a test.