Boost problem

[sburris8]

Ive had this car for around 5 years. i just started putting money into it again but i have a problem that i have no clue where to start on. (looking for some insight by some people that know these cars very well.)

 

The car has a super 16g that is inside a stock 12a or 14b housing. internal wastegate. 3in downpipe. 89 ecu very small mods. The car runs fine just driving it normally but if i try to get on it in lower rpms it will not bulid boost/ i can hear it spooling but it is like it goes straight to my exhaust and doesnt pull. HERE is the weird thing, if im at like 3k rpm and punch it, it will build boost sometime and pull strong but its weird cause its so hit or miss as far as when it will act up.

 

can you all please give me a list of things to go though and replace?

 

thanks

[alp247]

Just wondering have you checked the boot from the turbo to the canister. you might have a loose clamp or a tear in the boot....just check them

[Alsandr]

This may sound mean: are you accounting for turbo lag?

[sburris8]

yes i have checked the boot, no tears and still clamped.

 

AMUR- this is no lag, The car like isnt holding boost.

[TeeWX]

The first thing I would do is run a basic boost leak test. Build your own tester out of rubber IC pipe and a pvc end cap, drill and install a valve stem in the end cap and bolt this up to your turbo. A "how to" for this can be found here. Basically you will be pumping air through your entire intake and listening for leaks, fixing them as you go. I would do this at least once a month as basic maintenance procedure.

 

The second thing I would look into is your wastegate. It sounds to me like you either have a really bad pre turbo exhaust leak (which you would hear from driving so I am ASSUMING this is not the case), OR your wastegate is stuck open. Check your actuator arm and see if you can move it back towards the actuator. If it is getting stuck open then your exhaust gases are passing directly into your exhaust and skipping the turbo entirely. (Path of least resistance) If this is bad then you will probably need to replace the actuator.

 

Also, this may sound funny.. but when you have the intake off to put on the intake tester, make sure your turbo still has clean/sharp looking blades on it.. If not, this is very bad

Edited April 24, 2010 by TeeWX

[sburris8]

TeeWX thank for the help im going to check these things and ill will post the results. Im thinking its the wastegate being stuck open. where can i get a actuator?

[TeeWX]

TeeWX thank for the help im going to check these things and ill will post the results. Im thinking its the wastegate being stuck open. where can i get a actuator?

 

Sometimes you can pick them up off guys who have blown turbos sitting in their garage etc. I'm not sure if mitsubishi would sell you the part or not. I think most of the actuators are the same for mitsubishi turbo's (don't quote me on that though) but I am pretty sure as long as the housing is the same it should be the same (like 14b 16g etc). First thing first though I would make sure that is your problem before looking for a replacement.

[Indiana]

Wastegates don't "stick" open and I've not seen or heard of a bad WG actuator for this car. There are plenty of misunderstood or improperly adjusted actuators though.

 

Since you have had your turbo apart or someone has you need to see if the actuator is letting the WG close fully.

 

Pull the actuator arm off the flapper arm, pull the flapper arm forward and place the actuator arm next to it. The actuator arm needs to be shorter than the pin on the flapper arm so it is holding the flapper closed and has the spring pressure from the actuator doing this. Start out with it about 1/16"-1/8" too short. You'll have to loosen the nut and twist the arm around or just bend it. Don't make it shorter than 1/8" that's just too much preload you don't know what the result will be. That hose on the actuator is pressure, not vacuum, and it overcomes and pushes against the back side of the diaphragm in the actuator to make the arm come out and flip the flapper arm so the flapper comes off the WG opening in the turbine housing. You leave that hose off you have lots of boost you have no way to control, sometimes it lets things melt or blowup like your motor.

 

It can also be your secondary injector or clip dirty.

[bmreyna]

Dude My car Is having the Same Problem, Ive put around 7k into my car and just a few days ago i got it from overheating, If you get positive results let me know please =D

 

Here is my thread on my progress

 

http://www.starquestclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=104172&st=0&p=1012623entry1012623

Edited April 27, 2010 by bmreyna

[sburris8]

indiana thanks for the help. i may message you with future questions with this problem.

[bmreyna]

Wait I wanna Hear what happens too cause im in the same boat as you =D Hit me up with a pm aswell please

[Indiana]

Its not hard to check the actuator arm but other things can cause boost not to be made such as lack of fuel, or too much fuel. I know the thread on your car I did look at it but thought you got it back and you were now driving it?

[bmreyna]

Yea Its Driveable Now, Motor wise it seems fine, But im just having boost problems, Or to be more precise... WHen the cars cold ( like cold weather cold, and has been sitting for awhile ), it does boost and pulls good, but when it warms up, (after 3-5 mins of driving) the turbo shoes its boosting but i dont feel it, and when it gets on the hotter side (10+ mins), pressing the pedal down hard enough for the turbo to initiate Causes The engine to not accelerate any further, so letting of a little bit allows me to use just the engine and accel to the speed limit.

 

My Car no longer has an Overheating issue As it previously did, do to me Busting out both cats.

 

=D

[Indiana]

Your secondary injector isn't working or its just dirty.

 

That's the only thing that happens at higher rpms and boost. It either sticks open and you have too much fuel or its not opening and spraying like it should so you are too lean.

 

Did you have these injectors cleaned or just turn the key and hope they worked?

[bmreyna]

I cleaned them, And im sure i was very thorough, Unless there is something stuck inside? but the outer rounder portions were pretty shiny =D

[Cole]

The first thing I would do is run a basic boost leak test. Build your own tester out of rubber IC pipe and a pvc end cap, drill and install a valve stem in the end cap and bolt this up to your turbo. A "how to" for this can be found here. Basically you will be pumping air through your entire intake and listening for leaks, fixing them as you go. I would do this at least once a month as basic maintenance procedure.

 

The second thing I would look into is your wastegate. It sounds to me like you either have a really bad pre turbo exhaust leak (which you would hear from driving so I am ASSUMING this is not the case), OR your wastegate is stuck open. Check your actuator arm and see if you can move it back towards the actuator. If it is getting stuck open then your exhaust gases are passing directly into your exhaust and skipping the turbo entirely. (Path of least resistance) If this is bad then you will probably need to replace the actuator.

 

Also, this may sound funny.. but when you have the intake off to put on the intake tester, make sure your turbo still has clean/sharp looking blades on it.. If not, this is very bad

Just for arguements sake and since this is my first starion, I really don't know what a healthy sounding mitsubishi brand turbo sounds like. Mine almost sounds like it's rough and doesn't sound normal that you would normally hear from say an aftermarket turbo that i've heard a couple times. would the exhaust leak cause this weird sound? another question i have is when i watch the boost gauge, it likes to twitch back and forth a little and doesn't want to say in one place (even when i give it the same amount of gas)(will post video of sound and gauge in a couple of days). is this another problem or does this tie in with the first question?

Edited April 29, 2010 by Cole

[Indiana]

Sounds different

 

but, for cleaning injectors yourself you can't. You can clean the outside but that won't matter. You can spray fluid through them and think they are cleaned and they are not. With the ECU pulsing that injector it becomes a precision metering device and them being dirty screws that all up.

 

Watch some videos from this Utube guy, he's got plenty of different types and you'll see how injectors would seem to work but actually spray like crap. This is why some cars run and some don't any why I tell everyone all the time to get your injectors cleaned and most times nobody does and they spend all this time and money doing anything but just removing them and sending them out to be cleaned and you spend way more money in wasted fuel in a few days or driving you could have easily paid to have them cleaned.

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/injectorrehab

[Indiana]

Here's a classic example, you only have but one injector while cranking and someone says ya its good its spraying but you don't know a good injector from a bad one so someone gets you to buy some overpriced generic injector and you don't even try to have yours cleaned and this creates a new set of problems.

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/injectorrehab#p/u/10/h0wQh7ijOcY

[bmreyna]

So i should Try and get them Professionally Cleaned? Vs Getting new ones?

[Indiana]

One saves you 150.00 if they are dirty, the other you'll never know and if its still something else you still have the same problem but atleast you know your injectors are cleaned in the end.

 

www.witchhunter.com

[bmreyna]

ok I will send the injectors to that company, has anybody Done business with them before? If so did you get back injectors that worked better than previously?