car doesnt boost, 3sgte shop swap dont boost??-wont go past 4k rpm now Options

[RUNNIN-LOW]

alright guys this isnt my car..so dont ragg on me..he just needs alittle help and im kinda stuck on what i should do..im thinking its the head gasket..ok here goes
the car was taken to a local tunner shop (now out of buisness) they said that they could do the swap and will get the car dont in like 2 weeks or so..so i help out ordering the motor and got the harness to tweak and all..so since all that was settle we got the motor and harness together and all the other good stuff right..2 months goes by and the shop tell us they have been to busy on other stuff..so i tell them(my buddy) to go and just pull the car out and pay them for what they have done.. i go there with them and nothing have been done with the car..i get pissed at my buddy and go off on him(my buddy) why the fing didnt you just let me do the swap..and why the hell does a tunner shop do nothing when they have all the parts and anit doing jack....
i tell the shop owner we are taking the car and thats that!!then he said we can get the motor in and waiting for parts..they are prepping the motor (head gasket and plugs and all that stuff..) i just said ok by the end of the week we want the car done and motor in with all the recipet and everything you said you did to it..so we get a bill like 3gs head gasket and all the plugs top of the line things too...we tow the car back home and make the exhaust and everything..he hops in and drive it everything starts up fine he comes back 5 mins later and shaking his head and says you drive..
i go in to drive the thing and when i go to boost the motor just stalls out ..the motor is still running but the car wont hold boost it just stalls out and wont go past the 1lb bar. it drive fine and everything but cant boost. try going back to the shop but they closed down and we cant do nothing about it..so yeah he is looking for help before i rip apart his motor and check everything...(i feel the love when he doesnt even trust me fixing his car) <-----dont worry he doesnt come on this forum

yeah thats my issues just want to know what everything thinks before i play scienctist...thanks

mods done to the motor: 2nd gen 3sgte ,front mount intercooler (i installed for him everything is fine),2bar map, fuel pump, oem cap rotor plugs the whole works, and i think thats all i can remember..

This post has been edited by RUNNIN-LOW: Aug 21, 2008 - 10:37 AM

[DEATH]

Does it idle fine or is it really erratic down low?

[RUNNIN-LOW]

kinda low..now that i think about it it seems its either the head gasket is blown or when i do hit boost the ignitor seems to shuts off..but it does ilde low

[DEATH]

The way it dead stops at atmosphere makes me wonder if it's not a boost leak. What make syou think blown headgasket? Have you done a compression test yet? Autozone will loan you a set free.

[bccentaur3]

The car wouldn't keep idle if there was a big enough bost leak in the fmic piping. I really think its an ignition issue.

[RUNNIN-LOW]

see im not sure tweak did the harness and he is damn good at what he does..so yeah ill have to double check everything..the reason why i think it is a blown head gasket is because i had a buddy have the same problem and it came out to be a head gasket..ill have to double check alot of things then man just makes me think what could be the problem...

[rjbibeau]

any codes? how do they plugs look? does it rev freely in neutral?

[DEATH]

The car wouldn't keep idle if there was a big enough bost leak in the fmic piping. I really think its an ignition issue.

Not entirely true - if the leak is small enough it will run a really low rough idle [Like he says above]. Also some leaks only effect boost as under pressure it will push through and relieve. Trust me - I've spent months tracking down tiny leaks. It's not always so cut and dried.
Could very well be a ignition issue tho.

This post has been edited by DEATH: Aug 20, 2008 - 4:02 PM

[bccentaur3]

Well with my 3s when I had a leak and tried to boost the car totally stalled out and wouldn't hold ile until I fixed the leak.

[DEATH]

Well with my 3s when I had a leak and tried to boost the car totally stalled out and wouldn't hold ile until I fixed the leak.

That's a bigger leak that effects vacuum. These smaller leaks are harder to find. I detailed my method in my build thread somewhere around the last page - it involves using two boost gauges to track down the leak but it worked like a charm. The car won't throw a code like this either and you can drive it but it won't have much power and boost is greatly diminished if not gone alltogether.
it's just a possibility - his may very well be ignition related. let's concentrate more on trying to help him out.

BTW - OP - Why are you trying so hard if he's just gonna act dickish about it? I always enjoy handing a person their keys to their half running, half assembled vehicle and telling the smart ass to figure it out for themselves - they almost always come back hat in hand [And then they are much more appreciative of your help afterwards]

[RUNNIN-LOW]

ooh yeah thats why i decided to help him..at first he didnt care what i had to say so ..i just didnt care..once he went to like 4 tunner shop and they just put him off he came back and said sorry and said he will pay me to fix the car..-death-

yeah im not sure i have to talk to dr.tweak about whats going on..but yeah im not sure whats going on..when i drive the car..and start to drive (the car drive fine)...when i try and gun the mother..the boost goes and then it just like boggs or humm..ok it feels as if the car is tryin to boost but just cant something is stopping it from boosting..so yeah i have to get the car and put a video out there for you guys.

This post has been edited by RUNNIN-LOW: Aug 20, 2008 - 6:29 PM

[bccentaur3]

IS it getting too much fuel?

[RUNNIN-LOW]

it doesnt seem like it..like i said the car just acts like it cant boost when..

[Dr_Tweak]

Definitely sounds like a boost leak to me. Remember that a boost leak is different that a vacuum leak, you can't detect it at idle, you have to check every connection from the AFM to the turbo (this section is not under boost but a leak will cause a problem) to the intercooler to the throttle body.

Also, your igniter and coil are securely bolted down, right?

-Doc

[DEATH]

Definitely sounds like a boost leak to me. Remember that a boost leak is different that a vacuum leak, you can't detect it at idle, you have to check every connection from the AFM to the turbo (this section is not under boost but a leak will cause a problem) to the intercooler to the throttle body.

Also, your igniter and coil are securely bolted down, right?

Thank you Tweak I knew someone could put it into better terms than I did.
x2 on the ignnitor/coil thing

[RUNNIN-LOW]

ill double check all the piping and yeah the ignitor/coil thing are bolt on the fire wall...man boost leak it has to be a big ass hole somewhere..ill let yah know this weekend

[DEATH]

ill double check all the piping and yeah the ignitor/coil thing are bolt on the fire wall...man boost leak it has to be a big ass hole somewhere..ill let yah know this weekend

Not really - you'd be surprised. Just a simple vacuum tube that has no clamp and has started to wear out a bit can do this. You can just do like I did and buy a silicone hose kit from Spectre brand at Autozone, Oreilley's, Pep Boys etc and just start replacing them all one at a time - eventually you will find and fix the culprit.

[RUNNIN-LOW]

OK more info now..no leak on the piping...harness is good...ok here is what is happening,... now that i finally took time to drive the thing again....the car has a very low idle..when i drive the car hard 1st or 2nd (i wont go past 3rd or try too)..the car doesnt go past 4k rpm....you can feel the turbo spooling up..but once the car hits 4k the car jerks really bad (also the even if you try it wont go past 4k) untill you let go of gas or change gears...what do yah think now??bad head gasket???

This post has been edited by RUNNIN-LOW: Aug 21, 2008 - 10:28 AM

[Smaay]

its not going to be a head gasket. that behavior has nothing to do with the head gasket. if you had a blown head gasket there would be smoke coming out the tail pipe

[lagos]

OK more info now..no leak on the piping...harness is good...ok here is what is happening,... now that i finally took time to drive the thing again....the car has a very low idle..when i drive the car hard 1st or 2nd (i wont go past 3rd or try too)..the car doesnt go past 4k rpm....you can feel the turbo spooling up..but once the car hits 4k the car jerks really bad (also the even if you try it wont go past 4k) untill you let go of gas or change gears...what do yah think now??bad head gasket???

Sounds like your using the the wrong igniter.
Take it out and check the part number on it.