1988 turbo coupe Doesnt build boost where to look?

[1trickpony]

Update... did a little checking around and the play in the turbo is very minimal. Spins freely. I checked the wastegate rod and I can move it by hand. I hooked up my mighty vac to it and by 2 pumps it was starting to move the rod. I moved the car so I could work on it a little better and with my foot on the brake in drive it sounded like it was spooling up. It also started to spin the tires by 3000. I would say around 2500 it sounded like it was spooling up. Everything so far seems in order so far nothing out of place.

What else should I be looking for?could the boost gauge be bad?
Help??

[Bob Holmes]

Update... did a little checking around and the play in the turbo is very minimal. Spins freely. I checked the wastegate rod and I can move it by hand. I hooked up my mighty vac to it and by 2 pumps it was starting to move the rod. I moved the car so I could work on it a little better and with my foot on the brake in drive it sounded like it was spooling up. It also started to spin the tires by 3000. I would say around 2500 it sounded like it was spooling up. Everything so far seems in order so far nothing out of place.

What else should I be looking for?could the boost gauge be bad?
Help??

Its not uncommon for the lines to the gauge to spring a leak. A great check is to pressurize the intake track (and thereby the vacuum/boost lines) and check for leaks.

[1trickpony]

Where would be a good place to look for that line? There is about a million vaccum lines

[Bob Holmes]

The line itself is behind the gauge cluster. What I would do is pressurize the intake system, buy a plug for the throttle body(look in the plumbing section of your local hardware store), install a compressed air fitting and pressurize it to no more than 20psi. Then listen for leaks, and/or spray the connections with a dishsoap and water mixture. For the gauge itself, stick your head under the steering wheel and listen for leaks.

[SpiderGearsMan]

they still oil cooked the bearings, but because YOU never saw it, it never happens,,
why you think they stopped bolting on turbo's

must be cause pontiac , gmc , buick , mitsubishi , hino , renault , porsche ,toyota , ford ,isuzu , detroit don't know what they are doing as those the cars and trucks who's turbos I had to replace ...good thing they are free advertising on these here message boards , the federal trade commission will prosecute for false claims
the eaton superchargers have held up a hell of a lot better than turbos in oem cars

[Mater]

durability is the main reason GM switched to the eaton on the 3800 FWD car. back when the turbo dodges where being designed the enginers wanted to use a eaton M62 roots on the 2.2 but chrysler had there heart set on the turbo

i say the turbos held up ok on those main issue i see ont he diesels is people shutting them off to soon when the turbo is hote and burn out the barrings. also carbon build up on the 6.0 variable vane turbos but that is more to do with the EGR

[Stich496]

must be cause pontiac , gmc , buick , mitsubishi , hino , renault , porsche ,toyota , ford ,isuzu , detroit don't know what they are doing as those the cars and trucks who's turbos I had to replace ...good thing they are free advertising on these here message boards , the federal trade commission will prosecute for false claims
the eaton superchargers have held up a hell of a lot better than turbos in oem cars

Hay, d/g's missing his calling, telling the factory engineers what to do...

and the ONLY reason turbo's are coming back is the new C.A.F.E. nothing more
the eaton s/c is a better choice but uses h/p to run it.. the turbo doesn't eat as much..
and every little amount is a huge amount when you build hundred thousands of cars and it hurts/helps your fleet avg..
the factories are at a compromise, more h.p and mpg and the trade off will be life span and service cost.. time will tell if they can rise above the turbo's faults ..
but that require the owners to change their way of start driving in cold areas, and let the car sit and idle after a hyway drive.. both not likely to happen... not are they going to spring for the mobil1 oil change every 5k... as they'll not care.. as they(new car buyers) will trade it in after 2-3 years or when the lease is up..
again time will tell.. I don't see car owners driving habits changing anytime soon..

any pictures of this turbo coupe.. I loved the look of those and the lsc's

[Bob Holmes]

Gentlemen, REALLY??!!!

Do we have to do this every, freakin, time!! The guy has a turbo car, can we help him with his issue instead of rehashing this crap EVERYTIME.

You've polluted the thread, now STFU, unless you have something relevant to helping him.

[Stich496]

Gentlemen, REALLY??!!!

Do we have to do this every, freakin, time!! The guy has a turbo car, can we help him with his issue instead of rehashing this crap EVERYTIME.

You've polluted the thread, now STFU, unless you have something relevant to helping him.

we gave him tons of things to look at/for..
and a few started the bashing, and you know where that goes..
hard to troubleshoot is it isn't running in the firstplace..
the 2.3 is basic any reason it doesn't build boost will be very clear, once it's running

[1trickpony]

I am trying my hardest to get the lines fixed I have it the section narrowed down and I believe if I am going to patch one rusted line I might as well fix both that are rusted.
Thanks for helping me out guys I know its hard to diagnos via the web. I know I don't know much about turbos but will try my best to explain the best I can. When its up and running hopefully by Wednesday. No pics because no camera. Just imagine a rusted out turbo coupe. Its just a winter beater/parts donor.

[1trickpony]

Bob. When doing that leak test where do you suggest plumming into? On the intake elbow after the throttle body or somewhere on the intercooler side? I would think that intercooler side would be better for test for leaks on the turbo side.

Edit just re read an older post and realized you already clarified this. If I go on the opposite side of turbo I imagine I will need to crack throttle body correct?

[TC]

You could always just blow a little air into the line that goes to the gauge and see if the gauge moves........

I'd say if the turbo moves freely, the problem is probably the gauge.........

Being an '88 with an intercooler you can by-pass the waste gate switch, it'll be on the passenger side by the air cleaner, just fallow the line off the turbo....the other line to the switch goes to the intake manifold.....the easiest thing to do is just cut both the lines going into the switch and connect them to each other, and bam!!!! instant boost...........Also this can only be done on the cars with the intercoolers, do not attempt if you don't have an intercooler.......

[Bob Holmes]

Yep, crack the throttle.

[JeffMcKC]

You could always just blow a little air into the line that goes to the gauge and see if the gauge moves........I'd say if the turbo moves freely, the problem is probably the gauge.........

Being an '88 with an intercooler you can by-pass the waste gate switch, it'll be on the passenger side by the air cleaner, just fallow the line off the turbo....the other line to the switch goes to the intake manifold.....the easiest thing to do is just cut both the lines going into the switch and connect them to each other, and bam!!!! instant boost...........Also this can only be done on the cars with the intercoolers, do not attempt if you don't have an intercooler.......

This could really kill a low pressure gauge, at a idle its going to have vaccum on it just spray a little either close on in my case I have a propain enrichment tool that just gives it a sniff. A emission smoker works best if you got a freind with one to find this kind of leak

[1trickpony]

It is getting wrote off as faulty boost gauge. I took a short drive today and everything seems okay. It comes in to power strong flutters when you let off and seems to be ok. No more gas leaks. I do have a exhaust leak though its pretty bad. Had to make room to fix a bad line. It will probably get a glass pack.

Now just to figure out why the elec fans are not working??
Running total--$521.32 (not bad for a donor turbo motor,tranny,rearend,disk brakes, seats, rims for a futur conv. Mustang project)