Powerhouse turbo car issues....help needed

[TexasKyle]

I made a thread a long time ago on this, and got good response. Fast forward a year and I am back at square one.

298 stroker, 76mm Powerhouse turbo setup. No cats, No evap system. 16psi spring.

Will build no boost until almost 4k rpm. Complete dog until boosts starts building, as in bogged down. I can get on the foot brake or the trans brake and it won't even bust the back tires loose. It just comes up on the converter/translock and sits there.

Many people suggested to look for a preturbo leak, which I did. I did find one leak on the passenger side collector/crossover pipe. Took it in today and had that fixed and the entire system smoke/pressure checked. No leaks on the hot OR the cold side now.

Having the hole in the piping fixed did nothing for my symptoms.


*Tuned by Mike at Powerhouse, ran right at one time just not since I have owned it*

I have had nothing but problems with this car since buying it over a year ago and have about had it. I have a laundry list of things wrong with the car, all of which I could deal with while fixing them if the freaking car would just run like the scalded dog it was built to run like.

Anyone want to buy a Mustang with 30k worth of work done on it that won't outrun a Corolla?


Input welcomed.

 

[jodadejss06gt]

first of all who tuned it? Do you have any sort of tune. If your tune is way off it would probably run like piss. I got lucky with my car and the startup tune was fine to get me to the tuner. You may want to look into that.

 

[retfr8flyr]

Get with lito and do some data logging. Is sounds like it's tune related and not a mechanical problem but data logs will tell for sure.



Earl

 

[TexasKyle]

Mike at Powerhouse did the tune and their shop did all the work. I will update the original post with this info.

That being said, it DID run right at one time. Granted, not since I have owned it....

 

[one eyed willy]

Timing has a lot to do with the spool on a turbo car. But if this is something that just popped back up, it may not be the tune? Have you checked plugs? What's the A/F when it's spooling up? What size exhaust housing on the turbo?dors it make 16# of boost when it does spool up?what cams?

 

[TexasKyle]

Timing has a lot to do with the spool on a turbo car. But if this is something that just popped back up, it may not be the tune? Have you checked plugs? What's the A/F when it's spooling up? What size exhaust housing on the turbo?dors it make 16# of boost when it does spool up?what cams?

Stock heads/cams

Plugs have been checked since this issue started. Honestly though, I don't know how long it's been this way as it was this way when I bought it.

A/F sways lean at initial tip in, then comes back to 11.4 and stays there. (*edit - I have checked so many things that I haven't looked at it in a while, I will confirm this tomorrow but I know it was fine when I was paying attention to it)

I do not know the specs on the turbo.

When it finally spools up, it runs like hell but only makes 14psi.

 

[one eyed willy]

Waste gate vented to atmosphere or back to exhaust?

 

[TexasKyle]

Waste gate vented to atmosphere or back to exhaust?

Exhaust. I took the waste gate out and apart. It wasn't stuck and had a full range of movement.

 

[one eyed willy]

Exhaust. I took the waste gate out and apart. It wasn't stuck and had a full range of movement.

What about the vac lines running to it? How are those hooked up?

Would it be possible to unhook the waste gate pipe going to the exhaust? So you can actually hear it open?

Boost controller?

 

[JEWC_Motorsports]

Stupid question but does the impeller spin freely?

 

[TexasKyle]

What about the vac lines running to it? How are those hooked up?

Would it be possible to unhook the waste gate pipe going to the exhaust? So you can actually hear it open?

Boost controller?

I can't remember the routing off the top of my head and it's pitch black here. I will report on that in the morning.

The way the wastegate is plumbed in, it's all welded up to the flange the wastegate bolts to, so the best I could do is take the bolts out of the downstream side.

*edit - no boost controller, spring pressure only

 

[TexasKyle]

Stupid question but does the impeller spin freely?

Not a stupid question at all. I have checked that and it spins freely with no end play.

 

[TexasKyle]

I can't see it with a flash light, but I know it has one hose from the backside of the WG that runs over to the BOV I think. Won't be able to tell until it's daylight. It definitely runs to that area so I can't think of where else it would go

 

[stretch]

i so wanted that car.

take it to daniel @ triangle in orange. they have my old blue powerhouse turbo car making over 800rwhp on there dyno. i only made 640rwhp on there dyno and i ran 9.8s with car.

 

[JEWC_Motorsports]

What intercooler is on the car?

 

[TexasKyle]

i so wanted that car.

take it to daniel @ triangle in orange. they have my old blue powerhouse turbo car making over 800rwhp on there dyno. i only made 640rwhp on there dyno and i ran 9.8s with car.

I know you did. I thought Richard was going to let you have it as well. As much as it has been a pain in the ass, I love this car. It's got anything and everything that I would do to a Mustang.

Know of a decently priced company that can pick it up and delivery it to Triangle? You move a lot of cars if I remember correctly so thought you might have leads on shipping/transport companies.

What intercooler is on the car?

Brand, I don't recall. It's been over 6 months since I had the bumper off looking at it. It's a big ass air to air though.

 

[retfr8flyr]

Check your vacuum lines tomorrow, the BOV should be from a port prior to the TB and the W/G should come from the intake manifold behind the TB.


Earl

 

[TexasBlownV8]

When you wanna get rid of it for $8k, let me know!

Seriously, you either have a tune issue, or something has changed that is not throwing a code but is way off. Datalogging should help identify the issue, as being tune or mechanical.

Although, if your boost is not building, i'd suspect the vacuum line and/or the source of vacuum, or an impeller / flow issue.

 

[JoshK]

Check you vacuum lines tomorrow, the BOV should be from a port prior to the TB and the W/G should come from the intake manifold behind the TB.


Earl

I think you may have those backwards man, as the BOV needs to be able to see vac so its source should be post TB

 

[TexasKyle]

I think you may have those backwards man, as the BOV needs to be able to see vac so its source should be post TB

This seems correct to me, as I am sure my BOV is taking a vacuum source from a port on the intake mani. I have a hose from the intake mani to the BOV which incidentally is T'd into for the boost gauge as well.

What would be the effect if the vacuum hose from the intake mani to the BOV had a hole or bad connection at the T? What would that do as far as building boost is concerned?