OK, so I just got back home and all of a sudden there is a HUGE amount of smoke coming from the exaust. I just changed the oil return line with a nice hydraulic one last month in the middle of changing every sensor I could get my hands on. I even pulled it to make sure it wasnt clogged or separating and to make sure oil was in fact returning through the hose. I also pulled the O2 sensor to see if it was smoking from there as well and it is.
So what in the be-jesus is causing this new problem??? I did run her WOT for about 2 miles while I was playing with an IROC so I'm not wondering if I didnt melt the valve cover gasket maybe? There was oil sprayed all over the engine and it seems to have come from the the oil filter breather thingy on top of the block (I know...what the hell is a breather thingy but I have seen in some of the pics here of others that they have a tube going from the turbo to the place where this thingy sits).
I ran her pretty hard and now this smole is like a wall. I let the car cool off and started it bak up and as it warms up the smoke seems to get thicker and the idle is acting odd (normal to low to high to normal to low and on and on).
Any ideas on this one?
White Smoke is Water or Coolant being burnt by the engine....
could be the water seal in the turbo gone and leakng coolant into the downpipe and then being burnt in the exhaust..
or
engine is burning coolant, but yo would see that in your oil
I would SEE that in the oil? Would that be the cause of the oil sprayed on the engine as well?
ya if coolant is leaking in the engine and being burnt your oil and dipstick will look milky and have a kinda foam on it.
when you check your oil or change it you will see coolant mixed with if it is a significant enough leak.
if its coming out the exhaust as white smoke its one of those 2 problems i mentioned.....oil on the motor won't do it, its a internal issue.
How do I check if the engine is burning coolant? Just starting it and letting it run for 30 seconds the coolant hoses are hotter than you-know-where.
no not really
keep checking your oil for that milky stuff on the dipstick and any coolant loss in the coolant system.
thats about it really
Sweet...thanks. I'll change the seal tomorrow and see what happens.
white smoke can also be caused by burning trans fluid. check the vaccuum line that runs from the modulator on the front of the tranny. It is a hard steel line that runs up to a 5/8" flange that goes directly into the plenum. Pull the connection from the modulator on the front of the tranny and check for fluid in the line. The line bolts to the plenum in the section where the throttle body attaches. Worth a look even if you think its coolant. :icon_mrgreen:
White smoke is a tricky b*tch sometimes. :icon_mad:
What does the smoke smell like? Is it a pungent turn your head ew smell, or does it smell like coolant or oil? The amount of smoke...are you fogging for insects or are you just covering your license plate from the coppers?
To start and the easiest thing to do...as Ryan said and pull the vacuum modulator line and see if there is ALOT of tranny fluid in there. If there is then pick up a vacuum modulator and swap her out. Will most likely take a few hours and a couple of WOT 3rd gear runs to clear it out.
If no tranny fluid there...then look for coolant loss or oil loss.
If you are low on coolant...it is time for a coolant system pressure test. If it is bleeding off and you do not see it outside the engine then it can be a coolant seal in the turbo or head gasket. You can do a cylinder bleed down to void the headgasket.
Also when you pulled the 02 sensor...did what was on there smell like oil or coolant or the pungent smell? Did it evaporate or was it dripping? If dripping did you grab a white paper towel and dab it to get a color from it? If it evaporated right away was it a steam or lingering smoke?
Just jamming a bunch out there to try and narrow down what the mosquitoe fogger is caused by! ;) :icon_cool:
Quote from: TGPilot on April 19, 2006, 08:23:42 PM
White smoke is a tricky b*tch sometimes. :icon_mad:
What does the smoke smell like? Is it a pungent turn your head ew smell, or does it smell like coolant or oil? The amount of smoke...are you fogging for insects or are you just covering your license plate from the coppers?
To start and the easiest thing to do...as Ryan said and pull the vacuum modulator line and see if there is ALOT of tranny fluid in there. If there is then pick up a vacuum modulator and swap her out. Will most likely take a few hours and a couple of WOT 3rd gear runs to clear it out.
If no tranny fluid there...then look for coolant loss or oil loss.
If you are low on coolant...it is time for a coolant system pressure test. If it is bleeding off and you do not see it outside the engine then it can be a coolant seal in the turbo or head gasket. You can do a cylinder bleed down to void the headgasket.
Also when you pulled the 02 sensor...did what was on there smell like oil or coolant or the pungent smell? Did it evaporate or was it dripping? If dripping did you grab a white paper towel and dab it to get a color from it? If it evaporated right away was it a steam or lingering smoke?
Just jamming a bunch out there to try and narrow down what the mosquitoe fogger is caused by! ;) :icon_cool:
Lots of info so here goes...
The smoke smells like oil...sorta... It isnt one of those "holy shit run for the hills" smells at all. The amount smoke could be confuesd for a forest fire by low flying planes :flamingdevil:
When I checked the oil level it was about a 1/4" down on the stick from full. Not to the add more level but it wasnt full either and I just changed the oil 2 weeks ago. The coolant level was also a little low in the overflow tank and I know I topped that off when I changed the oil as well.
When I pulled th O2 the only thing that came out was the same white smoke and no fluid...on a side note to that it did make a wicked sweet noise :gr_grin: and after I shut her down the smoke still lingered out of the hole and the exaust as well.
I will pull the modulator line today and see whats in it. Does ALOT mean pouring out or just full or anything in it at all? Not ever done squat with one of these so I'm not real clear as to how much of what should be in it.
Also I didnt see any coolant anywhere outside the engine. The only fluid I saw was the oil sprayed right up front by the fan and on the plenum.
As for 3rd gear WOT unfortunately mine is not a manual :icon_cry: so I will have to settle for WOT by foot once I get it fixed.
Thanks for the ideas and starting spots...I'll let ya know what I find.
if you see any hints of trans fluid your next step should be to replace that, and drive it hard for a day or so, keeping in mind that it could still be coolant or oil. but if there is trans fluid in the line, it means the diaphram on the modulator is toast, and needs replacing anyway. So check that out, report back here the findings and we can see what the next step should be.
The line from the plenum is way smaller that 5/8 and goes to a T connector and a small rubber hose. One side comes back up and goes into what I think is the cruise control and the other plugs directly into a small round metal something. I cant really see it because it is under the turbo.
I hate not knowing what I'm looking for but from the description this cant be it can it? I pulled the little rubber hose and its dry as a bone inside it. It looks more like a air hose than anything else.
EDIT: - I saw small bubbles coming from the back side of the turbo and smoke coming from what looks like the exaust pipe and x-over where it meets the turbo. Any thoughts on this? Could it be a valve gasket?
My finger is pointing to the line at the throttle body. Follow that down and you will find the vacuum modulator. Make sure there is a T check valve down on the modulator with one side of the 3 open.
Hope this helps! ;)
Quote from: TGPilot on April 20, 2006, 05:35:41 PM
My finger is pointing to the line at the throttle body. Follow that down and you will find the vacuum modulator. Make sure there is a T check valve down on the modulator with one side of the 3 open.
Hope this helps! ;)
That's the one I checked. There is a screw plugging the open line but it is all clean and dry.
I think I have officially ruled out the vacuum modulator and now I'm leaning towards the water seal at the turbo. Anyone point me to where that monster is?
Inside the turbo
Quote from: tcristea on April 20, 2006, 05:36:53 PM
Quote from: TGPilot on April 20, 2006, 05:35:41 PM
My finger is pointing to the line at the throttle body. Follow that down and you will find the vacuum modulator. Make sure there is a T check valve down on the modulator with one side of the 3 open.
Hope this helps! ;)
That's the one I checked. There is a screw plugging the open line but it is all clean and dry.
If you are talking about a screw at the end of the open line where it "T's" to the tranny modulator, the end of the line that TGPilot was pointing to in his picture, that is not supposed to be there and you should remove it asap as it can eventually cause damage to the trans. Try removing that screw and driving it for a bit and see what comes of it, are you losing coolant at all? have you checked the radiator? How about the surge tank? What is the coolant level, if it's low add some and then see if it drops again.
Better yet get a bottle of coolant tracer dye from your local dealer and put a small amount of it in the coolant system, invest in a black light bulb from your local stoner shop and use it in a shop light to find out if its burning in the turbo. Just run it a bit, remove the O2 sensor and shine that black light in there and look for a UV reaction.
It has a 4-way on it. One side to the plenum, one to the modulator, one to the EGR and one to a screw. I think the previous owner had done this once before as I dont think GM would :laugh:
Last night the wind died down to nothing and I was able to get a good look and smell at the smoke. It looked more blue than white and had a strong oil smell to it. I also checked the oil level and it's now almost a qt low. The coolant is full in the radiator and the overflow tank and I have good pressure in the system.
I guess with all the blooming and the wind I was smelling sweet and blue looked white...anyway, thats oil not water or tranny and the smoke was also coming from around the x-over and exaust system there at the manifold.
Any suggestions for plan "d"???
Plan "D" has a few options.
Get with Invasion1 (Dave) for #'s to the folks who rebuild his.
Learn how to replace a turbo center cartridge.
Buy a new turbo...GT28 or GT30 series
Get full coverage on the car and drive it off a cliff! ;) :laugh:
You will need a rebuild though. Most likely she sat too long...got a dimple in the seal and it finally let go.
-Kenny :icon_cool:
Quote from: TGPilot on April 21, 2006, 07:37:49 AM
Plan "D" has a few options.
Get with Invasion1 (Dave) for #'s to the folks who rebuild his.
Learn how to replace a turbo center cartridge.
Buy a new turbo...GT28 or GT30 series
Get full coverage on the car and drive it off a cliff! ;) :laugh:
You will need a rebuild though. Most likely she sat too long...got a dimple in the seal and it finally let go.
-Kenny :icon_cool:
Did I say plan "D"?? I must have meant plan "C" :icon_eek: :icon_eek:
So basically what you're saying is the turbo (which was just rebuilt in 04) is a pretty paperweight and needs replaced?
Well I am not there to see what is happening. You said the return line was replaced. I am assuming it is a high quality oil resistant line so we can rule that most common smoke maker out.
You see oil inside and it is smoking out the butt end of your car...turbo or valves seals are going to do it. If I was you I would get some dye (like ryan said) and trace the source. You can also pull the turbo and plug the return then hook up a pressure source to the oil inlet...pressurize it and see where the oil is coming from.
Do you know who rebuild the cartridge or what parts source they used?
But right now it is pointing to the oil/coolant center cartridge as the source of the smokey smokey. Sorry...don't shoot the messenger! ;) :icon_cool:
I was wrong....it was rebuilt in '02 by Dallas Turbo.
What makes you think I would shoot the messenger? :icon_rolleyes: Might hunt you down and stick a torx in your eye but I would NEVER shoot :laugh: :joke: :smilielol:
Now saying you would stick a torx in someone's eye took some thought :icon_eek:....I am going to make sure my name is unlisted! :laugh: :icon_cool:
Spent way too many years programming....lots of time to think about torturing users ;) :icon_lol:
There is a place here in KC that will rebuild the turbo for $300. That sound about right or they trying to rip me off?
Thats what mine cost for the basic Rebuild
make sure its a good place.....
Sweet, thanks. They have been here for over 15 years so I'm hoping that says something. I will check them out a little closer though.
If it got rebuilt and its still smoking, my guess is its not rebuildable. but if its a good shop they will know if the thing is too far gone. now if you had a blanket on it constantly its whole life it probably has cracked housing. heat stress warps up and cracks the metal. lets hope its just a leaky cartridge. ball bearing turbos can take the heat a lot more and thats why they use those now, but if you can ever find a good journal bearing T-25 keep it naked and park the car on a tilt with the passenger side down hill, that way the oil drains back down into the pan. If you stick to these basic rules, journal bearing turbos should last forever
:icon_eek:
:icon_question: :icon_question: :icon_question: :thinking: :icon_question: :icon_question: :icon_question:
Garrett/GangstGP...You are doing it again! Who has fed you this crap over the years to the point where you believe what you are typing? The turbo was rebuild 4 years ago and sat damn near the entire time if I read other posts correctly. Worst thing for a seal is lack of circulation. It is possible that 4 years ago they used a different cartridge, or tried a different cartridge that ended up with early failures, who knows? Non-of us work there.
My suggestion would be to call them and let them know what is going on. Be real nice. Tell them that you just bought the car and it was barely used by the previous owner. They may give you a severe discount or even take car of it free. Hell they may want to see why it failed with so little time on it. I would get with them first and see what they can do for you...especially if you still have a receipt from the previous owner. ;) :icon_cool:
:laugh: :laugh:You are so wrong Kenny. my name's rick. a turbo can sit till the end of time if it doesnt have oil cooked on the oil outlet, thats why NO BLANKETS... and did you just skim over mindlessly about the tilted parking like everything else you never heard of? no one here fed me crap, this is the best turbo forum in the world. lets stomp out ignorance.
when are you going to back up the things you say Rick? the only one here feeding people crap is you. most all of your posts either don't make sense or if they do it's complete misinformation that you're passing along as fact. you do it over and over and over again and people eventually get sick of it. it's funny to see you say "let's stomp out the ignorance" :laugh: because if Kenny did "stomp out the ingorance" i don't think you'd be on this forum anymore.
do u have alot of shafy play in the turbo ... start there.. when my turbo blew it was oil though the exhaust... white smoke ad lots of itand yes oil bubbled betwqeen the downpipe and turbo
Ok Peeps lets keep it civil
all about the Facts concerning tcristea's problem....
otherwise im gonna shut'er down
thanks
Dave
also change ur o2 sensor when u get ur turbo rebuild.. mine looked terrible after mine blew ... i just replace it today
I was just trying to point out that oil and coolant can cook on to a surface and not saying it will never come off, but it turns into a very hard carbon plate or glaze on the journal bearing and/or bubble up and harden. coolant crystalizes in there and blocks it up too. I know this because I am a deli cook and use a natural gas heated griddle to cook burgers. when we clean the grill we take degreaser and a volcanic rock brick to it and scrape off the black carbon. then when the steel slab is a nice clean silver color, we take extra virgin olive oil and turn the heat on full blast and burn on several coats of oil until it has a black carbon shield on it. the shield will last 2-3 weeks and if you dont start with a good one, food will stick like crazy to the grill and will gouge the soft steel when you try and scrape it. Heres a test to see whats going on in the turbo, drip some oil on the turbo when its real hot and see if it starts to smoke, if it does then the oil inside is smoking and bubbling too, creating a carbon shield on the bearing. ball bearings use less oil and can break up the carbon better because motor oil has detergents anyway.
Ken over at Phoenix Turbo (cheapturbo.com) called me Thursday about an update on my Spare turbo i sent them last week..
it is not in bad shape, it does have some "burnt" spots on the bearing surfaces......from the previous owner not allowing for spool down and cool down time.
the oil seals were blown out he also mentioned (that was what was listed in the ebay auction when i bought it on there) he said for journal bearing turbo's he said under 30PSI is to little and over 50PSI is to much...ball bearing turbo's even less PSI range.
http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobygarrett/
anyway all i needed was a basic rebuild $300
as for Coolant leaks he said the T25 cores are kinda a weak spot for these units....including tempermental oil seals.
there is a turbine seal upgrade Skalor is familiar with as he posted it on W-body a few months back now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/T2-T25-T28-Turbo-Stagger-Gap-Turbine-Shaft-Seal_W0QQitemZ8043598512QQcategoryZ33742QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
The T25 does have a casting flaw that in time all turbines will have the hairline cracks beginning around the W/G port and expanding from there....
from what i have been reading and heard from Ken in our discussions that with this casting flaw and NOT keeping the Turbo Turbine COVERED!!! your more prone to cracking due to the expansion of heat and the contraction if cooling...
The idea was with it covered with stock blanket or aftermarket your keeping the heat in and hot gas flows faster than cool.....when you have no covering and the engine is off the turbine cools at a set rate determined by the underhood temps and the rate of cooling less the insulation/blanket.
With the Blanket or turbine insulation the turbine stays warm after shut down and cools at a slower rate minimizing the expantion and contraction and this less prone to the cracking that comes along with Castings.
I guess there can be an argument to the opposite claiming that a covered turbo heats up from cold to fast and then can cause the cracks...... :icon_neutral: but i have not SEEN any info on that. and im gonna look for some theorys.
As is now my spare turbo was a brand new Garrett unit the dude i got it from off ebay purchased for over $800 he claimed.....he had to much oil pressure and blew the seals out.....being a new unit it has a MINT turbine housing NO CRACKS or nothing!!! :icon_eek:
when i get it back from service it will be fully rebuilt and with a Ceramic coated Turbine :icon_cool: and i DO plan on putting a DEI Universal Turbo Blanket kit on it as reccomended my a pro. :icon_mrgreen:
my 5 cents
I hear ya on the gasses going a little faster when the pipe is hot, do you think thats going to give you more boost or something? What about the residual heat that heat soaks the whole area there and even transfers heat to the tranny and fuel lines and brake cyl.? wouldnt the blanket block some of that air transfered heat from flowing down under the car or out the louvers? If your turbo has a plate on it that says Genuine Garrett Remanufactured then he aint lying, they cost $1000, so yea over $800
no i don't expect more "boost" from that and if you do i think you need a WAY better setup than what we currently have stock on these cars.... :icon_lol:
it may be possable in more developed engines and such but not these timepieces :laugh:
well in my case i have the crossover wrapped and will have the turbo turbine wrapped.....my reason is o eliminate the radiant heat issue im having....which has melted some stuff on me (also i have no hood louvers). Nothing to do with performance and boost gains. and from what i mentioned above especially i regards to the expansion and contraction of the turbine.
Im not understanding your point about the
Quoteresidual heat
?? :icon_confused:
are you saying that its good or bad?
the stock Crossover has a heat shield and insulation on it....and has a turbo blanket on it stock...the way Mclaren designed them :icon_wink:
QuoteIf your turbo has a plate on it that says Genuine Garrett Remanufactured
and it does (one im having serviced now)
EDIT: has Genuine Garrett Manufactured on it actually
well when I started doin all this heat dispersal stuff a few years ago I had a piss poor running car with everything melting and overheating and not very much power. It took its toll on everything because it was my daily driver and I didnt know shit. all I had going for me was the Jeff M chip and x-over pipe. The first great step to keep things cool I did was the ac fin mod. and the "remove the windshield moulding" from the top of the engine bay mod. I had a starter blanket made of fiberglass mat covered in foil that I tailored up like a heat bonnet to block the heat from all that wiring and vac lines. PMIII took a dump then the turbo got worse to the point it was trashed. all that stuff is heat fatigue, it can ruin everything when the oil thins out on the bearing and you are grinding metal. I have taken a hundred more steps to improve the heat dispersal around the turbo. cant imagine not having louvers! I always see the wavy heat coming out the louvers thinking DAMN thats hot in there!
Did you ever consider cutting a hole in the hood and have a cowl or snorkel on that one side? you could tack some screen under the hood to keep leaves and pine needles out. the trick is to not let it get hot in the first place and let any heat generated escape rapidly. Trust me its the exact same thing as a bigger intercooler, only better because ALL radiant heat is swept away from the top of the engine. and you can brag about your american made Blackstone IC. :icon_cool: My opinion is this car is WAY ahead of its time and because of some of the weaker engineered parts like the x-over and factory air box it has somehow gotten a bad rap. Hope this helps you hear where I am coming from, I think warm air is the enemy and if you suck in warm air from the filter in the first place, it will begin the heat soak process. a CAI is one of the most important steps to a cold charge pipe, there is the heat soak factor as well as the wind chill factor. Mclaren designed it with this in mind but forgot about the warm air from the radiater. which leads us to the conclusion about how this helps with the turbine / cartridge heat dissipation. IMHO, its not the exhaust gasses that you have no control over that are to worry about, its the metals ability to transfer heat, and the most heat transfers through the comressor wheel, agreed? Its aluminum so it pulls heat from other metals like a steel turbine housing. the colder air from the CAI is what keeps the turbine cool and the oil and water from boiling in the cartridge.
also I ran outside and looked, the plate on the turbo says:Garrett and ##s then says Factory Overhauled.
ZERO% chance of Cutting my HOOD :laugh:
Ok i see what you mean now....yes thats kinda my problem now before i had the hot parts wrapped up...
I do have the underhood piece removed as of now and a timer that runs my fans for a few minutes after the ignition is turned off (not always but its switchable on/off) to keep a circulation of air under the hood.
on my Cutlass i have a enlarged hole (cause i made it bigger) behind the headlights and as long as the car is moving it gets cool(er) air, but i do plan on making a type of encloser that more ramps and prevents the hot underhood air from getting in the K&N.
For myself i have everything insulated less the exhaust manifolds, that way the radiant heat is less of a issue to components like you mentioned above.
now for sort of a heat sink i guess you could say the crossover to mount to tranny would do some....especially with a aluminum cased trans, now i have never stuck my hand down there to see if any heat from the crossover effects the transmission case at any point lower than the crossover mount (keep in mind i have a manual and my crossover mount is 1/8 the side of the auto) but i would be intrested in that theory.
Turbo wise with the blanket/wrap would mostlikely be hotter inside and after you shut the engine down it would stay hot longer than if it was "naked". but since were all well read we know to allow some cool down time before you cut the coolant flow and oil flow :icon_wink: and for those of us with a turbo timer its especially easy ;)
now my source on this is Ken from Phoenix turbo because we were discussing it in regards to my turbo he has now and the occurrence of some burnt areas on the journals where he said was from hot shut downs. with a 2 min cool down period he said it was enough to adequately cool and lube so when you do shut down the engine you will avoid damage.....for tohse who don't have that 2 mins well your problem down the road i guess.
my turbo timer built in to my alarm/starter is set to 2 mins from the factory....another thing i was tihnking and i have to credit my little French buddy Mars for this is maybe add a small oil cooler specificly for the turbo?? Mars has one on his S/C and hopefully it will prevent another seizure ;)
the compressor wheel eh.....never thought of that one... :icon_neutral: that is aluminum on a steel shaft correct? i can see how that would benefit with the cool air comming in and perhaps cool the area a bit but i have not read or heard about it so i can't comment on the validity of that, but if it is true again 2 min cool down would be needed still :icon_mrgreen:
anyway some valid points and food for thought.
Quote from: GangstGP on April 24, 2006, 04:23:07 PMTrust me its the exact same thing as a bigger intercooler, only better because ALL radiant heat is swept away from the top of the engine.
the intercooler has a completely different job than hood louvers. the job of the intercooler is to cool the intake charge after it is compressed. hood louvers are to help let underhood heat escape the engine bay. you can't say one is better than the other or even compare them.
Quote from: GangstGP on April 24, 2006, 04:23:07 PMand you can brag about your american made Blackstone IC. :icon_cool: My opinion is this car is WAY ahead of its time and because of some of the weaker engineered parts like the x-over and factory air box it has somehow gotten a bad rap.
they got a well deserved bad rap becuase the stock air box and crossover pipe downright suck. there are alot of things that could be improved on the TGP. if you want to go faster you can't keep things stock.
Quote from: GangstGP on April 24, 2006, 04:23:07 PMHope this helps you hear where I am coming from, I think warm air is the enemy and if you suck in warm air from the filter in the first place, it will begin the heat soak process. a CAI is one of the most important steps to a cold charge pipe there is the heat soak factor as well as the wind chill factor.
it surprises me to see that you think CAI is so important yet you say "the stock SMIC is and will always be superior to anything you try aftermarket." i think you are seriously underestimating the job of the intercooler. a good FMIC is going to be alot more important than CAI. CAI does nothing to help cool the intake charge after it is compressed, which is where the intake charge is going to pick up most of it's heat. i'm also wondering why your lower intercooler pipe is insulated? the intake charge in that pipe is going to be alot hotter than anything underhood so there is no reason to insulate/shield it from anything underhood. the only thing you're doing is trapping the heat inside the pipe. i'd want as much airflow around the pipe as possible to help lose some heat before going to the intercooler.
Quote from: GangstGP on April 24, 2006, 04:23:07 PMMclaren designed it with this in mind but forgot about the warm air from the radiater. which leads us to the conclusion about how this helps with the turbine / cartridge heat dissipation.
there you go again, explaining things to us like you're an automotive engineer or something :icon_rolleyes:
Quote from: GangstGP on April 24, 2006, 04:23:07 PM
IMHO, its not the exhaust gasses that you have no control over that are to worry about, its the metals ability to transfer heat, and the most heat transfers through the comressor wheel, agreed? Its aluminum so it pulls heat from other metals like a steel turbine housing. the colder air from the CAI is what keeps the turbine cool and the oil and water from boiling in the cartridge.
are you talking about heat transfer from the turbine to the compressor wheel? because that isn't where the intake charge pics up heat. some, yes...but remember that air temperature increases when it's compressed. that is how the intake charge pics up most of its heat. if you didn't know that i suppose that would explain your reasoning behind your claims that no aftermarket intercooler could possibly be better than the stock SMIC, or that hood louvers are more important than intercoolers, and why you would have insulation on the lower IC pipe.
you are kinda taking things out of context there a little. If you were to do all the stuff I mentioned above it would equal a bigger IC. The lower charge pipe especially, just weld on a shield so it blocks the super hot x-over/header joint there less than 1 inch away from the pipe where it connects to the turbo there. I cant believe anyone would argue this point as I could not imagine anyone sticking there hand down in there its so hot. There is absolutely no doubt that it helped HUGE in my quest for internally cooling "wind chill". the compression of gasses only creates heat under full boost (or with warm air) and with that blanket the pipe is insulated from all the outer heat sources that by far outweigh that pipes cooling ability which is the icycoolers :laugh: job anyway. Thats what I am trying to prove as well, to not underestimate the power of the ICYCOOLER!
I have 4 TGP's and 2 TSTE's and I drive them all like I stole them... In 10 years, have never had a coolant leak in a turbo, and the only crack is the classic one between the boost bypass hole and the exhaust turbine hole, and I have worn out 4 of them (turbos that is) :icon_twisted:
Back to topic :laugh: I replaced the turbo unit with a rebuilt and known good one and the problem did not change. More investigation and more ripping and I now have found the problem. There is a VERY small hole in the number one piston. The problem with this is the engine now has metal shavings in it and is going to need a complete rebuild :icon_eek:
My problem with this is I have replaced every sensor and power module on this thing and now I dont have the energy or resources to do this. Any suggestions now?
I bought a parts car for $225 and got the motor and tranny out of it. it was pretty lucky I will admit and it took like 5 years to find it, but you could do something similar and put all your good parts on it.
Where are you located again? :icon_cool:
I'm in KC, Missouri. If you guys are interested let me know. The sunroof seal leaks and the HUD doesn't work but everything else is in great shape. I hate to part it out like this but I just dont have the time or anything to mess with it anymore.