First Turbo Install Project Thread, Tech problems and pics inside
 

After a year of reading, researching and collecting parts I installed my homemade turbo kit this weekend without great success… Here is rundown of the parts

- TD04L WRX Turbo
- HF Manifold w/ Adapter plate
- Custom Downpipe & Charge Pipes
- Stealthmode oil lines
- Oil sandwich plate
- Knock off greddy BOV
- Modified Starion Intercooler
- Chipped P28 w/ BBKA basemap
- Innovate LC-1 (Not Installed)
- DSM 450’s w/ resistors

Here are the pics of the install:
Attachment 24654
Attachment 24655
Attachment 24656
Attachment 24657
Attachment 24658
Attachment 24659

Here are the issues I am having:
1. Upon startup the car runs very very rough and is exhausting a dark color smoke. At first I thought it was some of the paint and other BS burning off but after not calming down in a couple minutes I am led to believe it is something else…

After a little reading I am led to believe that maybe the turbo is getting too much oil and blowing past the seals. If this were the case wouldn’t there be oil in the charge pipes? (There isn’t…) The oil is fed from the sandwich plate and uses a -3 AN line, does it need to be restricted?

2. On my blow off valve, it has two nipples for a vacuum line, which one should the line be plumbed to?
3. What to do about the crank case vent. I know ideally a catch can should be installed, however I don’t yet have one. For now should I just run a breather filter on the VC and plug the piping? When I first ran the car I had forgotten to disconnect the VC tubing, could this attribute to issue #1?

Thanks in advance for all the help :thumbup:

Also i am aware that the intercooler is not level, the brackets for it broke during install :thumbdown:

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

well it does look like your chips is in backwards, if you put it in the way that its pictured. at least my obd1 goes the other way

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Thanks for the input i always get confused about the chip orientation, i wonder if it makes any difference...

I will switch though...

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

arrow points toward the lock lever

looks like a fun setup

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Your chip is backwards. Yes it does make a difference. Backwards = ECU limp mode.

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Ok, i will def. switch the chip when i get home, do you guys think that the copious amounts of smoke could be attributed to this??

Also what nipple on the blow off valve do you attach the vacuum line to?

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

the top nipple, clean your fingernails

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

the smoke is because its running those 450s without any management. chip backwards=worse then stock ecu. fix it dumbass.

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

hahah, ok i hope really hope that fixes it!!

I know my fingernails are gross :)

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

it looks good hows it running so far?

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

my guess, is like ----. as he stated in the first ------- post.
anyways, the dark smoke is most likley fuel, if the chip isn't working, the injectors are just dumping, therefore it will run rich as ----, and probably idle rough too. turn that chip around, hopefully you didn't ruin it

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Is ruining the chip a possibility? I have tried burning a diff basemap and it seemed to go ok. Car now will not start. See my notes below:

Thanks for the input guys. Here is where i stand:
I flipped the chip, fixed the valve cover vent, and tightened the hoses all around. I then attempted to start the car. I would put the ignition to on, and wait for the check engine light to go off. Thus confirming that the ecu is working properly, (with the chip backwards the light never went off).

The motor would crank but did not seem to be firing. I checked all the fuses, none blown. I then checked the spark plugs and found they were a little fouled. I then cleaned them up and still no change. I tested for spark by grounding with a screwdriver to the chassis. No visible sparks. I then ran out of light and have to give up on it for now. Any suggestions?

I also tried a similarily configured basemap, still nothing.

And yes the coolant lines are on the to do list. I am just trying to get the car running again

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

you wear gloves and you still have dirty ass nails :8

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

yea, well needless to say i went through many pairs of gloves that day...

Any ideas guys? i am going to try and diagnose the distributor/spark today. I am starting to get frustrated...

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Although it may be a wrong basemap to start with, I would say try the BBKA basemap again because you knew before that it would start the car. Did the check engine light go off after you oriented the chip correctly? You may also want to pull the jumper and run your ecu in normal mode, it will run really rich because of the 450s, but it will run.

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Yeah i guess i will put that basemap back in. Yes the CEL did go off once i oriented the chip correctly. For some reason i feel i am not getting spark.

Thanks for all the help so far guys. I am pretty mechanically inclined, i just need ideas for diagnosis!

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

great looking project.
nice swaybar..and fan...and fuel line
added to project stickey. ;)

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Thanks for the addition to the project sticky, i am running out of stock parts on the car, they are almost all aftermarket/perofmrance. I will be sure to do a full photoshoot & project thread once i get this damn car runninng....

No progress thus far

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

I like the charge piping and valve cover too.
A good write up on wrinkle paint would be awesome :y

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

You might not be able to reburn the chip properly if you installed it backwards. It can be shorted and still not flash a code. You may need a new one if you can't figure out the problem.

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Hrm, that is not very reassuring... The ECU can be "run" without a chip thought right?

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Yes, just pull the jumper. J1

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Fix that tube between your upper charge pipe to the valve cover or just quick make a catch can and be done with it. Those real Type X's or Rotas?

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

rotas, i am not sure what the real-deal vs knockoff ethics are on this forum. But personally i cant spend 1k$ on wheels that are used and nearly 10 years old. These are rotas, and brand new for half the price

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Get a new chip or try a new one, they're pretty cheap.

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

i just run a hose down to the ground off my valve cover for the pcv

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

i got one on order. Still no spark, does anyone have a known good distributor that they could loan me?

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

its most likley a chip problem, if it ran before, i doubt your dizzy went bad

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

id try running a stock unchipped ecu. i also noticed your either runnnig an odb1 d16 or a mini-me. did you have the motor running good before the turbo? did you swapo the tps wires? are the two white wires from the distributor in the right place

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

I have found the problem, and the car now runs & boosts :) x10. (I wish HMT had the :thumbup:) The problem was a bad distributor, either having the chip in backwards fried it or it was just going bad anyway and the poor running put the nail in the coffin. Onto a new problem/Questions/issues:

The Bov i have is a cheap ebay RVM (purple greddy knockoff). I havent been really pushing wot or super high rpm but... when i close the throttle after boosting the turbo/bov is making a fluttering sound similar to a hks super sequential valve. I am led to believe that the bov isnt opening but rather the compressor is releasing the air from the charge pipe, no? So i disassemble the bov and remove one of the two springs, I have also backed the set screw out quite a bit. I still am not positive that the valve is opening all the way (still fluttering), any easy way to check? (keep in mind the car is only running low boost ~6psi).

Thanks for all the help so far ;D

Re: First Turbo Install Complete w/ Pics and problems
 

Just finished boosting mine and was having a pretty similiar problem. Was getting mad compressor surge. Like fluttering.

I took the BOV off, cleaned it with brake cleaner, greased it up, put it back on, and made sure I had a good vaccuum line hooked up to it. I made sure I used one that was direct, but make sure it's after the throttle body.

Tip of advice, start off in low boost, and make sure your wg is working properly also, check to see if the BOV is releasing at idle in neutral. There should be some air coming out of it.

Hope it helps & good luck.

Re: First Turbo Install Project Thread, Tech problems and pics inside
 

all IC chips have a little dot right next to the number 1 pin
just so you know in the future

Re: First Turbo Install Project Thread, Tech problems and pics inside
 

I did not see it on your thread, but how r u venting the block? I hope u dont have the stock PCV set up since u r going to start getting blow by. Which is not good, bu just run a hose to the ground from the black box. If u care about the envirement and what not. Get a Air water seperator from home depot ($10) and use that as a catch can. They work great, but u need to clean them since they do clog them selves after a while. And about ur BOV isnt it adjustable? Just play with the screw on the top till u get it just right. I guess the little 5yr asian didnt get it right this time....

Re: First Turbo Install Project Thread, Tech problems and pics inside
 

I guess not. I have adjusted the screw and still fluttering. As for the PVC / Breather Situation. I no longer have a line from the charge pipes to the crankcase. It is just vented via the hole in the VC. For now, real catch can setup to follow...

Ok. I will try lubing the bov a little bit. At idle shouldnt the bov be inhaling? :6

Re: First Turbo Install Project Thread, Tech problems and pics inside
 

the pcv system is not just the VC. There is also a crank case side of it. its a line that runs from the back of the block to a pcv valve to the IM. If u have not modified that u are boosting the crank case too.....which is not good....

Re: First Turbo Install Project Thread, Tech problems and pics inside
 

updates?

Re: First Turbo Install Project Thread, Tech problems and pics inside
 

why the ---- did you just bump up a 1+ year thread noob

Re: First Turbo Install Project Thread, Tech problems and pics inside
 

just becuase i have the same turbo and im planning to do almost the same setup

Re: First Turbo Install Project Thread, Tech problems and pics inside
 

then pm him...

nevermind...

Last Active: May 06, 2008, 05:13:33 AM