Ummmm, My Car Has "issues..."

[Sydneykid]

Holy crappolla, so sorry, shaft broken. Usually you find that sort of damage when you have loose objects in the inlet. I don't believe that just happened instantly, it has been building for a while. Maybe out of balance for some time due to a small hit. I would check out the inlet system very carefully, make sure there is none left to do it again. That's painful.

cheers

[GoldZilla]

OK guys, job done.

All bits back on the car and it is running, but it seems to be producing a lot less power and doesn't feel anywhere near as strong when it comes on boost. This leads me to believe that the old (stuffed) turbo was quite possibly running higher than standard boost, which may have lead to its early(?) destruction. Time to get a boost gauge, me thinks! Where to mount it and keep it looking stealthy, I'll have to figure out. Maybe I'll try and source a series II three-gauge DIN display.

There was (and still is, despite my best efforts to remove it) some evidence of something being stuck to the dash on the passenger's side. Who knows, maybe it had previously had an AVC-R or similar (but it was fairly big, roughly the size of an AVC-R or SAF-C) stuck down in that spot with double-sided tape.

With this in mind, I'm wondering if maybe the wastegate actuator spring might have been changed at some stage in a previous life. Can anyone (SK, maybe?) measure the spring rate on the actuator (compared to a standard one) if I bring the old turbo over to them? I just want to get an idea if this could be the cause of the problems...

I took the intercooler off and gave it a flush too, and getting those pipes back on was a bit of a bitch, especially when it came to lining up the clamps and then, later, putting the airbox back on. I found lots of little fragments of the compressor wheel in the intercooler too, but nothing in any of the intercooler pipes or anywhere leading up to the throttle body, so hopefully I got rid of all of it.

Thanks again to all for your input!

Nick T.

[Sydneykid]

OK guys, job done.

All bits back on the car and it is running, but it seems to be producing a lot less power and doesn't feel anywhere near as strong when it comes on boost.  This leads me to believe that the old (stuffed) turbo was quite possibly running higher than standard boost, which may have lead to its early(?) destruction.  Time to get a boost gauge, me thinks!  Where to mount it and keep it looking stealthy, I'll have to figure out.  Maybe I'll try and source a series II three-gauge DIN display.

There was (and still is, despite my best efforts to remove it) some evidence of something being stuck to the dash on the passenger's side.  Who knows, maybe it had previously had an AVC-R or similar (but it was fairly big, roughly the size of an AVC-R or SAF-C) stuck down in that spot with double-sided tape.

With this in mind, I'm wondering if maybe the wastegate actuator spring might have been changed at some stage in a previous life.  Can anyone (SK, maybe?) measure the spring rate on the actuator (compared to a standard one) if I bring the old turbo over to them?  I just want to get an idea if this could be the cause of the problems...

I took the intercooler off and gave it a flush too, and getting those pipes back on was a bit of a bitch, especially when it came to lining up the clamps and then, later, putting the airbox back on.  I found lots of little fragments of the compressor wheel in the intercooler too, but nothing in any of the intercooler pipes  or anywhere leading up to the throttle body, so hopefully I got rid of all of it.

Thanks again to all for your input!

Nick T.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Nick, I didn't know you had no boost gauge and a sticky mess on dash, sure sign of a modified past. Any turbo shop can measure the wastegate actuator, but first I would check the vacuum hoses. Look for signs of them being changed or modified, clamp marks, cuts, no restrictor etc. It is easy to swap the hoses around and get 7 psi all the time via bypassing the solenoid, have a look in the DFA IEBC thread for pictures.

If you are sending the turbo off to them to get it high flowed, GCG will check the wastegate actuator.

cheers

[GoldZilla]

Hi Nick, I didn't know you had no boost gauge and a sticky mess on dash, sure sign of a modified past.  Any turbo shop can measure the wastegate actuator, but first I would check the vacuum hoses.  Look for signs of them being changed or modified, clamp marks, cuts, no restrictor etc.  It is easy to swap the hoses around and get 7 psi all the time via bypassing the solenoid, have a look in the DFA IEBC thread for pictures.

If you are sending the turbo off to them to get it high flowed, GCG will check the wastegate actuator.

cheers

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks SK, I'll do that. I didn't take real notice while we were working on the car, but there's no obvious evidence of cut hoses, etc. I might have to take another look and see what I find.

I'll have a look at the DFA/IEBC thread too and make sure everything is as it should be, and maybe do some testing by bypassing the solenoid as you suggested, then change it back and compare.

Did anyone notice the differing numbers on the compressor housings? My old one has "45V4" on it, and the replacement has "45V3" cast into it. Also, when I found the bits of compressor wheel, they didn't look anything like steel to me! Maybe it's an R34/Series II Neo turbo, who knows? Looked kinda like plastic bits, and the parts were very light for their size, broken or not. Did they have ceramic turbines too? Can't be bothered doing a search at this hour.

I will get the turbo rebuilt and hi-flowed (and actuator checked), as soon as the budget allows. I might try start saving to get it done ASAP, just in case I start to have more problems with the replacement, as it's a high-kilometre unit. Then of course all of the support systems (fuel pump, injectors, FMIC, computer, etc.) will need upgrading too. which may take a while. I was gonna start putting money away towards the stereo first (essential!), and then after that suspension upgrade and some nice wheels, we'll see how it all goes. Might need to find myself another (more enjoyable) job with better pay, or start a small biz of my own, or something - I dunno...

In the mean time, does anyone know where I can source the 3-gauge DIN-sized cluster like in the series II Stageas (and similar to GT-Rs)? I might ring Just Jap anyway, but if anyone spots one, please let me know. I would have liked the Defi DIN cluster, but it doesn't include a boost gauge (despite the fact it's big dollars). Instead it has one pressure and two temp gauges in it.

These are the Defi clusters:

[GoldZilla]

Rang JustJap, and they don't have any Stagea clusters (and can't remember ever having one), and they don't know if the GT-R one would be the same because they've never been able to compare them...

[AMS]

I think there was a thread on the GTR cluster into a Stagea...It may have some answeres for you

[Tangles]

after a cluster? they come up from time to time on ebay....

[AlexCim]

Ive looked at a R33 GTR cluster, but i dont think it would fit without some modification as it has tabs on the side that wouldnt line up in a stag...thre is one on ebay right now...

[GoldZilla]

Did anyone notice the differing numbers on the compressor housings?  My old one has "45V4" on it, and the replacement has "45V3" cast into it.  Also, when I found the bits of compressor wheel, they didn't look anything like steel to me!  Maybe it's an R34/Series II Neo turbo, who knows?  Looked kinda like plastic bits, and the parts were very light for their size, broken or not.  Did they have ceramic turbines too?  Can't be bothered doing a search at this hour.

In the mean time, does anyone know where I can source the 3-gauge DIN-sized cluster like in the series II Stageas (and similar to GT-Rs)?  I might ring Just Jap anyway, but if anyone spots one, please let me know.  I would have liked the Defi DIN cluster, but it doesn't include a boost gauge (despite the fact it's big dollars).  Instead it has one pressure and two temp gauges in it.

SK, can you shine any light on this question, by any chance?

Oh, and as far as the cluster goes, JustJap make a 3-gauge DIN fitting so you can install three 2" gauges of your choice. I'll most likely do this, with a boost gauge, and oil temp and pressure gauges. I'll also probably still get Defi units, as they make them in this size.

Thanks in advance once again.

Nick T.

[Tangles]

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/in...topic=90242&hl=

might help with those numbers you were asking about......

[GoldZilla]

Thanks Brendan. I had a look and am still a bit confused. My cousin's R33 is a series 1, and it had steel compressor wheels, so hopefully that side of it won't be an issue. I'll still keep the boost at standard for now - even though I miss that extra little bit of power it seemed to have - it'll save me blowing the turbine again too.

Rang JustJap the other day and they don't have the DIN-holder in stock at the moment, and probably won't have any until roughly mid-late January... I might do what some others have done and get a bit of aluminium cut and painted for the gauges when I get them.

Reeeeeeeeally need to replace the stereo soon, firstly because I've blown the standard speakers, secondly because the CD player skips over even some minor bumps, and thirdly because it's a double-DIN unit, so I need a new single-DIN unit to have somewhere to put the gauges.