| FWIW.... This is somewhat lengthy but it may serve as a degree of help to those with modded TT's. Please read on. I had a car shipped to me a little while back from a 'gent in Virginia. It is a '91 TT, fully built engine, etc etc.. It has been running very poorly since he put it together and he needed some help in getting the car "right and ready". He needed the problems resolved and wanted the car dyno tuned. Up to the point of arrival of this vehicle, the owner has already been through 1 built engine, which had manufacturing defects that led to an early demise, the original set of Stage2 Turbos failed right off the bat, all kinds of problems - simply put. The owner has been through A LOT of problems with this car. I have spent the majority of this week preparing the car and it went to the dyno yesterday around 2:00. The car has: Fully built engine (forged internals)
JUN cams
A lot of headwork
Z1 Stage2 Turbochargers
850cc Injectors
Greddy FMIC
Dual Intake
Split Downpipes, 2.5" Testpipes, Stillen Cat-back
Stock exhaust manifolds There were a few issues when it came to me; a defective VTC with a leaking backplate, a few small boost leaks, incorrect DINAN ECU program, incorrect plugs, and a slew of other small problems like fuel filter installed backwards, boost controller improperly connected, vacuum lines improperly connected, missing hose clamps, electric fan, etc etc etc. All of these problems were addressed and the car was taken to the dyno. At the dyno, the car performed quite well. I started at base boost of 19psi (turbo actuators wouldn't go lower than this) and dialed in the A/F. I began working up in the boost level and making fuel revisions along the way, but came to find that I couldn't get any more than about 24.5psi out of the turbos. The car made a healthy 554RWHP with a very conservative 11:1 A/F ratio and VERY conservative timing at 18 degrees BTDC. These turbochargers are capable of producing 32psi of boost pressure, so we were falling very short of the projected goal of around 600RWHP. So we printed the charts and unloaded the car. I spoke with the owner to let him know that there were a few issues on the dyno, nothing major, but that we had fallen short of our goal due to actuator problems. The owner flew in this morning to pickup the vehicle and I addressed a few more small items like burning the new EPROM, buttoning the ECU up, removing the AFC, and addressing the apparent overboosting problem. Everything was textbook up to the overboosting problem. I pulled the wastegate actuator vacuum lines loose from the boost control solenoid and applied pressure into this hose to check for proper actuator movement.. To my suprise, I heard an excess of air escaping from both sides of the engine. After closer inspection, it was apparent that the diaphragms on the actuators were ruptured AND the actuators were just used stock units, painted black. This is a relatively significant issue as it means the engine must be pulled to replace the actuators. Keep in mind, this was discovered while the owner was ready to pickup the car, but was not an issue on the dyno. The owner and I had already discussed the fact that the turbos wouldn't reach peak boost and that the actuators needed to be replaced anyway with HKS units, so this wasn't a big issue - not to mention the fact that old, used actuators installed onto these turbos was a manufacturing no-no in and of its own right. So we have made tentative plans to get me up to his area and take care of the work, along with swapping out to some new SMICs and installing water injection. But this is just the prelim of the story really, but bear with me, the ending is short to come. So, the car runs very well and is making very good power, an overboost issue exists that we have planned to take care of in the next few weeks, we settle up and he takes off on his drive back home. Two hours later, I get a phone call. It is the owner. Just after entering South Carolina, the car begins bellowing out a ton of smoke from the exhaust - not just a little, but a blinding screen of exhaust. It is apparent that there is an issue with the turbochargers and he is still 4 hours away from home. You gotta ask yourself, how much worse could it get? Perhaps a better question, is this something to expect? Now, dont get me wrong here - this is the worst news I could hear from a customer. Although the turbochargers, engine, assembly, etc etc is not something that I would be responsible for, my feelings are for the owner. I know a lot of this story comes as being an undesirable situation to have to deal with as an owner, and many will say that owning a high-performance Z-car comes with its own drawbacks of this nature, and everyone would be right in saying so. I agree with you to every ounce of knowledge that I have with these machines. What I have ultimately gone the long way in route to illustrating the fact of is that at the moment you upgrade your vehicle, regardless of what vehicle that is, it has no longer become your posession for simple, daily use. IT has become your toy, your "fix", your passion. With that love and desire will come hurt, disappointment, and frustration. The pendulum swings both directions and you will have the ups and downs, just like anything else in life that means something to you. Now I dont mean to turn this into so soppy drama story talking of life, passion, or hurt. The fact of it is that we, as enthusiasts, put our vehicles up on a pedestal that no other car owner would dream of - we put the most into them and we expect the most out of them. But we all have to keep the fact in mind that they are machines and although they can be finicky and transient in their behaviour, they have no personality, they have no feelings, and they will not love you back the same. They are machines, things will fail, and you just have to roll with it (pun intended). So folks, when you find yourself having issues with your prize cars and you reach that breaking point with them, take a break from them and understand that they are just a machine. Seek opportunity, not security - prefer the challenges of life to guarantees, the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of Utopia. There is always bigger and better to be built, and in the process of it all, you will find the exhiliration you are seeking. -Ash
[ ashspecz.com ]
[ agpowers@bellsouth.net ] Enthusiasts soon understand each other. --W. Irving.
Are you an enthusiast? If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.
Albert Einstein
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