OK guys, need some help...

[AZhitman]

As you all know, I've been in the process of installing the IAP kit on Project Vert.

It's taken WAY longer than I'd hoped, but only because I have been making modifications and addressing all the details along the way (I like my installs to be PERFECT).

So, as it stands, I was having some issues with severe boost leak. In pursuit of a solution, I designed a way to pressurize the system to ascertain the source of the leak.

I took a 2.5" PVC cap (Home Depot), drilled a hole in it, and installed a tire valve stem, and placed this whole assembly directly where the MAF would have attached.

Upon pressurization, I found that one or more of the vacuum hoses below the TB were leaking, so I removed the TB and replaced all of those with new silicone hoses.

Upon reinstallation and retesting, I am now hearing leakage towards the rear of the engine, near the EGR device.

My questions:

1) Should I be able to pressurize the system and have it hold pressure w/o "leaking down"?

2) Is the air leaking from the EGR area normal, or should I start tearing into all those vacuum hoses (which may necessitate pulling the motor, I fear)?

3) We cut off the end of the EGR pipe, approximately where it bends to attach to the manifold. it is now simply open to atmosphere. Is this OK, and will it pose a problem (besides emissions inspection)?

4) BONUS question - Of the 4 vacuum lines exiting below the TB, where SHOULD each one lead? I fear one or more may be misguided (note - I no longer have AIV or charcoal canister).

Thanks in advance!

[Florida240sx]

Dont' know if it is solely the EGR causing your boost look or if it even effects it.But being it recirculates I would say it can(not an expert). However you need to block your egr pipe off completely, not just hack. Whether it be putting a nickel before the pipe. Putting a plate overthe hole or.Do what I did.Remove EGR vlave.Take a piece of sheet metaland apply gasket sealer to it, put over hole into valve cover, and then put egr valve back on top. There is 4 ways I know of to block it off. Takes abotu a minute to remove. Think you will need to switch to your 1/4 ratchet with extension if I remember correctly to have room to loosen and tighten the 3 bolts.

[AZhitman]

OK, I'm pretty much ready to say f*ck this project...

This is horsesh*t.

There is NO way to get the EGR valve off w/o dismantling the entire upper intake mani... I can get to 2 of the 3 bolts, the third one is impossible unless there's some sort of gayass tool I've never seen.

I've wasted way too much time on this car. Screw it.

[1WheelWonder]

I used a swivel to remove the EGR, I have a s13 aswell, I am not sure if there is a difference between the EGR system on the s14 ands13. It took me roughly a half hour to remove and install my block off plate.

[Structure240sx]

lets jsut calm down buddy

zerothread?id=130630

[98s14inaz]

OK, I'm pretty much ready to say f*ck this project...

This is horsesh*t.

There is NO way to get the EGR valve off w/o dismantling the entire upper intake mani... I can get to 2 of the 3 bolts, the third one is impossible unless there's some sort of gayass tool I've never seen.

I've wasted way too much time on this car. Screw it.

Holy cr@p Greg, calm down. We will get it fixed. My install took a month, and I still made some minor mistakes. I will try to stop by and help out. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes can help. I found a few mix ups last time I was there and the car's driveability improved. I am sure we can get this fixed

PS, I told you the last time I was there that the egr wasn't right. It either has to be hooked up or blocked off.

[Jeff240sx]

Ratcheting wrenches are your friend.

[AZhitman]

OK, getting closer.

Blocked off the EGR, and capped all the vac lines I could find. Ran my FPR, boost gauge and BOV signal to a known good vac source (the one on the #4 lower intake runner).

Pulling -20 psi vacuum at idle now, and when pressurizing the system it seems to be holding pressure.

Ran it a couple times (put in new plugs 2 steps colder, gapped at .033), still not boosting very well until I get into higher RPM's.

So I pinched off the WG signal line and ran it again. More boost this time, but still not building down low like I think it should. Spiked to 10 psi a couple times, so I know it's capable of boosting.

Marc seems to think my WG signal nipple is incorrectly installed (both washers are on top, instead of one on top and one between WG and fitting).

So, I'm gonna give that a shot after it cools.

Also, it's stalling coming down off rpm's.

Anything else I should check?

[C-Kwik]

Depending on where you cut the tube and how easy it is to access it, you may be able to simply pinch down the end of the hose and braze it shut. If you can get to the end of it with a pair of pliers, a torch and maybe a filler rod, you might be able to plug it this way.

[AZhitman]

Plug what hose?

[SeVa-S13]

In reference to your stumbling after letting off, is your BOV atmospherically vented? If so, is your engine management set up to accomodate this? (Commonly known as the "DEC-AIR")

[Craving4Boost]

greg, pinching your wastegate vacuum source will cause you to keep boosting and boosting. the wastegate must know how much air is coming in.

when i blocked off the EGR from the intake manifold with a sheet metal plate and didnt use gasket sealant....the vacuum leak would cause me not to idle. and theres no need to cut off the pipe...remove the 3 bolts, move the brake booster line out the way and it comes right out.

its ok to boost to 10, a 8psi spring can go from 9-10

if your still worried about vacuum leak, check this out http://m24x.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=1420

it cured my vacuum leak and now i have 23inhg vacuum...used to have 10 lol...

[Craving4Boost]

i capped off the vacuum ports under the TB. well 2 of them were used but you said you dont use them anymore so just cap them all off.

[Import_Ant]

it's possible that your leak near the EGR is in the actuator valve that runs the butterflies in the lower intake plenum. I know mine is leaking under boost but it's not enough to cause me much headache.

I know on the SOHC intake, 3 of 4 of those vacuum lines you mentioned run to the charcoal canister. im sure that was one of the leaky culprits before you capped them off.

I'm sure you've already done this but I'll say it anyway. If you haven't done it recently I'd run a timing light to it and make sure your timing isn't a bit off. I was kind of dissapointed w/ how my car responded and how slow it seemed to build boost when I first installed my kit and later found, I was running about 7-8 degrees retarded and had a small exhaust leak between the turbo/manifold. a simple tune-up and timing advancement later and some gasket maker and it was a whole new car.

Keep leak-testing that sucker until you are positive you have eliminated all of your boost leaks. if you get it to the point that it holds pressure but still feels kind of slow to boost, start checking your exhaust. if you've got any leaks in the exhaust manifold it will really hinder the turbo's ability to spool by a great deal.

As far as the car stalling out I'm inclined to agree w/ SeVa-S13. it sounds like you're running open atmosphere on your bov. if that's the case you have to either recirculate it or get used to giving the throttle a little tap when you start coasting (go into neutral or keep clutch engaged) from boost. if you have an SAFC you can set the Dec-air feature to help compensate for the loss of air as mentioned before.

How do you have the ID signal(s) to your BOV run? the Greddy BOV's have two nipples, one for boost and one for boost/vacuum. if you dont have both of these connected I have heard the bov has a habit of leaking a bit. this could be causing the lag in your turbo building boost from the leak. try running an extra line from the nipple on the compressor housing to the extra nipple on the BOV intended for constant boost if you haven't already. it should 'crispen' up the BOV action and help it close quicker in the transition from vacuum to boost.

The EGR comes off in 2 parts. There are 2 bolts on the EGR valve itself which bolts to the portion that has 3 bolts. get the valve itself w/ the 2 bolts off first THEN you can get to the 3rd bolt. I'll dig up a picture of what I'm talking about but I agree w/ you, it's pretty tough to get to that 3rd bolt. getting the valve itself off first will clear the room you need to finish the job. I had to use a ratcheting box wrench and small socket adapter to get mine off and it did take a while. No doubt that EGR is causing the majority of your headaches.



here's what I'm talking about. take off this part first THEN you can get the other portion off.

It seems like a tedious pain now but you'll get the hang of it soon and your commitment will be rewarded.

[Florida240sx]

Marc told me to run my wastegate vaccum line to the hotpipe... You and geo both are runnig to the same place and GEO holds 10psi constantly there... My car stumbles as well. I keep my A/C on and it's all good. Just when you hit abotu 1300rpms blip the throttle so it can steady out. Comign off boost that fast tries to chokle the engine(mine anywayz) I had it stall on me comign to stops a coupel times. My Dec-air helped a little.

[Craving4Boost]

import_Ant - you sure are famous for giving helpful tips WITH pictures....keep up the good work

[C-Kwik]

Plug what hose?

I think I had missed your prior post as I was taking calls at work as I started typing out my response. I was referring to the EGR tube.

For the slow boost issue, make sure your wastegate is shut tight until just before the desired boost level. Check for leaks between the turbo and motor on the exhaust side. Listen to the turbo. If it sounds like it spools up quickly but power delivery seems unresponsive, it's more indicative of an intake leak. Slow audible spool may be an exhaust leak. Also, check the turbo's shaft play. A bad bearing can cause slow spool.

[AZhitman]

Well, I went through the whole system AGAIN.

I have a slow, small leak somewhere, can't find it.

When I pressurize the system (with like 15 psi), and then put a pressure gauge on it, it leaks down within 30 seconds.

I can hear it for a couple seconds, but not long enough to trace it.. somewhere behind the engine block it seems.

I tested everything else, all exhaust-side connections are perfect as far as I can tell.

Fixed the wastegate nipple (I had 2 washers on top of the banjo bolt and none beneath).

I guess the part that pisses me off the most about this whole thing is that I have driven several POS KA-t's built out of spare parts, junkyard garbage, held together with spit and baling wire, with crappy cars to start with...

Yet this one has the best of everything, and I still can't get it to run "right".

[veilside180sx]

Keep at it you'll get it figured out Greg.

[Nismo_Freak]

I guess the part that pisses me off the most about this whole thing is that I have driven several POS KA-t's built out of spare parts, junkyard garbage, held together with spit and baling wire, with crappy cars to start with...

Yet this one has the best of everything, and I still can't get it to run "right".

Thats just how it goes.

[GEO]

Theres not many things behind the engine that are pressurized?

[Structure240sx]

s13's are a little different and have a few extra emissions **** crap back there

[Florida240sx]

AZ same **** I went through.Got scars on my hands....Only thign I can think of for you to do now is to: Grab a spray bottle and spray soapy water on your piping. Then pressurize. You did say you blocked of the EGR correct?

[Titan]

Also, try running stock heat range and gap on the plugs.

I'm still running the same plugs and gap as I did NA, and the car runs great at 6 psi.

[Florida240sx]

????Hmm.MY car ran great until i would go WOT. After a week of tinkering with it I went and bought new plugs. Pulled the old ones out and saw that my gap was at 64. got my new ones set to 31. Isn't stock suppose to be 44?

[98s14inaz]

Greg, I am coming over today with a timing gun. We are getting that beast running right d@mn it!!!!

[AZhitman]

UPDATE -

First off, thanks to Oliver (98s14inaz) for the help and the second set of eyes.

For those of you who don't know him, Ollie is great to work on a car with - Very patient, and seems to see things other folks don't see. Plus, he's like me in that he likes to do things RIGHT, even if it takes 2x as long.

So we did the soapy water thing, and found that there is a valve or solenoid (IACV?) under the #3 - #4 intake runner with a threaded shaft and nut (very tiny) that was leaking air.

Not sure what this part is, or does, but we attacked that SOB like a hobo on a ham sammich. Removed the nut and washer, and loaded it up with rtv, replaced the washer and nut. Sealed it up nice, and now the system held 20 psi when pressurized...

Swapped OEM plugs for some NGK's (2 steps colder) gapped at .033 and changed the timing from 20 to 15 degrees.

Upon testing, vacuum at idle = -20 psi, and it stays there, no leakdown.

Drive test, won't boost past 5 psi. WG seems to be opening too early.

Possibility that I got a 5-lb spring?

Also, there's some question about the stalling upon decel... There's a nipple on the cold pipe connected to a vac line under the TB. However, it seems (according to Ollie, and I concur), that this line should NOT be seeing boost but should instead go from the INTAKE to the TB (like it was in stock form).

Does this make sense?

As always, thoughts / recommendations appreciated.

[95_240sx]

Plug that line IIRC....mine isnt hooked up to anything, its actually for the purge canister.

Better yet, just buy my car Greg!

Rick

[GEO]

hahaha witty way tog et someone to buy your car.. hahaha...greg, check your wastegate gasket!

[AZhitman]

Thanks Rick - Wish I could get you out here to go through the whole thing!

George - WG gasket is good. Checked it twice.