Boost leak after installing turbo-side induction, why?

[DoubleCee33]

In regards to it needing to be tuned after the turbo side conversion was done, I have asked both the mechanic that conducted the work and Antz Performance themselves and both are in agreement that because it has never had a performance tune before, theoretically with just the addition of a turbo side induction kit, it shouldn't need one now, on top of that, Antz Performance says that they have never in the entire time they have been producing this kit, have never had anybody complain of this issue, regardless of whether their car has been 100% stock like mine is, or whether it has been extensively modified, so it needing a tune is really a moot point.

 

In regards to Skidz recommendation that it's a leak that is emanating "right near the turbo", every single hose and every single pipe that is leading into and out of that turbocharging unit has been inspected, taken off and then refitted, there is NO leak, three different mechanics have now confirmed that.

 

In regards to having a "sh*tty factory intercooler restricting the flow", I completely agree, but once again according to both the manufacturer and the mechanic the did the installation, these kits are designed to work with factory parts,they were designed assuming that the person installing them had done absolutely no modifications to the vehicle whatsoever.

I will, however, be looking at a bigger intercooler in the coming months, but at this point I don't really have the funds to be able to justify buying anything more than one of those eBay jobbys for $600, and because I live in country Victoria and there isn't a Dyno tuner within my immediate vicinity, I would have to go to Melbourne to get it tuned, that's an entire tank of petrol and that's an entire day off work, on top of the $600 for the unit and however much it would cost to install it.

[k31th]

Yeah, don't worry about the stock intercooler being a restriction with your stock tune. It's totally 100% fine for that application.

[arronm]

Have they checked the wastegate??

[DoubleCee33]

As I said in my original update last night, they checked the ECU last night, that came back clean, they also checked the catalytic converter just to make sure that there was an an excess build up, that was fine, and today they're checking the wastegate to make sure that that's operating as it should.

[DoubleCee33]

Update: it's NOT the wastegate!

 

During my last update I told you all that the ECU and the wastegate were going to be checked next, both were checked and both came back clean, the wastegate is operating as it should.

 

So just to catch everyone up: every single inch of intercooler and turbo piping has been checked, the ECU and the wastegate has been checked, the catalytic converter has been checked, the battery and the ground wire has been checked and the intercooler itself has been checked, all of the above have been ruled out as the cause.

 

The next step is that my mechanic is now going to talk to a tuner in Melbourne and see if there is any possibility whatsoever that it could just possibly need a tune, this is despite the fact that it has never had a tune before, and according to Antz Performance, the addition of that it doesn't require a tune at all.

 

My mechanic is also ruled out that there could be any internal problem with the turbo itself, this is based on the fact that the turbo was running perfectly fine before the addition of the kit, and now for whatever reason isn't.

 

Both Antz Performance and my mechanics have said that they have never in their entire lives ever seen this issue, and all of the regular things that they would do to fix this issue doesn't apply in this situation.

 

It's definitely confusing stuff and we're no closer to an answer.

[k31th]

well, yeah, that's not good... if it was boosting fine before the mechanical changes then it won't be the tune, but I guess it's worth checking.

[DoubleCee33]

To be honest, at this point we're just throwing it at the wall and seeing what sticks.

 

I mean, he has checked absolutely every conceivable thing it possibly, is logically could be.

 

The manufacturer has never heard of this problem in all of the years they have been distributing this product, apparently, my bloke called Ford and spoke to one of their technicians and they don't know what it could be outside of what we have already checked.

 

He's going to return it to stock and see how that goes on Monday, but he's 99.9999% sure it's going to do absolutely nothing, in which case it would infer that it is an internal turbo issue, which it can't be because it was working perfectly fine before the conversion.

 

It's honestly been one hell of a headI <3 Bananas for absolutely all involved.

 

The other avenue that we're exploring is that it could possibly be overboost, but considering that the boost has never been moved from stock and the car has never been modified.

The only reason he's saying it possibly needs a tune is because ever since the kit was put in it's slowly developed a bit of a rough idle, and my fuel usage has absolutely skyrocketed, I was getting 12/100, the computer is now saying that's more like 17/100 and my driving style hasn't changed at all.

 

But the ECU has been checked and nothing has changed, a cylinder compression test was conducted to make sure it's not a bottom end issue and all of my cylinders are as they should be.

 

It's one hell of a headI <3 Bananas mate.

[arronm]

Have checked the boost solenoid connections and have you tried disconnecting it from the compressor housing and run with wastegate closed and see what happens.??

[DoubleCee33]

Update: Returning it to stock it absolutely nothing! 

 

So yesterday my mechanic finally got around to and doing everything he did in relation to the turbo site induction and battery relocation kit, return the car to the exact condition it was in before the induction modifications were done, as some of you guessed, it did absolutely nothing. 

 

Unfortunately we are now in the predicament that we have tested absolutely everything it could possibly be, both logically and illogicality, and unfortunately there is only one component on the entire car left that has not been tested, and that is the turbocharger itself. 

 

The issue with all of this of course is the fact that there was no problem before the induction modifications were done, and now apparently it's a problem that's here to stay. 

 

The turbo will be taken off the car in the next coming days and inspected, but as I have previously said there is no logical way this could have happened and there's absolutely no explanation that anybody can come up with to explain how or why this has happened. 

[k31th]

ok... so if it's the turbo, then something in the intake has damaged the fins and caused an issue or there's an unfortunate coincidence with some other cause of the turbo failure (most common cause is oil starvation in the Falcon platform).