Ok, so here is my situation with the my Evo. I have owned it since June 09 and have had a total of 1 1/2 days of boost with it. The rest of it has been driving the car in "N/A mode." My troubles start around when I first got the car. I got it for a steal of a price at 7800 total for everything with only 58,000 miles on it. Visually it was in crappy shape and the motor had a loud tick to it (it still does). I went ahead and bought it from an auction and when I test drove it there, I was pleased. When I was driving it home an intercooler pipe blew off on the freeway, along with the clamp and I managed to keep the idle high and work the clutch to drive the car probably 15-18 miles home with it throwing out black smoke. Ever since then, the car has not been able to boost. It just doesn't and it is slow as ****. I even tried installing a different 8 turbo and it is still the same thing. The best answer I have gotten from one of the reputable shops I went too, is that it might be the lifters, but they didn't want to say that it is for sure and then have it not be. So I started a build and have basically collected every aftermarket part to replace everything above the short block (including a ported head from here on the forum).

Anyway, fast forward to now. I am probably going to be moving to Hawaii, from CA, in January for school. To get everything installed at a reputable shop nearby and a tune will cost me around $2600 and I currently am $1K short. I am a student and I also work full time.

My question to everyone is do you think I should just get my head and new clutch installed now (and possibly have my problem fixed) and sell everything else I have collected? Or do you think I should wait for that extra $1000 (Will take probably a month-month and a half) get everything installed and then possibly have my problem fixed or not fixed? It would really suck if I paid all that and it didn't fix the problem. Either way I am probably leaving in about 4 months...I basically haven't ever got to drive the car with more than the maybe 140ish hp it feels like it is at atm. What route should I go?

 

Dude---you need to do a leak down test on the turbo side and a compression test on the motor--that will define the actions you need to take-- If I was guessing I would say you have a major boost leak and thats it--- as for the ticking--could be a lifter , could be a rod--if it under the valve cover lifter---get a screw driver and start the car. touch the screw driver to the VC and put you ear to the other end--you will hear the noise and walk the screw driver around until you find the lifter thas ticking... these are all in expensive solutions to problem determination and cost savings--

 

If you can, post a video from the ticking sound it will help.

 

wow man that sucks you have had the car that long with this issue. i'd def do a boost leak test tho..i cant think of anything else it would be if it was fine before the coupler blew off.. probably something tiny and over looked

 

I have had a boost leak test done at two different reputable shops, one of them being GST. No boost leaks...I had a compression test done at another local reputable shop, Full Function Technology, and my compression was good. To put this in real perspective, the car is slower than my gf's 08 auto scion tc, which are rated at 164hp I believe from the factory...yes that is how slow the car is...It is reaching the point where since I am probably leaving in January that I just want to at least feel some boost before I leave. I've been so disappointed.

Here is a video from December, nothing has changed. I put the camera at the areas where the sound is coming from, it is much louder in person.


http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...rent=005-1.flv

 

I'm wondering if I ****ed up something in the motor from driving it 18 miles home with no coupler attached to the throttle body...

 

Try to unplug your spark plug wire one at a time for no more than a few seconds and while it is unconnect you will listen to sound it is doing. tell us what it does if the sound is fainter, louder, or dissapear.

When you said you even switched turbo did it include wastegate?

 

After listening to the video a couple of times... it sounds like your valves.

 

I have a Spoolinup CoP setup now. Should I just try unplugging one harness at a time? Yeah, I switched to another stock 8 turbo. I checked it out prior and everything was good, 0 shaft play, no bent blades, wastegate etc.

 

Bent valves right? I asked one of the shops I took it to if they thought it was that and they said it most likely wasn't.

 

I really think its the valves too!

 

Yes i would try to unplug one at a time for no longer than 2-3 seconds. That's how we found out that i had a bad piston.... by having the spark plugs unplug so that there is no longer an explosion there is no impact on the piston, mine was flapping after each ignition(think of pinball machine) when we unplugged the sparks plug the noise was way fainter but still there so we knew that it was a piston.

 

Wouldn't this have shown up in the compression test?

As far as bent valves go, I could see that because I drove over 15 miles with nothing attached to the throttle body so to much air and not enough fuel...but I asked the shop about that and they said they don't think it is the valves. Would I be able to drive for over a year with bent valves?

One of the mechanics at FFTEC also told me that it isn't boosting because the knock sensor is being set off and preventing the car from boosting. He did a data log of the car and read I think it was 21 counts of knock at idle...

Any other ideas?

 

I would still give it a try it takes about 15min. Another thing i would try (since several told you it isn't the valve) pull down the oil pan and check inside for metal shaving.If you have much shaving it is possible that it is a rod bearing. As for the knock, it is probably triggered by the noise you have and not real....

 

Damn, 21 counts at idle?? Compression test will maybe show up a slight bend. The real test is a cylinder leakdown. if it's within like 12 percent leakdown you should be ok. If it's more, you got problems with rings, valves, etc.

Hell, ever think the knock sensor is not torqued to specs,LOL.

Anyway, good luck to you.