Goldfingiz

As some of you know, I was in desperate need of a new downpipe and lower intercooler pipe. I went to a shop, and they quoted me $600 to do that, and they'd throw in some piping to where the cat should be so that I could just buy a catback. I REALLY needed this done and everybody was telling me how this is the best shop in the area. RJ's in College Point, New York. So they finish the car, I pay them, and leave. It's a 91 CRX Si, b20 turbo.

Now the first thing I noticed was that every time I stepped on the brake pedal, my seat belt and door indicators would light up on my cluster and start beeping. I was like WTF, they didn't touch any of my wiring. All they did was remove my horn to fit the lower IC pipe. Anyway, I ignore this problem and keep going on my way. Now is the moment of truth, what kind of difference did my lower IC pipe make? My old one was ratty. The pipe was bent, so it wasn't a perfect ciricle at all and there was a very minor leak that I would patch up with duct tape. I floor the car, and the boost gauge kept climbing, and climbing. It hit over 1 BAR and I let off in fear. My car should only be boosting 6-7psi. THAT IS WHERE IT USED TO STAY WITH MY LOWER IC PIPE. 6PSI STEADY! The guys at the shop are telling me that is impossible, and it would be the first turbo that can do that EVER. Why? I don't understand this. They're saying since the new pipe is perfect, it's flowing the way it should be and boosting as much as it should be. Is that even possible? I don't think that pipe would allow it to go from 6psi to 18 or so. How much more freakin air flow could there have been.

I have an internal wastegate, and no boost controller. I never ordered it because I figured since it was staying at a steady 6psi before I was fine. Now my question is, do you guys think they broke the wastegate? They said they didn't even touch the wastegate, even though I saw them taking it off and putting it back on. Is it possible they accidentally adjusted it? I know there's a spring in there that wont let it go passed a certain boost level, but I'm not sure what it is. I have to ask the previous owner. For all I know, it could be a spring for 18psi, and they opened up the wastegate, which was before closed. Does that make sense? Is there any way to check for a broken wastegate? The only other thing I could think of is boost creep. My old townpipe was about 12 inches, now I have a downpipe and piping going to where my cat should be, so maybe it was creeping?

In the process of blowing my motor and getting reamed out of $600, NYPD also decided to target me and givme 5 bullshit tickets for no reason at all. I was sitting in the turning lane and they came and flicked their lights on. Just another wonderful event from last night that I thought I'd throw in.

Any and all help is very much appreciated. I really have a feeling they did something to my car, whether it was an accident or on purpose. I had a feeling they didn't like me when I walked in.

One last thing (I know this belongs in classifieds) but if anybody has a b20 or ls bottom end, I really need one ASAP. Maybe something already built for boost.

EDIT: Talking to the previous owner, I just found out the Nissan pulsar GTi-R T28 has an adjustable actuator from 7-9 psi. Just thought I'd throw that in.

Thanks


Modified by Goldfingiz at 6:38 PM 8/17/2003

1fstevo

Your internal wastegate is probably stuck open after it left the shop.

twkdCD595

are the vaccuum connections all in place and routed correctly?

obviously most importantly the one going to the waste gate.

boostedsol

sorry to hear that story.

I have an LS B18B1 stock bottom end for sale. crank rods/pistons, and i have the water pump also. bare block.

IM me if you need it and for more details.

Pengo

u needed a new dp and ic pipe and SAW them take off the wg and didnt say anything? why would they need to take off an internal wastegate? unless they messed with the actuator arm i'd say check the vac line running to the wg and make sure its not kinked or pinched.

Goldfingiz

Hey thanks a lot guys. The car is at a friends house so I have to check it out. I saw him use a vicegrip on the actuator bar. I was like WTF, but if I'd go to suggest something he'd be like "no suggestions, we are the best..."

Pengo

u just gotta let the shops know that u know more than them. if a shop is tryin to act like they know whats best and u know they don't, start quizzin them to figure out how much they really know. shops prey on uninformed customers

Joseph Davis

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Pengo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">u just gotta let the shops know that u know more than them. if a shop is tryin to act like they know whats best and u know they don't, start quizzin them to figure out how much they really know. shops prey on uninformed customers</TD></TR></TABLE>

Uh, if you know more than the shop, why are they working on it?

ion_four

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by J. Davis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Uh, if you know more than the shop, why are they working on it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Not everyone has a lift or welder?

**** man, if I saw someone using vise-grips on my wastegate I would have that large vein popping out in my forehead! You should've asked them; "WTF are you doing?"
If they touched the actuator arm and then you over-boosted on the way home, I would call them and tell them they owe you a new motor + install. If they touched it, they fucked it, since there was no reason for that to be involved in the install. If they say "no", paste their name all over any car board in NY and lay the situation out so they can eat ****. Shops that can't take responsibility deserve to fold.

Also, what the hell is up with your seat-belt light coming on? that's wack...you should see about having the car towed to a competing shop and tell them what happened and have them inspect it. You could bring these other guys to court if a "professional" testifies that it was their fault.

Good luck...

sCeRaXn

Yea dude...if i were you i would consider legal action. That just doesnt seem right. And as far as the seatbelt and door light coming on...id check your brake lights. If both of them are out at the same time itll cause your seatbelt and door light to come on along with the beeping sound that you get when your door is open. Atleast i know they do in EF's. Good luck man.

Sean

01ITR#700

Damn, $600 for a DP and one IC pipe??? Holy ****, thats atleast double a reasonable price. All the piping better be fricking beautiful and mandrel bent etc.
Anyways, I hope you figure out the issue. If I lived there, I'd do all that for $100 out of sympathy for you if you told me another shop quoted you $600.
M

Overblown-Teg

He probably took the rod off the swing valve in order to remove the downpipe for welding. Stop being such babies about stuff.. if you don't trust the shop then don't take the car there.. If you think its a problem they caused then take it back.. Be prepared to pay when you find out its not something they did. Internal wastegates suck and anytime you change anything with a turbo setup you don't know what effect it might have. I didn't read to closely after your first post but is your motor now blown? if so its your fault for overboosting. It is possible that your old pipe was such a restiction that it could only boost 6psi..


Oh and what were the five bull **** tickets for?

mos

Whats the name of this shop?

b16ahybrid

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sCeRaXn &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yea dude...if i were you i would consider legal action. </TD></TR></TABLE>

For what? He doesn't even know what caused the problem yet.
You cant make a wg go bad by removing it but you can forget to hook up the vacuum/boost source ( which would cause it to not open)....either way the shop didn't make him boost to 18psi and blow his engine, he boosted that far on his own. If i saw my boost gauge climb past 10psi my foot is coming off the gas plai and simple...
Even if he does take them to court he has to prove neglect on the shops behalf, which imo is going to be very hard unless somebody that works there says "yeah i saw the wg removed and the vacuum hose was never put back on"....

Figure out what caused the boost spike and go from there, free flowing exhaust (larger dp) and mandrel bent pipes will help flow and in some cases cause a little bit of spiking but not 12psi worth.

one more chance

is the wastegate actuator arm hitting anything...ie is there enough clearance for it to open and shut properly? theres no doubt that the problem lies within the wastegate, my first suggestion would be to check for any jams with the wastegate