I have a 97 LS ordered a FMAX kit cause I kept hearing their the best. Well all of my buddy are mechanics at honda/acura so they knew their sh*t, well the kit is very good quality parts but it does fit at all, lets just say the KN filter didn't even fit on the intake let alone the intercooler plping and manifold. We had to grind some of the block down to make the turbo fit, cut the intercooler piping. We were up from 11 at night to 7 at night the next day trying to get this thing to fit properly. Well we finally get it done. Take it for a test drive and after three mins of boosting HUGE amounts of white smoke pour out the exhaust, the car idles terrible and delayed throttle response. What is going on here? How can you tell if the turbo is blown, its only been driven for about 5 mins if that. THIS SUX!!!!

 

Turbo cannot be blown if its a new kit...... Fmax makes a great quality kit. Im blaming this one on installation error.

Please be more specific on what other problems do you have. Did the car smoke when you started the car ? Were you guys careful enough to let everything warm up.

Check all your connection and hoses to make sure they are routed properly per your instruction manuals... Make sure everything is tight.

 

first of all, did you make sure you properly installed your oil feed and oil return lines? second, What are you using for fuel management?

 

im pretty sure you always have to grind the block a bit, but the pipes usually fit. are you sure you had them all positioned right? they do have a bit of play.

as far as white smoke....thats coolant burning, and since the tubo is an oil cooled one, the problem is your engine, not the turbo. how much did you boost? if its pouring white smoke you might want to do a compression test

 

sounds like a botched install n00b, Don't blame F-Max for that!

 

also, just because someone is a honda mech, doesnt mean they can install an unfamiliar aftermarket kit. back in the day before i started working on my own car, i took my kit to a very reputable and expensive exotic race shop, they actually had one of the DTM mercedes race cars in the bay(german touring cup...black and silver..)they told me i had to cut the sub-frame to get a drag kit installed. obviously not, but its just an example of excelent mechanics screwing up

 

that is what i was wondering.....i have a feeling he didnt

 

hmmm... i wonder where you heard that. from your experience.. obviously, it isnt. good luck on gettin things to work out.

 

Most people on H-T will tell you that the pipes don't line up perfectly.

Tom

 

my pipes lined up perfectly...But I also have a JDM ITR and I didn't use the couplers that came with the kit...I bought my own (including some silicon flex couplers...) everything went on with little problems...

 

Sounds like from the little info you offered that you may have blown your head gasket. Your Honda experts should be able to diagnose that. It will blow again if you don't have the tune-up and boost control properly set.

 

just FYI, all honda mechanics with the exception of the master mechanics, only know how to do service..

for example, draining and refilling, tranny fluids, oil change, rotate tires and etc like that.....

only the master mechanics which usually about 2-3 in every deealership are good of diagnosing and troubleshooting...I have worked with lot parking porters turned mechanics before.....just FYI..

with every kit, there will be a modifications to be made......the grinding the block is almost 99% a must on averag t3/4 turbo....

you want a bolt on, get an intake, header and exhaust, no modifications required...

 

Fmax uses the ERL MF2 fuel management with two additional injectors that I understand can be a little tricky to tune, I ditched mine in favor of 450cc injectors plus the hack. For an LS I believe they supply an MSD BTM with the kit. What did you set that at? White smoke = blown headgasket more than likely.

 

ERL and msd are both opitional...your can order the kit without them at a reduced price

 

I have f-max piping and f-max spec intercooler..although everything else is custom. But the piping fit perfect and was very good quality.

As for your idle? The F-max kit uses the erl mf2 for boost..so if you hooked it all up right your car would be using the stock ecu and injectors for idle functions.

And for the smoke? I bet you did something wrong with your oil return line. If you dont do the return line correct you will plug up the line and the oil has to go somewhere so it goes out the seals making LOTS of smoke. Check all your lines.

Welcome to a boosted honda

liam

 

"Welcome to a boosted honda"

yes.......welcome to headache after headache. some new people in my company actually asked me if i liked my new car.....even though ive had it for years. it spends quite a bit of time with the hood up.

if you read some of my anti honda posts over the past few months you would see i know how you feel, but after only 1 weekend, at a measly 9psi, im once again grinning ear to ear, and loving my car like nothing else in this world. keep your chin up, and your wallet open

 

yeah were thinkin its a blown head gasket cause the vaccum line off the wastegate were flying off, and I was told if it does that the turbo boost to full and blown the headgasket, i got the Rideal headgasket but didn't install it yet. so that's what we're going to do. At ideal the car creates a lot of pressure, and oil was shooting out my air breather on the valve cover, huge amounts of white smoke everywhere (not coolant didn't have a sweet smell to it) I guessing oil but then again smoke wasn't blue at all. So I'm guess the headgasket is blown.

 

oil shooting out of the breather.....ouch...
thats what happened when i shattered ringlands on 3 pistons..........bad memories


[Modified by integRated109, 8:31 PM 11/4/2002]

 

Your motor is fux0r3d.

Chalk one up for an improper install.

 

ringlands

 

did you remove the tow hooks ? i installed an F-MAX kit into a 99 LS and in the instructions it said that the tow hooks had to be removed . maybe that could be why the pipes didnt fit .

 

i agree

 

ringlands in my opinion. Like others said. That is what happened to me my first time too. I lost the ringlands on all four pistons.

 

who knows how much boost you were spiking at


[Modified by dwilson, 6:15 PM 11/5/2002]

 

Fmax pipes are made very well. Never seen any fitment issues with the kits that I have installed. Their piping is made to fit so nicely. You might have to notch the block but other then that it should be perfect.