there's a car i might buy..and to be honest..i know nothing about turbochargin. i've read maximum boost..and its still very confusing. dont tell me not to buy it though because of this. i'm stubborn and wont listen.

93 civic dx
d16y8 "40,000" miles.
t-25 turbo.
1st Gen DSM BOV
Chrysler Starion Intercooler
2.5 inch no name catback
440 injectors (possibly. i know its in the 400's)
p28 chipped ecu. vtec set at 3,200.

what should i be looking for? he said he was running 7psi but just had the headgasket replaced today (to raise..i think the compression)..and turned it down to 5.

the intercooler needs to be setup again..its completely off center..about as far to the right as possible while still being in the opening.

the car ran fine..no overheating problems. idle'd fine. took a short ride in it and it seemed to be okay.

so i'm just asking your knowledgable opinions as what to be looking for.

i appreciate it ahead of time. i'm pretty hyped about the car and i dont want to let that blind me from potential problems.

 

buyin used turbo stuff is tricky...look really good for leaks...how clean is it...does it run good...how's the idle..was it tuned...check the quality of install....personally i think it's a big gamble...

 

I myself wouldn't buy a used civic with a junkyard turbo kit....unless it was dirt cheap and my leg was on fire

 

i figured that much about the gamble..where should i look for leaks..and how do i check for them? i'll hear it right?

it seems pretty clean to me. i'll be sure to take pictures soon. but it was also night time. the idle was pretty consistant. somewhere around 800 if i remember correctly. i asked who tuned it and he said the previous owner. i have no idea about quality of install.. i guess i'll get you some pictures.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 2000psi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I myself wouldn't buy a used civic with a junkyard turbo kit....unless it was dirt cheap and my leg was on fire</TD></TR></TABLE>

WTF are u high wen u post?

if so

 

i would be pretty cautious, especially with a junkyard kit...you never know the condition of parts or quality of the work.

with the owner, ask to do the following:
-take off any of the charge pipes after the turbocharger, preferably the upper pipe, and check to see if there is any oil buildup. if so, then blowby is occuring or there a seal is leaking on the turbo.
-while the car is off, spin the shaft of the turbo with your fingers and check for any play. there should be very minimum movement in the wheel.
-pull the plugs and check for signs of detonation or running too lean/too rich
-and last...check the oil. with any used car, this gives you a real chance, not just going by what the owner says, to see if the car was taken care of well or not.

also...ask why exactly the headgasket was replaced...you want to lower the compression if you throw a headgasket on a stock block usually...not make it higher

good luck with the sale..just be patient...if you are going to go this route...it wouldnt be great to rush and end up with something happening you could have avoided

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by yehiknowrite &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
with the owner, ask to do the following:
-take off any of the charge pipes after the turbocharger, preferably the upper pipe, and check to see if there is any oil buildup. if so, then blowby is occuring or there a seal is leaking on the turbo.
-while the car is off, spin the shaft of the turbo with your fingers and check for any play. there should be very minimum movement in the wheel.
-pull the plugs and check for signs of detonation or running too lean/too rich
-and last...check the oil. with any used car, this gives you a real chance, not just going by what the owner says, to see if the car was taken care of well or not.

also...ask why exactly the headgasket was replaced...you want to lower the compression if you throw a headgasket on a stock block usually...not make it higher</TD></TR></TABLE>

All good advice

I would also add a compression test. It only takes a few minutes and can be a very good indicator as to the overall health of the engine.

If the compression test results are satisfactory and there are no oil or coolant leaks then it might be something to consider.

Also, when you find out why the head gasket was replaced ask if he had the head resurfaced. A lot of times if the head gasket blows and the car overheats the head car warp making it necessary to resurface it before it's reinstalled. If he did not have the head resurfaced then you may not get a good seal and it can blow again.

Good luck, just make sure you check out everything that has been suggested in this thread. Tell him you are not trying to be a pain but you want to make sure you know what you are getting, you really don't want any surprises after you pay for the car and take it home.

 

also have a tuner fix that vtec point haha.....3200 is sooooo low

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dunc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">also have a tuner fix that vtec point haha.....3200 is sooooo low</TD></TR></TABLE>
I really dont know why people think lower the vtec point helps them deff do this if purchassed though if you are interested in learning more (granted hands on exp will be the best) i have a ton of good links that can help you understand the FI world a little better here is one to start if you like let me know i have more.
http://www.beesandgoats.com/bo....html

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by yehiknowrite &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
-take off any of the charge pipes after the turbocharger, preferably the upper pipe, and check to see if there is any oil buildup. if so, then blowby is occuring or there a seal is leaking on the turbo.. </TD></TR></TABLE>

charge pipes are any of the tubes going from the intercooler to the intake/turbo?


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

-while the car is off, spin the shaft of the turbo with your fingers and check for any play. there should be very minimum movement in the wheel. </TD></TR></TABLE>

do i have to remove anything to get to this??

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by yehiknowrite &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
-pull the plugs and check for signs of detonation or running too lean/too rich
</TD></TR></TABLE>

i wouldnt know what i'm looking for.


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

also...ask why exactly the headgasket was replaced...you want to lower the compression if you throw a headgasket on a stock block usually...not make it higher</TD></TR></TABLE>

it may have been to lower the compression..i honestly dont remember. he said the car was overheating..so he had it replaced. the mechanic reported that it was fried.

 

Good luck, michael. I'd love a turbo D16 like it was my very own child. Thats why I'd crank the boost up, and blow it up.

D16s are a dime a dozen, you can't go wrong, my friend.

 

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

charge pipes are any of the tubes going from the intercooler to the intake/turbo?

</TD></TR></TABLE>
I would take the pipe off right at the compressor housing.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .MichaeL &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
do i have to remove anything to get to this??
</TD></TR></TABLE>
On the compressor side - if there is intake piping/filter then yes. The exhaust side, you will need to take the exhaust flange off, and can be a little difficult if it's hard to access. Since this is a DIY turbo'd car the seller shouldn't have any problem assisting you with the piping (at least with the compressor side). If the dude says no, I'd walk away.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .MichaeL &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i wouldnt know what i'm looking for.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Any of the following would suggest detonation or something seriously wrong:
black specs on the ceramic tip
cracks in the ceramic tip
any kind of deformation

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .MichaeL &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
it may have been to lower the compression..i honestly dont remember. he said the car was overheating..so he had it replaced. the mechanic reported that it was fried.</TD></TR></TABLE>
This sounds pretty bad. Head-lift and/or inadequate cooling system come to mind. Either can eventually lead to warped head and block, which could very well be the case at the moment. If you really insist on still buying it you may want to wait until any overheating issues have been resolved.


Modified by tilt at 9:39 AM 7/26/2005