ka-t nightmare

[spartanmisfit]

Make sure you're comfy when you read this. Kind of a long read.

Ok this issue goes back to when I got the car almost a year ago. First of all the car is a 93 s13 with a built ka24de-t. It has ams pistons and rods most of the things that come with a rebuild ( head studs, gaskets, etc.) It does have a 3 angle valve job as well. Fuelab fpr. Built and broken in by ams.
Ok so I bought the car running but pretty rich. I could drive it but it would load up when stopped until car was warm. Untill warm just feather the throttle when stopped and it was fine. Boosted very well but only at about 5 psi with no boost controller. Car sometimes took awhile to start. One day I was driving it and must have ran something over and it damaged my intercooler. Pulled over at a nearby hotel and got the intercoler repaired and then the car drove like complete shit.
It took awhile for it to start and idled like shit and was very tricky to drive but was now at about 9 psi. I only know because the car would only go fast or not at all. It was very fast and my wife who was following me said I was shooting large flames from my exhaust. So its been in my garage since except for short test drives after work.
Tried all sorts of things. Adjusted the fpr. Added a vaccum box. Checked for boost leaks. Tried a safc out. It does have a jwt tuned ecu. I just tried changing the distributor. I've tried other z32 mafs and re wired it twice and changed the engine harness. I put it up for sale prior to the harness, maf, distributor tries. Once those didn't work I took it off because it is clearly not ready to sell.
I forgot to mention that the car hasn't been able to start in months. Even got a new battery. Any ideas? Ill try just about anything at this point.

[Memberofthe600hpkaclub]

fried your ecu?...happens from time to time ya know....dead injectors?...assuming you have checked for spark with a plug out by now?...

[spartanmisfit]

I'm afraid it is my ecu but I'm not sure how I'm going to find out. I havnt checked the injectors in awhile because when it runs its really rich so I just assumed they're working. I'm going to buy plugs and wires this week. I pulled a plug last night in the blistering cold and the plug was black as hell.

[PITCH]

Scavenge whatever parts you have thrown at it to remedy the problem. Sell them, and find a rep. shop to fix the setup. (dont know if that works for your budget) but that's what I would do.

[Future_gohan]

sounds like you don't have the distributor timed correctly. advance your timing a bit and that'll probably help. I've NEVER seen a kat run at factory timing with a rom tune.

[spartanmisfit]

Oh? I didn't know that! I rotated the distributor back and forth but that's it. I would like to take it back to ams but times are tough. I took a huuuuge paycut after buying a new jeep and a bunch o shit for my house so I've been back pedaling.

[4x4le]

sounds like you don't have the distributor timed correctly. advance your timing a bit and that'll probably help. I've NEVER seen a kat run at factory timing with a rom tune.


Dont go doing this blindly. Set it at factory with a timing light and if it dont run right there then there is a problem.

EVERY kat I have tune, well every engine I have tuned PERIOD has had proper base timing and they have all ran good.

Blindly advancing your timing on a turbo car is a sure fire way to blow it up or cause yourself more trouble.

[spartanmisfit]

Yeah right now its set at factory and it won't even start. I'm getting new plugs n wires today tho.

[4x4le]

a consult cable and a program such as datascan could really help you right now.

Is it possible that the intercooler didnt get fixed very good???

Also check to see if any ground cables got knocked loose off your engine. You hit a big bump, your engine shouldnt run different and I dont think hitting a bump ruined your plugs and wires although the way your car ran while your intercooler got a hole in it could have.

[spartanmisfit]

well heres the thing and I should have explained this better I just already wrote a book. I never hit a bump and really dont think I hit anything to hurt the intercooler. i bought a hks ssqv bov and it has a aluminum flange for the ic piping and i have steel ic piping so we rigged it on with a rubber hose. Well the next day the bov blew off. So I had to buy a new o-ring and tightened it back down. well shortly after is when the ic messed up. I looked for whatever i hit and couldnt find anything. Ill insert some pics. the damage is on the inside of the intercooler (towards the radiotor not bumper)

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn108/spartanmisfit/2010-07-16183832.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn108/spartanmisfit/2010-07-16184823_Okemos_Michigan_US.jpg

So I have no idea wtf could have hit it. It just dumbfounds me how I just keep taking steps backwards. I have a mechanic coming to look at it next week if I cant figure it out before that. My plug wires are popping in all the way either.

[spartanmisfit]

Here's some pics to help.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn108/spartanmisfit/2010-09-28092210_Lansing_Michigan_US.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn108/spartanmisfit/2010-09-07100733.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn108/spartanmisfit/2010-09-03191827_Lansing_Michigan_US.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn108/spartanmisfit/2011-02-02114241_Lansing_Michigan_US.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn108/spartanmisfit/1c851532.jpg

[msanchez]

Is the car smoking at all? Was it broken in running that rich?
compression test it. Its a possible you may have washed out your rings during break in.

[lrb99]

sounds like you don't have the distributor timed correctly. advance your timing a bit and that'll probably help. I've NEVER seen a kat run at factory timing with a rom tune.

I helped a bit on this car I set the timing advanced a little played with it a little and all we got was a sputter his spark plug wires were not clipping on correctly (couldn't feel them clip on) I think that and a fine tune with the timing but what that dude said about the ecu makes sence but how do you test a ecu?? This thing has both of us stumped

[blingbling]

Yeah this sounds like a royal mess. Im not sure why the car would run so rich if it was tuned properly and if I were you I wouldn't touch the timing anymore without getting a light. Idk if its not your daily driver then I would suggest saving until it can be tuned properly and the ecu can be checked at the same time. Yeah and that intercooler damage is quite a mystery, not what I pictured at all.

[4x4le]

Your little filter on your catch can needs to be replaced with a steel braded hose and routed back to your turbo inlet. This helps put a vacuum on your crank case which helps your rings seal making your engine more healthy, and have more power for 2 reasons. It can rev easier because the crank case isnt full of pressure and because your rings are sealed better giving you better compression and less oil consumption.

I highly doubt this is your issue but (you should resolve it) it could contribute if your pcv valve is bad. If it is bad its leaking boost pressure into your crank case which is metered air and could make you run rich. Its going out of your filter on your catch can so the air is gone but it was metered so your extra fuel has no air to burn it. If it were routed back to your intake you would just be making less power but at least your problem wouldnt be as bad.


Like I said I dont know if that is your problem but running a crank case setup like you have CAN and WILL cause these issues when your pcv valve is bad.

[spartanmisfit]

Very true. I'm kind of stuck with it so I've really gotta figure this out. I really don't want to spend 100 bucks renting a trailer and driving 4 or 5 hrs to chicago just for the to tell me I have a faulty bov or bad alternator or whatever.

[4x4le]

There is no one that can figure it out within 4 hours?

for real, new pcv valve, replace the rubber hose on your valve cover with steel as well as replace the filter with steel hose and route it to the turbo inlet.

Just try it, and try cleaning the maf too.

And your o2 sensor is way too close to your turbo.

[StryfeS13]

Maf is too close to turbo as well.

Before you waste any time, do a compression test...

What fuel pump are you using?

I would start re-verting things back to stock. For example:

- I'd put the stock fpr back on.
- I'd also route the VC breather to the pre-turbo intake.
- I'd add some length to your intake, as it's too short.... I believe the MAF is supposed to be 12 inches away from the turbo inlet.
- Take off your dizzy cap, rotate the engine to TDC on the compression stroke, and make sure the dizzy rotor points to #1 spark plug. (for the not-starting issue)
- Is your cam timing right?


Also...for the not starting issue.. Does it even crank? If not..check to make sure your cylinders aren't full of gas, etc.

If it cranks, can you post a video? We'll be able to tell just by the way it cranks if timing is off.

[spartanmisfit]

Hell yes! Those afe some good ass ideas. I'm going to start working on that today. Its been extremely cold here but hopefully it warms up some today and I can tell ya guys how it goes.
I also remember that the bov before the ssqv was installed was on the oposite side. I doubt it will change anything but I'm thinking about making it a blow through setup.

[4x4le]

fix your problem before you change your setup by going blow through. Blow through is not a fix to the problem either, it may make your problems less noticeable when you get a boost leak or something but the problem will still be there. Pull through is the way the mafs were designed to be and they tell on your setup when you have a problem.

A smaller filter like what they sell on siliconeintakes.com or whatever will allow you to have a longer intake pipe before the maf.

Also home made pigtales (soldered like yours) is ok if its done right but if the solder gets messed up it can really screw with the way your car runs. I ended up having to retune my car one time when I noticed the solder got messed up. I re solidered and the car ran way different meaning that it had been messed up for a long time.

Making sure everything is right is key and Im anal about it. Its easier to do everything right first than figure out whats causing your trouble later.

[spartanmisfit]

well I'm going to re check for compression, spark and fuel either today or tomorrow. I really need to get back to the basics. The fact of the matter is my cars not running and I'm not sure as to why.

[spartanmisfit]

Ok here's my update. I moved the maf back to 9 in away from the turbo. I also changed the plugs. My buddy was suppose to bring his compression tester but bailed. I got the car to start but runs very very rough. Will hardly idle ( at about 500 rpm) but as soon as you give it any gas it dies. So I pulled out the plug wires one by one and plug 3 when pulled causes no change. Same thing when I pull maf plug. So I'm going to re check the maf wiring and about to test the plug wire for no 3 wire with a dmm.

[lrb99]

Good thinkin

[standalone]

................................

[spartanmisfit]

Hahaha. Ok got the car running. Found a pretty significant vaccum leak from the vaccum box. Also the plugs were bad and timing was off. Finally after hours of small adjustments got the car running. It idles at about 1200 rpms and rich as hell. When its cold if u give it gas it will die. After a minute or two when you give it gas its responsive. So when checking things out we pulled the o2 sensor and it appears to be bad which suprised me because it looks brand new. I do not have a wideband yet. So I'm thinking I'm going to throw a stock one in just to see how it runs then I'm going to be shopping for a wideband. Anybody have any prefrences? I've always liked the aem eugo.

[blingbling]

Its good to hear you got it running. The aem is good and not terribly pricey, but your still going to have to get it tuned. Are you going to be able to drive it that far?

[4x4le]

at least get an innovate lc1 or one of the newer innovate widebands. I never liked aem, it is less wideband for the money.

I know allot of people on here stand behind theirs but I have seen them kill sensors too quickly often, they dont have an interface cable come with them for free like innovate, and I have compared them to very high quality widebands when I have tuned cars and they are never spot on with the high quality widebands like the innovates are.

To each their own, but I would never own or recommend an aem wideband, mostly due to them being junk.....

[spartanmisfit]

I've got 170 to spend on a wideband and it seems like innovatives go for more than that and I have heard some bad things about innovative. And I don't know much about them. I've always used uegos but I also want to make sure my car runs well and deffinetly don't want anymore crap in my car.

[4x4le]

dont uegos go for more than that too? And what bad have you heard about innovates? In 4 years I have only had 2 sensors go bad and both times were of no fault of the sensor. One was on my LM1 and I didnt get the sensor tight enough on a car I was tuning and it backed out and got drug on the road.

The one on my car on my lc1 I let idle high at about 18:1 afr lean missing at 2k rpms for about 20 minutes and that killed it. Dont ask why I did it because I cant really remember. Something was wrong with the car and I......... I dunno, it was dumb.

[spartanmisfit]

That's what I ended up getting. I got a really good deal on a brand new lc-1. It should be in tomorrow or today. I'm pretty sure I've got a boost leak too. Its running sooooooo rich my garage smells like gas within 20 seconds of starting the car.

[itwillboost]

Get everything together and fix the car as a whole. Until you fix it properly all your doing is buying new plugs and shortening the life span of other products. Things like a boost controller shouldnt be missing from a turbo build if your looking for reliability. For the most part your headed in the right direction, but don't rush it back. Before I would do anything I would set up the wideband for data logging this way when you do start it you can get some instant feedback.

[lrb99]

That's what I ended up getting. I got a really good deal on a brand new lc-1. It should be in tomorrow or today. I'm pretty sure I've got a boost leak too. Its running sooooooo rich my garage smells like gas within 20 seconds of starting the car.

Dude when you run your car in the garage your supposed to OPEN the door. :squintd::Ownedd:

[spartanmisfit]

motha fucka u were the one who closed the door! jp
Well have been much more thurough (sp) with vaccum leaks and boost leaks and checking sensors and stuff and found a few problems. Also re timed the car and she seems to be running much better. I'm installing an lc-1 today with some buddies and hopefully that will help out a little. It runs pretty damn rich at idle rich now but SEEMS pretty damn fresh under boost. I think I just got a car from a guy who had money and not much time and just started doing shit he shouldnt have been. When I took out the old "wideband" yesterday I really started to understand that might be the problem. Speaker wire and elcetric tape and frankenstein parts.

[lrb99]

Ahhhhhhhh it's alive run sit drift quick peace outside sOn.

[Kingtal0n]

I love the KA engine as it comes OEM. I would not change a single part on one even if it was free. Only OEM components, in OEM locations. Then I could drive it forever!