I ran my car at santa-pod recently and noticed it was only making and holding 3/4psi when shifting quickly through the gears, que crap times and pee'd off rst owner!
normallly it will hold around 7psi but this is not usually in the lower gears- do i need a new actuator or could it be something else?

 

sounds like the actuator to me mate

 

Sounds like the driver to me :P

 

What actuator you got on there??

 

check all the pipes and check that the pipe is still on the bottom of the ecu m8

 

bugger off haz lol
its just gold with no markings or labels that are legible so i'm not sure tbh

 

sorry i should of said its been converted to run efi

 

Sounds like a weak actuator if it was holding ok then it's just started loosing pressure all of a sudden might be worth investing in a -31

 

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

its not so much that its not holding pressure- it will if given a long run in 3/4/5 but in the lower gears flat out it just doesn'r acheive higher boost, new actuator is on me list to do just thought i'd get some opinions- thanks

 

Actuator may be exagerating it, but the basic concept of making less boost when you are in gears where the engine speed can change quickly is exactly what one would expect really, as the turbo doesnt have enough time to reach the same speeds for any given engine rpm as it would in a higher gear.

 

i thought this at the time so....... dare i say it through not wanting to get slated i wound out the bleed valve a bit to see if it made the boost peek higher in the lower gears and it made sod all difference- surely my turbo should be able to boost more than 3/4psi in 1st and 2nd lol

 

Your actuator is standard.

From what you have said about adjusting the bleed valve i would be looking at the exhaust housing on the turbo, they are very prone to crack on the escort T3, and obviously a cracked wastegate means there isn't a total seal.

I had a cracked one and it was only hairline, and lets put it this way - I REMOVED the screw from the bleed valve, and it still would only peak to 10psi and hold 6psi

 

dude im having the same probs as you are!!!!

tried a different actuator, that didnt work, then i stuck a bleed valve on and yer it did boost a little more but it wouldnt hold boost


so now it can stay as it is untill i stick the efi lump in!

 

Changing over to EFI won't make it develop anymore boost. Again your problem sounds like a wastegate issue

 

thank god you back lol before i shelled out on a new actuator!
would a damaged exhaust housing also cause a slight buzz kinda noise when boosting as i have that now aswell!
i assume you know my actuator is standard cus its gold or because you saw it last time my car was in bits lol

 

I love the way we only got half the story to start with

Could make a "buzzing sound" i had a old xr3i that had a crack in the manifold that made a sort of buzzing/whistle sound

Id say it's because he's seen it before as mines gold and thats a -31

If it's still on the standard actuator i would be inclined to get a -31 anyway as yours is bound to be worn when i changed mine to a 31 it felt alot better to the old standard one

 

it has only just started buzzing ya cheaky git :-P
new manifold and turbo looks like its on the cards now then!

 

You dont need a new manifold just the exhaust housing on the turbo(if it has a crack in it obviously)

 

Ah in that case i didn't know there were uprated variants made in the pressed steel casing, i wouldn't be surprised if yours is standard as obviously we know the turbo is. It won't cost you anything to take the elbow off and have a look at the wastegate, thats what i would advise you do before forking any cash out.

A buzzing noise??? The only thing that springs to mind is the turbine making contact with the housing internally......but thats a shot in the dark.

 

can this also cause lag when off boost? i had a car that when i was off boost it wouldnt go. but when i was going through the gears it would boost fine.when i say lag i mean my foot being flat on the floor for about 3-4 second before boosting.

 

it could well do. The engine i had that problem with is now fitted to my cabriolet. In the previous car even though it only ran low boost it felt rapid and i think this was the cause, the wastegate leaking made the boost come in later but harder, it boosts like a turbo diesel now u can barely drive the thing down the road without it spooling up.

So yea it could be possible but the only way you're going to find out is by trial and error.

if the housing is cracked though it will be obvious to look at when you drop the elbow off.

 

imo

First off,
Boost leak test, and actuator test,

then start looking at wastegate and housing cracks/leaks


But on a RST 0.36 housing, it will need to be mega cracked to cause bad spool up issue's, i've tested a badlt cracked housing on my TT, and it was less than 100 rpm slower on spool up to hit 25psi then a new uncracked housing, on a back to back test.
New hit 25psi @ 2450rpm, cracked = 2500rpm.


Edited to read clearer, and more info.

 

thanks for all the help, i'll take her apart and find out wot it is this weekend hopefully

 

how do you do a off boost test?

 

Sorry, you read it different to how i meant it.

'First off' do a 'Boost leak test'


To do this you need to bloke certain hoses, and pressureize the whole boost system to at least 5psi more than the car runs in boost.
do this with different size hose blockers, compressor and a regulator.

 

my thought is the actuator is fooked but that doesn't explain buzzing/whistling type noise on boost so theres summit amiss for sure- just another thing to add to list but at least with efi shes still stopping and starting on the button

 

Im gunna have to disagree there.......as i said on my car the carcks in the housing resulted in the turbo peaking to 10 psi and holding 6 psi with the screw in the bleed valve completely removed, and it was very laggy. Another exhaust housing fitted and its completely different.

I have got some pictures i'll hook them out.

Chris - i wouldn't be surprised if your turbo is knackered mate. Don't overlook the fact you were driving around on that old engine with cracked bores.....remember the state the oil was in? Remember me saying to you when i was wiring the car i'll be surprised if the turbo is ok.............?

Thats what i think anyway!

 

All depends on how the cracks behave once at operating temp's.

but all i can comment is on my car, and the test i done.


Are you sure the wastegate penny was sealing correctly on yours?

 

my thoughts exactly andy, that sludge can't have done it any good
i'm gonna get a new actuator as i need one anyhow- the car does seem to be getting more laggy so the sooner i change the housing or turbo the better.