hey guys. i have a s2 escort turbo and ive just popped in a new engine and head. got it started and running and ive done nearly 100 miles in it now. i wanted to test out the boost in it. i havnt planted my foot or anything but it seems that when i put my foot on it a fair bit it boosts out of vacuum by about .4 bar (thats all im taking it to at the moment) and it doesnt have the pull it did before i changed the engine. i think this might be coz the engine is still tight but i still have a worry in the back of my mind of what it could be. also boost comes in earlier than what it did before!

another thing is the idle is REALLY crap. at cold it idles brilliantly but when it starts to warm up it starts goin to about 700 RPM and the boost guage flickers like mad and most of the time it stalls! ive checked all hoses etc but its weird that sometimes when i give it a good revving it stops for a while and idles normally?
i've tried 2 turbos on it and both do the same thing?!

am i being dumb or am i missing something?

cheers guys!!

Sean

 

if you dont mind me asking who built engine, mate of mine just had one rebuilt by local firm, and doing pretty much same thing, nice to see another local on here too

 

well it was a recond engine. i just paid a chunk of money and got a recond head and block with new pistons etc. even got it timed with cambelt! good engine... looks like it came brand new from Ford!
It came from a company up north called Vege. heard they were quite good?!
just doin my head in with this problem. so wot car u got mate? might have seen it round these here parts lol.

 

mk 3 cab, mate has a series 1 estate with same probs as you, he cant boost past 11 psi, and have tried evarything we can think of but cant find fault

 

i think ive seen ur mates 1 around! yer i have a funny feeling its either just stiff coz its new or its overfuelling. i wanna get it rolling road tuned but as ive only dun 100 miles i dont want them to pop it lol

 

yeah just rebuilt mine too, should be back on road weekend, snapped a shell in half, where about in feltham are ya then

 

o shit! hate it when summit shit happens when ur doin a big job like that - slows the job down! im down near the running horse pub kinda - you?
you go to any meets at all? i only go to Ace Cafe really. cud do with a few more to go to as long as it aint guildford - im bored of that! lol

 

grove village mate, we go ace cafe, middx rs meet, and santa pod, guildford shit now too many old bill and too many elvis wannabees, you going pod sunday for rs national day?

 

wheres grove villiage? just spoke to one of my mates - we r goin to the pod on sunday now! looking forward to it too!!!!

 

bedfont by bell on the green pub, yeah should be good day if weather is ok

 

It could do with setting up mate, timing and fuelling, very finnecky about this. The idle problem, i guarantee you have an air leak somewhere........the unstable vacuum reading makes that obvious.

 

hey SAFECHAV. yer i am gonna get a setup on it when its run in a bit more but i cant find a leak anywhere!!! and sometimes it idles fine - even when warm!! its very random - as for the turbo.... put my foot down a lot last night and no pull whatsoever?!?!? any clues on that? cheers mate

and SE MK3 CABBIE, yer should be a good day - would like to take mine down the strip but dont think thats gonna happen lol!

 

Sounds like the problem i had with the idle. Does it run like a bag of shit if you leave it idling for a long period of time? Mine used to choke itself to death......

My words of wisdom: Brake Servo......disconnect, block the pipe, and see how it runs then, i wouldnt drive it with it disconnected tho

 

will try it but cant b fked now as im off the the pod tomorrow...
well ive fiddled with a few things and nothing. idles very crap regardless of where the idle adjuster is set at. and put my foot down proper today and it stops at about .4 bar and it doesnt pick up any more, even the revs dont pick up if im on boost. unless i drive it without boost slowly and it will drive normally. its such a weird problem and its drivin me mad!

 

If you have an air leak it will never run right. You would be surprised what the brake servo can do to affect the running on an RST. Does the servo retain its vacuum pressure after switch off?

 

mate i wud strongly advice a set up regardless of runnin in... not a rolling road set up...

just cam timing, ignition timing and CO levels... i bet that has alot to do with ur problem...

ud b shocked on the difference of a MFi car depending on its set up!


im sure any garage with a CO machine cud do it for bout Ł30... worth every penny...

also as sed check servo is ok and check for any air leaks as the car runs of vacuum.

 

an mfi will run, as mentioned above, shockingly badly without the new lump having the nixture and ign timing set up. Will make it feel loads better. after thats been done, see what problem you've really got and go from there.