| ID: 1172 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Bottom(ooo-errr!) Question: I have been offered a car for around £300 which has a problem with its bottom end. ive been told by the owner its called blow-by or something like that. The owner thinks it will need the head off, new piston rings, liners etc. what all will really be involved and is it really worth trying to repair it or would it be a better idea to just get a second hand bottom end or engine if i do buy it??? Thanks again TWiz, Will Answer: Get the engine rebuilt with new pistons and liners and enjoy it! (£300ish for a set) |
| ID: 1173 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Reverse Light Question: My reverse light has suddenly just gone. I have check the bulb and the wiring and appear to be ok. Answer: Have you checked it at the gearbox end? Could be the plug has come out. |
| ID: 1174 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Re-Trim Question: Hi I need to retrim my door panals and as money is tight I'm thinking of doing this myself is it going to be diffacult and whats the best way to go about this and what will I need. Thanks for any help Answer: You will need an industrial strength sewing machine for any material other than cloth and you will have to take all the trims apart to make templates. |
| ID: 1175 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: rear shockers Question: I own the 1.7 monaco and would like to know if GTT shockers fit as i know it has a different torsion bar and that. Also does clio 16 valve shockers fit as u have mentioned before. CHEERS Answer: 16v shockers are shorter and are only suitable for very low cars. I would have thought GT shocks would fit ok. |
| ID: 1176 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Vacuum reading? Question: Hi there,'ole wise one.Just a quick question,what kind of reading would YOU expect from the manifold out-let connection?...on idle,with all boost plumbing left as Renault standard..Measurement in In.Hg please......The reading i have at the moment is 20 In.Hg.do you think this is ok ?or is there too much vacuum,can you have too much vacuum?....When the throttle butterfly is on the open the reading reduces to just less than 0 In.Hg to 5 In.Hg.Then when the boost comes in, the reading is obviously 'positve reading' in P.S.I....So just the 'average vac' reading will do.Thanks Harpo:-) Answer: I am a turbo wizard not a scientist! I use psi readings and between 7 and 12 psi is normal. |
| ID: 1177 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Rear Strut Braces Question: Wizzard, Can you tell me If fitting a rear strut brace will stiffen up my already tired shell, or are these things mearley a cosmetic ad on. (I already have a front one) Also I have read about track day and full race cars that have been seam welded, can you tell me if this is an expensive or even worthwile procedure. (Where can it be done?) the reason I ask is that my car creaks and rattles more than it should, it feels like it is flexing when going over uneven surfaces, I would like to regain a nice taught body. thanks for the help. Answer: I would get your cars sills checked if the car is flexing too much. They could be rusty. Remove the side skirts and tap gently with a hammer. A rear strut brace will help to a degree but a full roll cage would do it perfectly! Seam welding is worthwhile on race cars but is too much work and too much money for normal cars. |
| ID: 1178 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Loosing boost no more Question: Hi Thanks for replying to my question,the car doesnt loose boost no more,cool.Could you tell me what I can do about my dump valve.The dumpvalve i've got is one of those bailey motorsport evo piston jobs ,i've heard that these are not good for the gt,why?.Can i fix it or is it not coping with the psi i'm running at 16-21psi.If i have to get a new one which do you recommend for the gt [as loud as possible]Thanks. Answer: You could try getting the dv rebuilt or just go for a Group A version from someone like forge motorsport (V.Loud with various spring ratings to suit boost.) I have been told (but never seen it myself) that piston dv's seize up and cause loss of boost and lean mixture due to air bleeding into the mixture. |
| ID: 1179 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Burnt oil smell??? Question: Hi Wiz, For the last few weeks, each time I stop the car & idle at the end of a run with the fan on, there is a smell of hot/burnt oil wafting back from the engine bay. I've had a look for oil leaks but it's all completely free of oil on the top & bottom of the engine. It smells to me like it's oil burning off the manifold! I've checked the rocker cover gasket & it's fine, but I did spot a small residue of burnt oil on the bottom edge of the exhaust manifold, where it meets the head. Do you think its the head gasket leaking a bit of oil? There are no other signs that the head gasket is failing. Cheers Wiz. Answer: This oil at the manifold could be coming from inside the cylinders or from a leaking headgasket. Get a compression check to see if its coming past the rings. |
| ID: 1180 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: running problems Question: I have just had my head gasket done by a garage, when I drove it when I got it back it doesn't seem to come on boost very well, sort of 'bogs down', only holds .6 bar, it used to run a bar. Could this be anything to do with the head being skimmed, it has been done once before and this time only 3 thou was needed to be taken off? Answer: I would say it was nothing to do with the head being skimmed. What caused the head gasket to blow? Has the problem been sorted? It could be down to pipework put back incorrectly or partially blocked with something. |
| ID: 1181 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Copper rad! Question: Would a copper radiator keep my 5 a lot cooler than a standard one? Answer: Only if the standard radiator was blocked or knackered (as most are!) |
| ID: 1182 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: 16valve Novas!!!! Question: My mate has a 2.0 16v Nova, he comes past me at about 110, I need to beat the twat!! I have 15psi boost, filter and exhaust, HELP!!! Answer: The 5 is not good at top speed due to its gearing but more power will always help! Try an uprated intercooler, more boost and possibly a bigger turbo depending on the money you want to spend. |
| ID: 1183 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Which large rad? Question: Hey Turbo Wizard, According to the Super Coupe Cup racing regulations it states that you can fit a larger radiator such as a Renault 5 Diesel one. My problem being I went to my local Renault Dealer and they said there are at least three different types. Can you please tell me which is the correct radiator type(Ref etc? or model), and does it still need a fan. Cheers, Chris member 267 Answer: No i can't tell you which one it is. The diesel rad doesn't have the oil cooler built in so you will need to fit a seperate one. Yes you still need a fan. Try a local motor factor for the rad instead of Renault and they may have one in stock you could compare. |
| ID: 1184 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: reluctant to start from cold Question: hi wizard iam looking for some advice. one day i went to start my car from cold it fired up for a second or two then abruptly cut out 6or7 turns on the starter then it finally goes. it starts ok when engine is warm but not anymore from cold. compression is ok, spark is ok. choke linkage is working. new fuel filter fitted before problem started. also once engine is started it runs ok. i think the problem lies with the carb any ideas? Answer: Could be a problem with fuel evapouration but that would probably effect hot starts too. Is the fuel pump whirring after you turn the ignition on? It could be a faulty relay. |
| ID: 1185 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: engine just cuts out Question: its only happen twice iv been still driving it. what happens is i can be driving along then the car just dies on me then i cant start it again it has no power i charge it up then it goes again fine. i know your going to say alternator but i had the RAC look at it they said its charging at 14.34 volts which is normal! what else could it be? Answer: I would say 14.34 volts may be a bit high but it would suggest a knackered battery not holding its charge to me! |
| ID: 1186 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: more funny noises Question: hi again wiz being a new owner and all that theres some questions i need to ask 1. How do you read the boost gauge 2. This sound stupid but theres a high pitch faintish whistle when i rev the engine , its coming from the turbo side of the engine bay, but its not the turbo, its also audible when pulling low revs, i know its not the turbo, could it be a bearing?????? cheers hope your advice sets my mind at ease Answer: 1. The ""O"" of turbo is about standard boost (7-8psi) and the end of the gauge is about 16-18psi. The red shaded area starts at about 9-10psi. All gauges are similar but not very exact in there readings so these figures are only a guide. 2. How do you know its not the turbo? If you have an induction kit instead of the standard airbox then it may be the air moving through the turbo or filter that you can hear. Worn bearings usually give more of a knocking or rumble sound. |
| ID: 1187 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: oily boost pipes Question: wizard, Can you help me once again.I have just replaced my turbo with a ktec ktr 180 powersystems hybrid 2 weeks ago and i have oil in my boost pipes still.I cleaned eveything when the tutrbo went on but still have oil.Could you answer a couple of things for me. * I don't know if its my breather system passing it through.I don't seem to have excess pressure[no smoke on tickover in rocker cover]any other tests i can do?. * Or could it be my turbo again,when i had the turbo the inlet side turbine had no play in it and now its got a tiny bit of play,is this normal or not this soon? *When the turbo went on i checked for oil feed by cranking with no king lead but should the oil trickle at a moderet pace[like mine] or should it piss out? The previous owner had just replaced the turbo and said he had problems with them going but with oil feed it shouldn't go this quick,what's causing this?THANKS[sorry for essay] Answer: The easiest test is to make sure the pipes and intercooler are free from oil then remove the breather pipe connection to the ""U"" shaped pipe which runs into the turbo inlet, block the hole in the ""U"" pipe and feed the breather into a makeshift catch tank. (old coke bottle or similar) This will show how much is coming out of the breather system and will stop anything going through the turbo that could cause oilly pipes. The little bit of play is probably where the turbo has been ""run in"" but may be wear if there is lack of oil feed. It is possible that your oil feed pipe is partially blocked as it should be a strong flow at idle and really flow fast if you rev a bit. Don't rev too high or for more than a few seconds as this will leave the turbo dry and liable to damage. |
| ID: 1188 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Exhaust smells Question: I seem to get exhaust (not petrol) smells in my the cabin of my 5, is this likely to be a problem with filters on the fans for air intake to the cabin, a problem with the actual exhaust system, is this just the way it is? or maybe something else.... apart from that it runs fine. Answer: It could be a leaking exhaust, manifold or gasket. Get a helper to put a rag firmly over the exhaust to block the fumes and see where they come out of. If they don't escape from any leaks then the car may stall. |
| ID: 1189 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: oil in breather Question: Wizard , I was having oil in my boost pipes so i removed the crank breather into the induction kit and placed end in a coke tin and went out for a spin.I checked the tin and it had filled slightly with oil, gungey green type look [just had oil change]. What would be causing the oil to come through, any tests i can do? Over the last two days the tickover when hot has become really lumpy, i've checked the rotor, sparkys and leads and are all good.Could this oil in the breather system have anything to do with it? THANKS Answer: Try taking off the oil seperator and breather pipes, cleaning them out fully and replacing them. Then go for another long spin. This should tell you if it was just a build up of condensation crud or if you actually have a problem. |
| ID: 1190 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: noise resolved Question: cheers wiz, someone else told me that it was the turbo as well, it has a pipercross vector cone, so it probably that. Answer: No problemo! |
| ID: 1191 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Pump Question: Wiz, Is there a replacment fuel pump that will give more fuel with, out the crazy price. Also at what boost would you need a uprated pump or gp a carb. Answer: You only need a bigger fuel pump if your standard one can't keep up. Most people say that this is around 20psi but then others say you don't need one at all! Try going direct to Bosch to see if you can get a bigger pump cheaper. |
| ID: 1192 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Brakes not as effective Question: My car has been standing for about 3/4 week's when i drove it today for only about 5 miles the pedal seemed to have exccesive travel & there was a light grating from the rear every time i braked.The brakes were fine before and have only done 1000 miles disc's and pad's.any help would be appreciated regard's michael. (the overall performance of the brakes has detoriated by at least 50%) Answer: Did you notice whether there was rust on the discs as this would cause a grating noise as it was worn off. It would also reduce braking performance if the rust was stopping full pad contact to the disc or if the calliper pistons have seized slightly. |
| ID: 1193 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Burnt oil smell. Question: Hi Wiz, Thanks for your fast response. I checked the compression & it is normal on all cylinders. I checked the comp with the engine cold & then again when hot. You said if it wasn't blowing past the rings that it could be the head gasket. Have you seen oil leaking from the head gasket on a 5 before? I only ask because there are no other signs of gasket failure. This one is really anoying because the engine bay is spotless but the smell is sometimes really strong! Cheers Wiz. Answer: I have seen a few 5's where the oil leak has been almost impossible to find due to the fact it is right up under the manifolds. This can be down to a slightly warped head or block or just a fault line in the gasket. Are you sure there is nothing coming out from under the turbo return pipe area as this is common as well. |
| ID: 1194 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: BOOST GUAGE READINGS Question: Hi Wizard,I have recently moved the location of my after-market boost guage feed.Initialy it was tee'd into the fuel pressure regulator hose,which comes from the top of the carb,in this location it read 1 bar on full boost,just where i wanted it.I have now moved it to the ECU vacuum hose,so it will show vacuum too,which it does,-0.7 bar at idle (is this about right?),but only shows between 0.6 and 0.8 bar at full boost.which is the correct reading in terms of preventing boost over 1 bar,as i could do to hang on to this turbo for a little while longer.Thanks in advance,Chef. Answer: The loss in pressure reading is due to the pressure drop through the carb and the vacuum reading is about normal. |
| ID: 1195 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: low rev idling when hot Question: my car has a problem of when its hot it idles at very low revs and some times stalls,this only happens when its hot the and when its cold it's as normal Answer: Try upping the idle mixture a little as hot air is less dense and takes up more space than cold air. |
| ID: 1196 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Still got problems getting in to gear Question: Hi wiz, Still getting problems with me gears. When i drive the car a little hard for about 2-5mins and i start to find getting into 1st (worst) 2nd(not as bad) and reverse. It starts to get worse the more you drive it hard. I've replaced the clutch clable and quadrant, even just had the clutch replace with an uprated clutch and had the gear box overhauled, but still got problems maybe even worse. Please help its really f*c*king me off now Answer: I can't see anything left to cause a problem except maybe the release arm/fork may be bent. There is an uprated item available from a volvo but i don't know the part numbers off by heart. Try doing a search on the message board as i think there was a discussion about it a while ago. |
| ID: 1197 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: oily breather pipes Question: wizard, * I cleaned the breather system totally there was loads of creme gunk in it.I took it for a 10 mile spin with the breather end in a coke can checked it and still got a bit of stuff in it,quite grey this time.Over the last 2 days its been running well dodgy really lumpy tickover and quite a lot of grey smoke coming out the exaust.What do you think? * Also could you tell me what i should do with the vaccum pipe that was going to the top of the d/v when i block it the engine runs very poor,then if i pull the vaccum off the ecu the engine runs a bit better is it supposed to do this i am suspicious this could be causing lumpy tickover,or is it the oil thing,please help, starting to worry now. Answer: I would say your head gasket was suspicious. The open pipe will be adding more air to the mixture so you are either over fuelling or are not getting enough air into the engine. |
| ID: 1198 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: Speedo Not Working Question: Hi Wiz, I have a 5 and the speedo doesnt work on it at all any ideas? i also have to change the back discs, need some advise on how to do it.! Cheers Steve Answer: Try checking the connections on the gearbox, grey leads with black connectors behind the airbox, and the back of the dash. Try another dash from a good car if you can as speedo's always seem to go. As for the rear discs, remove callipers from disc, unbolt centre nut, remove disc and refit new! Assuming you have bearings fitted to new discs which is essential. |
| ID: 1199 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: head gasket Question: wizard, how can i test if the head gasket is gone?because i have only recently had the head done with a competition gasket,my temperature gauge isn't reading high!.thank you Answer: Did you get the head skimmed when you had the new gasket? The 5 head nearly always warps to some degree even if the gasket is fine. Did you retorque the bolts? Get a compression check done at a competant garage or tuner. Get a coolant system check done as well to see if it forces coolant into the engine. |
| ID: 1200 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: oil pressure Question: hiyas, ive looked at past questions but cant find any questions like mine. Ive just rebuilt my engine and took out for a sort drive. Before the rebuild the oil pressure gauge didn't work, I cleaned the sensor and now its works. When I turn the ignition on it goes up to 6 which I think is correct but when its on idle and low reves it sits between 0-1 then goes up with more throttle, is this right? cheers Answer: The initial reading with the ignition switched on but the engine not running is for oil level and this turns into oil pressure after the engine starts. The low rev reading is not too bad as long as it reads something. |
| ID: 1201 | Date: Archive | Member: Archive | Wizard: Archive |
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Subject: alarm help Question: wizzard mate dont know if you'll be able to help. in 1998 i bought a alarm from coad alarms fully fitted thatchem 1 and to date it works fine my problem is one of the key pad is shot and i dont seem to be able to find a contact for them any were any ideas? Answer: Unless they have a website you can search for then all i can think of is yellow pages or similar. |