PeterJMC's 2008 Spec B

[PeterJMC]

Hit those bolts with pb blaster on the subframe (for the reinforcement brackets). Those can be tough!

 

Let us know how the old bolts come out. I'm sure I put anti-seize compound on them when I helped the PO install them years ago. I think we did sway bar bushings too, or was it just sway bar bushings...god that was a while ago.

 

Will do! If they are like any of the bolts from the front end, they will need to be replaced. I hope they come out with some ease... these bolt into the chassis and not just the rear subframe suspension, correct?

[jasejase]

Let us know how the old bolts come out. I'm sure I put anti-seize compound on them when I helped the PO install them years ago. I think we did sway bar bushings too, or was it just sway bar bushings...god that was a while ago.

 

Im 99% sure that the rear reinforcement brackets were done before ct bought the car. They were cobb. The original owner of the car, loved cobb.

 

That's kinda funny that you helped him with bushings.

[luchadorjose]

So I'm an idiot, and I fixed my major gripe that I've been having with my RCE coilovers. The rebound dampening was completely off and I couldn't drive over rough road without the ride being uncomfortable. I was seriously contemplating going back to stock. It's been a year since I installed them and it's only been now that I've gotten around to fixing it. Since it's my DD now, she gets all the attention

 

The issue turned out to be that I setup my rebound dampening backwards! I had rebound dampening setup soft up front and harder out back.

 

Old settings

- Springs: 400 lbs Front and 400 lbs Rear

- spec.B top hats Front and Rear

- Front Rebound: 5 clicks from full soft

- Rear Rebound: 7 clicks from full soft

- Front Height: 18 threads exposed below collar

- Rear Height: 14 threads exposed below collar

 

New settings

- Springs: 400 lbs Front and 400 lbs Rear

- spec.B top hats Front and Rear

- Front Rebound: 9 clicks from full soft

- Rear Rebound: 7 clicks from full soft

- Front Height: 18 threads exposed below collar

- Rear Height: 14 threads exposed below collar

 

 

I'll tweak it a few clicks more in the next few weeks.

 

I have a similar setup with my FOrtune coilovers, and I found that if I had m rear dampening 4-5 clicks stiffer than my front, I could tune the front and the rear would follow perfectly. Increased front to back delta also helps to reduce understeer

[Max Capacity]

FWIW, my new favorite fluid is Aero-Kroil, it ain't cheap but its very good at eating through the rust. Used it last weekend on the left rear wheel speed sensor R&R.

 

Jase, your right the original owner did a lot to that chassis before Jay got it.

[jasejase]

Aero Kroil believer here too! I usually don't mention it, as it's typically a mail order thing.

[Max Capacity]

Pretty much like a lot of things these day's

 

Someone at that company seems to be entertained by comic's by Larson. May be its a thing about being from TN.

 

I happen to have two of those yellow fliers they send out here at my desk.

[jasejase]

do they still make you attest to the fact that you are using their product in a commercial environment?

[Max Capacity]

Don't remember signing anything. They do ask for a name of business. I use the name of our race team from back in the day. We were a LLC. I bought the first can's from the ad on the side of a google search.

 

I thought I saw it in a walmart link the other day.

[PeterJMC]

Cobb rear swaybar, Kartboy solid endlinks, and Cobb rear swaybar reinforcement bracket are off the car! The car is sitting without a rear swaybar right now . I'm waiting for some new rear muffler heatshields to come in because the stockers were rusted to hell and why not replace something else while I'm in there.

 

I'm replacing those things above with a Whiteline rear swaybar, AVO reinforcement bracket, and Moog endlinks.

 

Ohh yea, and I learned that the Cobb mufflers don't mate up to the SPT mid/y-pipe. Now I'm looking for an AVO mid/y-pipe or a Cobb one.

 

While I was down there I did clean up some surface rust on the underbody and subframe and sprayed some of that Rustoleum Rust Reformer stuff on it to help mitigate the spread.

 

Boost Leak Issue

I also swung by BMBs today to get some help from him on smoke testing my car. We did a smoke test and a boost pressure test on the car. The smoke test revealed that the TGVs are leaking from those plates. Ugh... Looks like I'll be pulling the intake manifold off and installing those TGV deletes that I have in the closet.

 

Some threads from others that have experienced leaking in the same area...

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/tgv-manifold-small-end-cover-vacuum-leak-236480.html

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/boost-leak-tgv-plateii-193785.html

[jasejase]

Are you sure they're leaking enough to cause your problem?

 

After all that work, you're going cheap on the rear end links?

 

[PeterJMC]

It can't hold more than 8psi. I'm pulling the DP tomorrow to see if there is anything wrong with the wastegate flapper.

 

I wouldn't say the Moogs are cheap, they are heafty. They just aren't solid and provide a little flex before the swaybar starts doing its thing when traversing small road imperfections.

[BarManBean]

The TGV plate leaks are not enough to cause the issue. Possible that the wastefafe has "walked" a bit, he should be about to figure out when he pulls the downpipe.

[PeterJMC]

It holds booooooooooooost now!! but it's

 

So I'm driving home from work. Total amount of time around the road including a few stops, about 3 hours. For most of the drive I stayed out of boost because I'd just be disappointed and reminded that my car needs fixing.

 

During the last 30 minutes I decide to try something different and put it in S# to see how the car behaved in S# with a boost leak. I romped on it and the acceleration caught me off guard. It held boost all the way to 16psi. For at least 4 weeks the car hasn't been able to hold boost past 8psi, except for one brief period where it had held boost to 15 psi after work and never again for another two weeks.

 

I think putting it in S# and it holding boost was just a coincidence. I put it back in S and it still held boost without an issue. I think it was the long drive, and the drive giving an opportunity to get all the parts nice and warm and loosen something up? Maybe the heat fixed the wastegate flapper?

 

I'll let it cool off and maybe go out for another drive later this evening to see how the car behaves, and do some logging.

[Flinkly]

well, "I" mode limits throttle/torque, so you might not have been able to get to full boost just because your car is limiting you by design...

 

but i'll let others speak up for the sealing of the deal.

[FJuan]

Welcome to my world, Peter. I've had the "limp" mode ghost for a long time now. It can go several weeks running great, then after a few hard runs it goes limp, like a whisky dick. After a few days of driving normal it comes back alive.

 

One of my theory's is the notorious 2-3K RPM stuttering. I've found when going WOT from 2.5k RPM through the stutter, it tends to fall back into limp. If I keep my revs above 3k it doesn't go into limp. ECU is not liking the stutter under full WOT and goes into safety mode.

 

I know the fix to the stutter, just haven't had the time to get in there and fix it.

[PeterJMC]

Does your stutter limit boost too when you are in limp dick mode? Because I definitely had a pretty severe 2-3.5k stutter which had all but disappeared. I contributed my stutter to the boost leak.

 

Funny, I spent a lot of time today researching stutter fixing. I was going to pick up a new front O2 sensor and some fuel lines after I got home from work.

[rebourne]

weird!

[jasejase]

Why fuel lines?? Doubt that's your issue. Hows your fuel metrics on your logs?

 

O2 sensor may be a good option given some excessive 'wear' its likely experienced over the past tunes. You can likely iron out that stutter with a proper road tune. Likely needs a refresh as it's been a while.

 

Sounds like something was stuck open. Driving it in sport or I is only the answer to your mystery if they were tuned to 8 psi. Bren would sometimes tune those modes to be super benign fuel savers. But he usually kept sport in double digits psi neighborhood.

[Flinkly]

* remains sub'd for more info on stutter *

 

i do keep hearing folks say there's no stutter on stock LGTs. seems false. i hate my stutter...

[BarManBean]

Only one logical explanation. Clearly, I fixed it. I'll put the invoice in the mail tomorrow.

[PeterJMC]

Why fuel lines?? Doubt that's your issue. Hows your fuel metrics on your logs?

 

O2 sensor may be a good option given some excessive 'wear' its likely experienced over the past tunes. You can likely iron out that stutter with a proper road tune. Likely needs a refresh as it's been a while.

 

Sounds like something was stuck open. Driving it in sport or I is only the answer to your mystery if they were tuned to 8 psi. Bren would sometimes tune those modes to be super benign fuel savers. But he usually kept sport in double digits psi neighborhood.

 

Fuel lines only because that's what I've read in some threads on the stutter issue, but those had mainly been '05-'06 LGTs.

 

I'm actually running a Tuning Alliance stage 2 tune that's pending tweaking. It has been on hold until I fix the boost leak issue.

 

* remains sub'd for more info on stutter *

 

i do keep hearing folks say there's no stutter on stock LGTs. seems false. i hate my stutter...

 

I'll report back after I take it out later tonight or tomorrow. I plan on replacing the front O2 sensor. I'm trying to hold off for the Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals before I buy anymore parts

[FJuan]

Does your stutter limit boost too when you are in limp dick mode? Because I definitely had a pretty severe 2-3.5k stutter which had all but disappeared. I contributed my stutter to the boost leak.

 

Funny, I spent a lot of time today researching stutter fixing. I was going to pick up a new front O2 sensor and some fuel lines after I got home from work.

 

Yes, in limp dick mode, it stays limp (8psi boost) for a few days until the ecu relearns itself and finds no issues with the fueling. That's if I drive it normal during this period.

 

I have narrowed it down to the 4th fuel injector vacuum hose as mention in the Stuttering thread. Take that hose and "T" it up on the BPV vacuum hose.

 

I've done everything else to the car (Data logs, O2 sensors, vacuum leaks, gasket leaks...etc) and this is my last chance of saving if from a fast dying death in the fire.

[PeterJMC]

Yes, in limp dick mode, it stays limp (8psi boost) for a few days until the ecu relearns itself and finds no issues with the fueling. That's if I drive it normal during this period.

 

I have narrowed it down to the 4th fuel injector vacuum hose as mention in the Stuttering thread. Take that hose and "T" it up on the BPV vacuum hose.

 

I've done everything else to the car (Data logs, O2 sensors, vacuum leaks, gasket leaks...etc) and this is my last chance of saving if from a fast dying death in the fire.

 

No CELs? Mine didn't display any either. My problem sounds similar to yours. My car absolutely falls flat on it's face when trying to put anything more than 50% throttle these past few weeks.

[FJuan]

No CELs at all just limp dick when I WOT in those RPMs. You may have the same issue like some of us. Seach the "stuttering" thread and read the last few pages, most of them have corrected the issue with the vacuum hose to the BPV. I'm going to try it this weekend since I already have a "T" fitting in the BPV vacuum line from my boost gauge.

[PeterJMC]

No CELs at all just limp dick when I WOT in those RPMs. You may have the same issue like some of us. Seach the "stuttering" thread and read the last few pages, most of them have corrected the issue with the vacuum hose to the BPV. I'm going to try it this weekend since I already have a "T" fitting in the BPV vacuum line from my boost gauge.

 

I was reading through those. Strange thing is that all the vacuum lines were checked visually, physically, and smoke testing. No issues. If I have time Friday, I'll still pull the DP and check out the back end of the turbo and the vacuum line for the IWG.

 

So after chatting with BB-V this morning, the car did have suspected issues with the IWG while he owned it. The car behaved pretty much the same way mine has been over the past four weeks. Unlike my issue, for him the issue went away after the car warmed up while mine stuck around for a bit. Maybe the car got mad at me for leaving it sitting unused for so long... Looks like I'll need to definitely take a look at the IWG.