87 buick grand national(intercooled) , been trtying for 4 years cant get it running. need help!!

dzsol

Dead as usual
Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Have an 87 gn, had some issues with a tps sensor 4 years ago, had it replaced and set.
Afterwards I couldn't even keep it straight it ran so good.
the boss took it out for a couple of rips, and then it all started.

the car was leaving like a smoke screen of white and the raw fuel would burn your eyes at 50 feet.
not antifreeze! we have been changing parts and scratching our heads for 4 years now and cant get it up and running. it will foul a set of plugs off in 10-15 min, the back right hole is always sopping wet.

we have just recently put in a rebuilt turbo, ecm, map, mass air, fuel pressure regulator, and on and on.
last night io got it running and not smoking, not sure what I did. took it for a rip today and now when the turbo should kick it backfires and pops and the smoke starts rolling , when you let off its good, at idle it revs up fine idles good, but you cant give her at all as soon as it starts to build boost its a smoke show again.
 
I can idle it and can run it, no smoke, soon as the turbo spools smoke and backfiring, doesn't seem to lose any coolant, doesn't smell sweet , no coolant in oil. you've heard similar issues with blown head gaskets?
 
new since last night I'm also getting a check engine and my mechanics scanner is coming up as running to rich. I already new that but cant figure out why. three shops have already looked.
 
I would try swapping the injector that's in the wet hole and see if your problem moves with it. Could possibly be a bad injector sticking open.
 
Changed all of them out already. Had a light on the wiring seems to be correct as well. I think the ecm cured the overfueling issue. Wondering if the rebuilt turbo failed already. Only went two blocks. Never did spool up.
 
Are you saying it never built any boost when attempting to or you didn't try to build boost yet?
 
When you get on the gas enough to starts pooling the turbo that's when everything goes to heck. The gauge is digital and as soon as it starts to flutter that's it. No go just backfires and smoke.
 
Do you have a scanmaster or any other means of data logging? Ide try and verify that the cam and crank sensors are set properly and working, if you search you can find threads on both. Also just to verify if you haven't already do a compression test on all 6 cylinders to make sure they are healthy. I make sure the simple things are good before going into depth.
 
I just changed out the electronic piece that the wastegate and other vacuum line run to from the turbo and manually moved the wastegate a couple of times, took her for a run and it is building 10-15 pounds of boost , not smoking but still has some sputtering issues, no more backfiring. But still not right.
 
is that an aftermarket boost gauge or are you going off the original, extraordinarily off factory dash gauge?
 
That's good to hear sounds like you had a bad wastegate solenoid. Ide still cover the basics good plugs and wires, fuel pressure in check with fresh 91 or 93 octane, look over all your vacuum lines and zip tie them and go from there. Try and figure out if its KR or if its mis-firing. As TURBOELKY said I wouldn't trust the factory gauge.
 
Take the ignition module under the coil pack to Autozone and ask them to test it on their machine. Keep track of how the wires hook between the coil pack and module as well as firing order.
 
With that stock gauge what you think is 10-15 psi of boost in reality could have been
20 +. Do compression check. There's a real reason you've been throwing everything at it for 4 years. Put a vacuum gauge on it and see if it bounces around. If there an internal problem you'll see it. This is why we have real boost/vacuum gauges and others.
 
Without some real gauges and a scanmaster/powerlogger, your really just shooting in the dark. You should be able to pick up a cheap(er) scanmaster on the board, now that Bob has come out with the scanmaster g.
Yeah, it's expensive to have a grand in monitoring equipment, but it can get WAY more expensive if you don't.
Ask me how I know!
 
Did the new injectors cure the one wet hole? (giggity)

Sounds like it's time to get a Translator and upgraded MAF.
 
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