New KA-T Running very rich. [Solved]

Basic tech questions such as future setups, different turbo kits, car diagnosis, etc
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MyfirstTurbo
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New KA-T Running very rich. [Solved]

Post by MyfirstTurbo »

Hey everybody! Ive been a lurker here for a while and have used a ton of information from this site to help me put together my first turbo ever. Well it all went pretty smoothly, and ive somehow turned a perfectly running s13 hatch ka24de into a stumbling coughing mess! The car ran perfectly before being turboed, and now ive got a very rich condition, my wideband reads full 10.0 in boost and 13.4-14.5 idle. It will sputter up until 4.5-5k rpm and idles very rough, ive got so much black smoke coming out the back it looks like a diesel rolling coal! So ive come to seek the knowledge of those more versed in turbo setups than I. My setup is
sr t25 turbo stock wastegate 7psi
ssac exhaust manifold
sr 370cc injectors
remanufactured z32 maf
cxracing giant fmic with knock off bov
walbro 255
enthalpy ecu for t25/t28 370s and z32 maf
bkr6e plugs gapped to .035
for the egr i bought a block off plate but havent deleted it yet, just cut and capped the hardline to exhaust
charcoal canister delete
battery relocated to trunk

Some things i have already tried: a new ecu, same results as before, checked maf voltages, (.5 key on, 1.15 at idle) checked fuel pressure, (37 psi at idle, 45 psi key on) pulled fuel rail and had a friend turn the key to check for leaky o rings, no leaks found, boost leak tested 3 times, found a couple small leaks and fixed them but no difference. checked o2 sensor with ecu blinking light test, confirmed working. Verified timing is at 20 degrees.
Im just at a loss as to why its running so rich. It almost seems like a boost leak, but im still a little rich at idle, im going to try tightening the bov some and see if it helps, though its not leaking at idle. Ecu is not showing any codes, and i know its not the tune as I had martin send me a second ecu. Any help would be greatly appreciated, i cant wait to drive my car again, what was supposed to be a 3 day install has taken almost a month :|
Last edited by MyfirstTurbo on Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
dls2200
Driving Mom's Station Wagon
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich

Post by dls2200 »

Hey, sounds like a boost leak, are you using t-clamps? Also, your spark plug gap is too big. You need to gap it to 28.
Also, are you running the maf before the turbo or after?
"OVERNIGHT SHIPPING FROM JAPAN CAN BE EXPENSIVE"
Stock KA24DE 230k
Rebuilt head
Felpro oem headgasket
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STI 550cc yellow top
t04e .48 50tirm
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MyfirstTurbo
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich

Post by MyfirstTurbo »

Yes, i am running T-Clamps. Maf is before the turbo on a 2.5 " diameter 16" s shaped intake pipe. Ill gap the plugs down some, but ive got to get it back together first. Right after i wrote this, I blew the headgasket. I didnt think it was possible at 10 afr and only 7lbs of boost. Well lesson learned! The head is at the machine shop right now and im hoping to have it back on on thursday. Im also deleting all the emmissions stuff exept the iacv and air regulator while the intake manifold is off. I dont know why the gasket blew, there were no signs of detonation and i was running pig rich. Im thinking my coolant temp sensor is the reason i was running rich though. I would occasionally get a code 13, and even though the sensor is new i think it was not getting a good ground.
dls2200
Driving Mom's Station Wagon
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Location: Miami-kendall
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich

Post by dls2200 »

Blew HG, sucks. At least, its in the works, once you're all set to go, try to place the MAF on the hotside. The smallest boost leak will make it run rich.
"OVERNIGHT SHIPPING FROM JAPAN CAN BE EXPENSIVE"
Stock KA24DE 230k
Rebuilt head
Felpro oem headgasket
Arp headstuds
STI 550cc yellow top
t04e .48 50tirm
10lbs
255 pump
tial wastegate
hks bov
Empathy rom tune
Stock clutch
MyfirstTurbo
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Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2017 1:20 pm

Re: New KA-T Running very rich

Post by MyfirstTurbo »

I will have to order some more couplers and convert to blow through. Id like to just get it back uo and running first. Hopefully cleaning up the intake and removing all those questionable hoses will help with boost leaks. I also took out the secondary butterflies. I went to put the head back on today and broke a head bolt due to a faulty torque wrench. grrr. Now im on the fence, idk if i should get arp studs or if some regular bolts will be fine. Using a fel-pro gasket because i had the head machined but not the block. My max goal is 250hp, but im probably only around 200 right now.
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i_slide
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich

Post by i_slide »

For your goal, you can get away with "stock" head bolts but ARP's wouldn't be much more cash I'm sure.
Project - Aries 8.8.1, Crower pro series rods, Kelford 272, 11mm head studs, Five0 2150cc, Magnafuel-4303, PTE6466

Daily - 95 stock block, ARP's, bigger ring gaps etc, 57Trim/63A/R, 550cc, z32 Maf, 93 octane /110 octane maps.

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adamky
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich

Post by adamky »

MyfirstTurbo wrote:Right after i wrote this, I blew the headgasket. I didnt think it was possible at 10 afr and only 7lbs of boost. Well lesson learned!
Running too rich can cause just as many problems as running too lean, including detonation. If I am out tuning and I see it get near 10.5 (or lower), I stay out of boost until I can correct it.
Wiseco/Eagle, JWT S1 cams, BC valve springs, PT5857, ID1700 injectors, SR20DET ECU w/ Nismotronic, COP conversion with LS ignition coils, etc, etc...
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MyfirstTurbo
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich

Post by MyfirstTurbo »

Yeah i ended up buying the arp studs. Just for peace of mind if nothing else. And thanks adamky. I knew nothing about turbos before this project and everything i have read online has warned me to stay away from running lean, and a little rich was better, i guess a lot rich is just as bad. Well its a learning prohect for sure and it sure is getting expensive fast, all the little things add up. In the end im just looking for a reliable dd with a little more pep to it than the stock ka wich feels too slow for how good the car handles imo. from what i hear, 7psi on a t25 with 370s and a rom tune should be way on the safe side, providing everything is working properly of course. I also plan to implement an overboost spark cut and a low oil pressure alarm sometime in the future. Im also having a little boost creep, which is worrisome, gets to 8-9 psi sometimes, although that could just be my **** sunpro boost/vac gauge. am determined to get it right, even if i go through a motor or two doing it. (hopefully not!) i dont make too much money bussing tables and just about all of my checks for the past 2 months have gone into my car, but i know it will be worth it in the end.
MyfirstTurbo
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich

Post by MyfirstTurbo »

Quick update: ive got the head back on and its running again, same issues as before however. I bought a consult cable to give me an idea of what the ecu is seeing. Hopefully that will help figure this out. I need to convert to blow through, havent had much time to work on it lately
MyfirstTurbo
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich

Post by MyfirstTurbo »

So i ran the obd1 diagnositics scanner while it was running. It shows my timing us at 20 degrees and the coolant temp slowly rises seems to be working properly. reads 90degrees C but i didnt fully warm up the car, dont want to run it too long how it is. Im showing zero reading from the o2 sensor? is this because it hasnt fully warmed up? also my injectors are around 5% duty at idle and climb to 7-8% by 1300rpm. throwing a code 11 for the cas and code 34 for the knock sensor, not too worried about the knock code as the engine is running so rough its probably a false positive. but why would i be getting code 11? and shoyld the o2 have any effect on a cold, idling engine?
MyfirstTurbo
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich. Please help!

Post by MyfirstTurbo »

Solved! So I guess this goes for any pre owned car in general but especially 240s for some reason. Don't trust the previrus owners mechanic skills or wiring ability. Injectors 3 and 4 were wired together under the harness cover on top of the intake manifold! What a dummy! Still don't know how it ran so well n/a like this..
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hotbox240
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Re: New KA-T Running very rich. [Solved]

Post by hotbox240 »

Nice work. How'd you find that?
12.43 @ 115.06 - 05/2010
12.28 @ 117.61 - 08/2016
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