misc problems

[izzy]

I have my 85 SVO and ive replaced the alternator along with the regulator some little time ago and about a couple of weeks ago, my amp light keeps flickering on and off. Sometimes i notice it does it more when the car has not been ran for a while or is cold. Sometimes the car drives really crappy becuz of this (fuel injection). I don't know what to do. My buddys keep telling me to go to Kragen and exchange my alt for a new one cuz thats where the problems at, whut do you guys think? Also, does anyone else's stock T3 turbo leak small amounts of oil on the input line? Ive tried everything from teflon tape to some silicone stuff but oil always seems to seep out of it. I am still in school so i cannot afford to do anything major to my car at the time but i was wondering of a stock T3 from a 87-88 TurboCoupe would fit and work perfectly on my stock early 85 motor since there are so many in boneyards, my turbo has a possible crack on the exhaust side ( i can tell by the loud turbo whine when the car is cold ---sounds great tho!)? If i use this turbo, will it get me by for a while until i completely tear the engine apart sometime next year? One more thing, the TPS, on the scanner it says my TPS is "out of range" and my buddy got my a new one from Kragen. When i replace my TPS will i need to set the new TPS since i guess its adjustable or something becuz he says that i do need to make sure its accurate? ooooo Do you guys think my TPS sould be causing my little amp light problem, i was thinking maybe the TPS tells the ECM that im at a certain RPM and its not charging well? i dunno, im stuck, help.

[SVOMARK]

You probably have a loose connection on the alternator. Someitmes the push-on connectros get spread apart and don't attach very well. Use some pliers and squeeze the connector together before you re-install. Don't get too carried away with the squeeze part as you will not be able to re-install.

[SVOeric]

Your TPS, and amp lights are not related..

Also, you may not need to replace the TPS. Check the FAQ section for info on how to test, and set the TPS.

The turbo on 87-88 TC is not a T-3, it is a IHI, and a smaller turbo. I also believe there will be some issues with mounting if you were to do this swap.

If you were to use this turbo, you would have some really quick spool-up times, but you would lose upper RPM horsepower

I'm also not sure your turbo is cracked. Are you sure it is cracked? --hearing some whine from the turbo is normal.

On your oil leak. you need to make sure it is not leaking where the fitting screws into the turbo. I also would say teflon tape might not stand the temps that fitting sees, so I would try to use some hi-temp sealer on the threads of that connection.

[gbeaird]

that oil line is a flare fitting. It works by compression. Sealer won't help much, and as Eric said, the teflon may not hold up to the temps. Remove the oil line and check the condition of the flared end of the tubing, the nut and the line itself. The line may be cracked. You can get replacements decently priced from either Paul Becker at SVPU (http://www.svpu.com/), or Jim Whelan at Motion Dynamics (http://home.flash.net/~jewhelan/garage.htm), both are good people to work with.

You need to look at that line soon. If the line is cracked, you _need_ to fix it before the crack spreads and fails the line, you will be in big trouble in a hurry.

Gene Beaird
86 2R SVO
Pearland, Texas

[izzy]

Oil Line

Ok, so yes is does seem to leak where the brass fitting screws into the turbo at (the top). What do i do? The turbo seems fine right now but i was saying that the exhaust side probably was craked internally because i do notice that the whine is kinda ... loud, like almost like i have a huge turbo in it. I mean it sounds really great but i was just worried that maybe im loosing lots of balls because of that crack. I was thinking that if its cracked some if the exhaust will not be pushing on the turbine, rather going around it through that crack causing that whine. One things for sure though, the turbo whine is the loudest when the car has just been started up or when its been sitting until its cooled off. It kind of sounds like im getting full boost out of the turbo when im only taking off from a stop, like the turbos building up pressure and you can hear it. Like i said, it doesnt sound serious but i was concerned that maybe the snail on the exhaust side had an internal crack.

About the line, well i have removed the line before and i don't really think the flared end or any of it is cracked, it seems to more or less leak just only from the fitting to turbo connection. I mean its not like a huge oil dripping leak its just that every so often i look at the turbo and i notice somewhat of a buildup occuring of fresh clean oil at the very top. A fellow ex-SVO owner tells me that sometimes these things are normal because my crankcase is pressurized or something like that and the oil wants to leak out from anywhere it possibly can, thus, the aging turbo and even the oil fill cap. Does anyone else have this problem too? Even the oil cap has some fresh oil that will leak out very slowly over time underneath it, my buddy says all this is because of a stock 136,000 mile engine that went from being driven by older folks to a turbo happy teenager (loves to race) and the fact that i run Royal Purple Synthetic (very thin oil) it wants to seep out from even the tiniest seals and worn parts. But im constantly checking the dipstick and im always at safe so...... at least i keep her happy.

One more thing, I wonder if its because i use that Royal Puple stuff but does it seem hard to get a good reading from the dipstick to anyone? Every time i try to check the dipstick, i find myself checking it like 3-4 times because either that oil is so damn clean or its just so hard to see possibly because the oil is purple or because the pipe to the oilpan has so many bends in it that oil rubs all over it before i take it out?

[Gator]

Just a small bit of advice for ya mate ( and everyone else ) ....never ever ever EVER use teflon ( or any other type ) tape on oil lines...even if the slightest bit of that breaks off in the line....will cost you.