4EFTE SWAP GONE WRONG

[RoyanDaSilva]

Hello guys. I own an EP82 Starlet which I bought late last year but it had the 4EFE engine despite it being a GT Turbo. After months of saving, 2 months ago I found a certain garage was selling a 4EFTE engine but obviously you cannot get a new engine so they kind of rebuilt the engine and equipped it with new stuff like piston rings and conrods and the engine block were thoroughly polished and so engine was as good as new and the swap was done. The harness gave us little problem since it was an EP90 harness going into an EP82 but a trials and errors everything was check and the car was ignited. After igniting the car we realized the cars emitting some greyish whitish smoke when idle and the mechanic highlighted that the turbo must be dying. We had an extra turbo that was also not as new but we combined both turbos by replacing seemingly faulty parts from one and joining them with those that were better off and after a few days work we now had one turbo that had somehow been rebuilt and I had faith that it would now work. We put the restored turbo to the car and after igniting the car, it was still smoking but the smoke wasn't as much as the one for the first time. At this point we took the car out on a test drive but the 1st and 2nd gear didnt have much power and the car had a CEL on. The mech insisted still that its the turbo that is bad and asked that we get another one. I have a friend who is doing a TD04 swap and he previously was running a CT9 Hybrid which was boosting properly in his EP82 and it was still new so he lent it to me to run it in my car and if it works we can negotiate on the price. After a day he sent me the turbo and I took it to the mech who lamented that the turbo was good and so I left it with him and went home hoping for the best. I called him a few days ago and he told me that he had sorted out the power issue and that the car is boosting properly but its still smoking and that turbo is also dead and I need to get a brand new turbo but I now have my doubts and am really wondering whether its the turbo with a problem or it might be another problem.
Could it be another problem any of you might be knowing because I wouldn't to go the extent of buying a new turbo and still experience the same problem plus I have already surpassed what I had put aside for the project and am already broke and already thinking if it was really worth it.
I would really appreciate if I received your views and insights asap

Edited October 19, 2016 by RoyanDaSilva

[starletezy]

Hello and welcome buddy what colour smoke is coming out?

[5e colin]

Upload a video of the smoke

Also might be worn valvestem seals etc ettc

Use the old ct9 take out the turbine shaft and weld up the hole block thee oil feed ( great for when emissions test is done to)

[akyakapotter]

white smoke is water burning off. head gasket maybe if it was blue id be inclined to say valve stem seals. you say lack of power was that the timing out a tooth ? maybe get another tec to take a look at it ?

[morgey]

Waterlines on the tb hooked up to the vacuum line ports is another common one.

[daniel_g]

^^^ If its that.. and the inlet vac / coolant pipes are the wrong way round, you'll have a hell of a lot of white coolant smelling smoke out the exhaust. Also your new rebuilt engine will have water in places where there shouldnt be water, like the sump.

Blue smoke would indicate its burning oil, on a rebuilt engine you wouldnt expect that, unless the rebuilt wasnt done right. Rings not gapped correctly.

[patman]

Quickest way to find out that is take leads and plugs out and crank the engine praying coolant don't shoot out the spark plug holes 👍🏻

[RoyanDaSilva]

Hello and welcome buddy what colour smoke is coming out?

Upload a video of the smoke

Also might be worn valvestem seals etc ettc

Use the old ct9 take out the turbine shaft and weld up the hole block thee oil feed ( great for when emissions test is done to)

Hello and welcome buddy what colour smoke is coming out?

Upload a video of the smoke

Also might be worn valvestem seals etc ettc

Use the old ct9 take out the turbine shaft and weld up the hole block thee oil feed ( great for when emissions test is done to)

How does one upload a video on this forum. Am a newbie in these streets

[RoyanDaSilva]

white smoke is water burning off. head gasket maybe if it was blue id be inclined to say valve stem seals. you say lack of power was that the timing out a tooth ? maybe get another tec to take a look at it ?

Head gasket checked and is okay. Another mech is cooming to check it out today thanks. I'll share my findings today later on in the day

[RoyanDaSilva]

Waterlines on the tb hooked up to the vacuum line ports is another common one.

thanks will have that checked

[RoyanDaSilva]

^^^ If its that.. and the inlet vac / coolant pipes are the wrong way round, you'll have a hell of a lot of white coolant smelling smoke out the exhaust. Also your new rebuilt engine will have water in places where there shouldnt be water, like the sump.

Blue smoke would indicate its burning oil, on a rebuilt engine you wouldnt expect that, unless the rebuilt wasnt done right. Rings not gapped correctly.

the smoke is somewhere between grey and white

[RoyanDaSilva]

Forgot to update this. The mech who first did the rebuild put the rings and seals carelessly and they ended up being damaged hence the smoke plus also the turbo was dead. I got another mech to complete the work and he changed the rings and seals and got me an IHI turbo. The car pulls nicely but on high revs it tries to cut fuel when am even not close to the rev limiter and yesterday the fuel pump died on me and I replaced it but its the stock one. Should I get a better fuel pump and if yes which one would you guys advise and not something to expensive. I'll get a Walbro once I do a TD04 swap

[marki7]

It's not about hitting the rev limiter mate that's how you're engine is going to go bang again. Fuel cut kicks in when you're boosting over factory high boost so turn the boost down

[wasserg]

Nice to no