Progect GGA....

[WesM63]

Hey guys,
Thought you all would enjoy this.

This is project GGA (ghetto grand am). It's starting its life off as a 1989 pontiac grand am se. It has the 2.0L turbo, sohc motor in it. Stock it comes with a garrett T-25 turbo no intercooler or blow off valve. Over the next few months I plan to install a garrett T-3 Turbo and a conquest/starion front mount intercooler with a bosch bypass valve off my Porsche. I beleive it runs a high to low 16sec 1/4 et, my plans.. mid to low 14sec et.

Besides the fact that it is my "winter car" and should be tons of fun.

Right now we are in the process of getting it to quit spewing the anti-freeze out. I just had the top end rebuilt (revamped head, all new gaskets), but it still blows anti-freeze out the radiator cap.

Any ideals? :confused:

Ok i'll quit talking here are some pics..
http://www.dataeclipse.com/wes/gga/gga1.jpg
http://www.dataeclipse.com/wes/gga/gga2.jpg
http://www.dataeclipse.com/wes/gga/gga3.jpg
http://www.dataeclipse.com/wes/gga/gga4.jpg
http://www.dataeclipse.com/wes/gga/gga5.jpg
http://www.dataeclipse.com/wes/gga/gga6.jpg
http://www.dataeclipse.com/wes/gga/gga7.jpg

[unacceptable_risk]

sometimes its the simple things like, the little rubber seal on the radiator cap, or blocked cores in the rad. I am not familiar with the car, but maybe even a jammed thermostat.

I just chased this issue on my GF's recently purchased RS2000. Darn thing had 4 little issues like the ones above. I even managed to scald the right side of my body by misjudging the amount of water left in the rad and taking the cap off. Hmmm that hurts...don't do that.

Good luck, should be fun to run....is it FWD or RWD?

[Farabomb]

Check the 'stat and check the manual to see if there's some special filling instructions.

Iirc the grand am is a FWD midsized GM, don't see too many turbo ones thou. :)

[WesM63]

Hey guys,
Still having problems here.

Flushed the rad, new waterpump and block heater? (don't ask my dads doing the work).

Took it for a drive, running decent temps are good. Get back pop the hood, spewing anti-freez out the over-flow and the exhust manifold, and complete turbo is glowing orange. Somethings wrong... and I don't know what.

I'm half tempted to buy a 2.0L crate motor off ebay for $350, swap a few things out and put the turbo on it.

[unacceptable_risk]

Ok Is the t25 water as well as oil cooled? & Is the oil system happy? eg full and clean etc.

I guess at some stage you should make sure the radiator system is not pressurised by a headgasket leak or similar. eg start car cold with rad cap off and see if instant geyser is created.....even lots of little bubbles perpetually is no good.

I know its annoying when i repeat myself.....but make sure you have tried another."proven" radiator cap....cause the springs and rubbers go in them......leading to overflowarama.

The only other off the top of my head thing would involve the turbo having water jackets, which im not sure it does.

Turbo's do glow nicely...but usually after a ruthless flogging:D

Hey i just read your last post again....did you really mean that water is coming out of the exaust manifold? or squirting onto it.?

[WesM63]

Hey ur,
Sorry bout that, i'm kinda flustered right now.

The t-25 is water and oil cooled. The system is full and about 50/50 of water anti-freeze.

I do not get an instant gyser at all. It sets there like it should.

The radiator cap is brand new and does not leak.

Their was a pretty ruthless flogging, trannys acting funny too, but i only drove it maybe 2mi at the most.

Sorry bout that. The anti-freeze is just coming out the overflow tank.

The exhaust manifold and entire turbo were glowing orange.

[unacceptable_risk]

Ok m8 no worries, sounds like you are doing all the right things. You will narrow it down to the faulty part sooner or later.

IT does sound like its running hot to be orange after minutes, and intriguing that the temp gauge reads ok. One thing is for sure....you will know this car much better than you probably planned to by the time you can properly enjoy it.

Good luck with it.:)

[tripodal]

Hows the exaust? It would definatly hurt the cooling system if its backing up.

[Synthohol]

aluminum heads suck, i would check/replace O2 sensor, check the cat for cloggage and oil pressure/flow to the turbo.
did you ever get to force aor in the cylinders and ch for bubbles in the rad?
i did a head gasket on one of those once and i think the head was ultimately replaced if memory serves.
best of luck :)

[WesM63]

Hey guys,
Exhaust? I dunno, I'll just unblot it from the turbo downpipe and see how it goes.

Synth,
No we havn't done the air thing yet, i'll let my dad know.

Thats gonna piss me off if the head needs replaced. The engine rebuilding place where we had the head checked at said it was fine.

[Synthohol]

any news Wes?

[WesM63]

Synth,
Eh, the radiator was plugged pretty good. However it still spews anti-freeze.

I don't know what to do... I've been driving it to school in stuff. I can drive it to school n back to work then when I leave work I put water in it. Thats a good 60-70miles. It don't get that hot, It hasn't gotten to the 220 degree mark yet.

:confused:

[Synthohol]

i think there is an air pocket in the engine, those bastards were hell to bleed, have you run it without the suitcase handle thermostat to check circulation?

[WesM63]

Synth,
We ran it for a while at idle with out the t-stat. I'll take er out in the morn and see how she does.

Any other ideals?