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Dumb Question...any way to "turn-off" a turbocharger?

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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 08:23 PM
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Smile Dumb Question...any way to "turn-off" a turbocharger?

Yeah, you read that right. In a few months my car is going to be back on the road and with quite a few mods on it. However, my little brother has been BEGGING me to let him take the TII out for Prom. Well, this makes me somewhat nervous as by that time the car is going to be pushing around 280 HP..not to mention all the suspension stuff I have going on. I was wondering if there was any way to deactivate the turbo so the kid won't kill himself (he'll be 18 and he can drive a stick pretty well). I will be running fuel and boost computers at that time as well...can I accomplish that through those? I also told him that if he drinks and drives I get to smash in his new Volkswagon.

No flames now!!! :p
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 08:27 PM
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I was thinking this too as I will be breaking in a rebuild soon and those pesky stock turbos spool so damn easy w/ open exh/intake. For a short time solution like you need, how about adding some backpressure? Something up each tailpipe he won't notice? Ha ha... anyone?
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 08:34 PM
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Originally posted by BLUE TII
I was thinking this too as I will be breaking in a rebuild soon and those pesky stock turbos spool so damn easy w/ open exh/intake. For a short time solution like you need, how about adding some backpressure? Something up each tailpipe he won't notice? Ha ha... anyone?
My mom has a bunch of potatoes in the kitchen.

Those might work.
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 08:36 PM
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ya man i am graduating this year and i know how it is and i wouldnt let him take ur car cuz he WILL be drinking and he will drive plus he'll wanna show off your car to all his drunk friends.... tell him to take a limo like everyone else and not to drive plus he wont have as much fun if hes driving.....oh ya and about the turbo thing ya i dont know....could you take some vacum hoses off or somtin????
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 08:40 PM
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i have heard about this can't remember the whole thing, ( trying not to give u false info ) so i won't say. that would be nice to for everday driving, so as not wear on the engine a lot, and ofcourse those crunk little brothers.. lol I wouldn't give him the car especially w/ all that $$$ in it, its not worth the risk. i don't let anyone drive my car w/o me in it and if i let them even drive w/ me in it, they must own a manual car.. lol
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 09:23 PM
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GO RENT A NICE CAR OR LIMO NOW!!!!!!!!

Do you have any idea how many rx-7s have been wrecked from loaning it to friends, familly, girlfriends, etc..

DON'T LET HIM TOUCH IT!!!!
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 09:26 PM
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First, I'd advise that you not let him drive your car. There's a very good chance he'll **** it up. In fact, in its current state, I'll bet you $5 he WILL mess it up somehow (no, really. I'll put $5 on it)

Second, uh, no, not really. There are a few ways, but they're all pretty drastic, unless you've got an MSD 6AL - then you just set the rev limiter at 3000 RPM . You could try tying the wastegate actuator arm to the "open" position (hell, is that even possible?), reprogramming your S-AFC to never open the secondaries, shimming the throttle stop so it never goes past 1/2, or putting the stock donut on the rear...

But no, there's no real way to "deactivate" a turbo. Besides, the car would be almost undrivably slow without SOME boost (even just atmospheric)...

Brandon
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 09:30 PM
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Simple, have him put the cash up front to fix it as collateral(sp?). If he can't, tell him to take the bus. classic_italian is spot on. He will kill your car with a quickness. There is no way he can respect your car nearly as much as you do. He may think it's cool and all but that's not respect for it, it's admiration. If he takes a limo, at least he won't kill himself and/or others. S#!+ happens. Just don't be surprised if anything happens if you don't force his rented tux a$$ into a limo that night.

jerk_racer@hotmail.com
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 09:36 PM
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Hahaha, I'm pretty sure I just wanted a kick in the *** for even considering letting the kid drive it. I don't trust him much with stuff anyways, but if I were him and I had an older brother with a neato sports car...I'd probably be on his case too.

Either way, I suppose a "turned-off" turbocharger is a no-go. It'd be interesting to see how powerful the car is without boost.
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 09:45 PM
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Yea IMO, Tell him to take the VW, Or limo.. Ya know he's going to be drinking, and why would he wanna take yer car if not to burn rubber =)

I do like the idea of "locking or tying" the wastegate open.. The turbo would still spool up, But all the boost would be released into the atmosphere, creating no power gains =) I'm very UNknowledgeable about turbos seeing as I don't have one.. But tell me what problems it would cause tying that open =) Just wondering.. Thanks
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 09:52 PM
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no, the wastegate being open would prevent the turbo from spooling (mostly, it would still spool some) if you forced the blow-off open it would spool but waste it. Of course, when on vacuum you'd suck in dirty air thru it, and since the car has a MAF you would totally confuse the **** out of the ECU
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 10:09 PM
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Tough call... Leaving the wastegate open would be it. But the car would still have enough power to knock down a light pole. Have him agree to take the car backafter the dance because you will be going out.
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 10:09 PM
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you could put some sort of logging system on it, to show you if he took it over 4500 RPM and over 75 mph. If he did, then smash his nuts in with a bat.
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 10:21 PM
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Clamp some vice grips on the wastegate line. No (or hardly any) boost then
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Old Feb 11, 2002 | 10:50 PM
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Set your S-AFC to +50% from 3500 rpm up. The car will run so rich it wont make any power up there. Wont cause any harm other than foul the plugs. Just clean them when you get the car back.

Heres a really good idea...disconnect the linkage between the primary and secondary throttle plates. Only the primary will open, and the car will have good enough low end to drive, but wont make any power above 4K,
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 07:37 AM
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Originally posted by Felix Wankel
Clamp some vice grips on the wastegate line. No (or hardly any) boost then
Whoa, there, tiger! You've got that backwards

If you clamp the WG line, the actuator never sees boost, and will never open! Which means <gas><spool><fuel cut><spool><fuel cut><spool><fuel cut> It'd be ugly. If he has an FCD, it'd be bye-bye engine!

IMO, the way-rich-up-top, or secondary throttle plates ideas are probably the best. Thinking about my idea later, I decided that if you tie the WG open, the car will still boost fully, it will just do so much more linearly - won't make full boost until 6500 RPM.

Brandon
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 07:47 AM
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What about just installing a manual boost control (valve) and crank it down to like 1-3 PSI? That should get you back down near the factory specific power output. I would imagine that a manual boost controller would be possible on a TII, but I have never seen one hooked up. I have seen plenty of FD's with them though.

Ultimately, he is your bro. You know better than we do what he can be trusted with. I would loan any of my cars to my family... but that is my family. If they were to break something, they would pay for it no questions asked.

Firestarter
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 07:53 AM
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there is no way anyone is driving a turbo 2 on prom night and not either getting killed or destroying the car. Just tell him it is not running right. Or dismantle the intake and tell him it's broken. It's sad that a car could come between two brothers, but hey "IT'S A TII"
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 08:46 AM
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Is his date good looking? If she is let him drive your car but you have to go along. She can sit in your lap AAAHHH!
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 09:23 AM
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Originally posted by Angel Guard Racing Team
Tough call... Leaving the wastegate open would be it. But the car would still have enough power to knock down a light pole. Have him agree to take the car backafter the dance because you will be going out.
if you leave it open it won't ever open?? correct? if you block it off same problem, someone tell me i am smoking crack but i don't think you can do it either of those ways, the only way i could think of is if you had a map sensor instead of a maf then you could just disconnect the intercooler piping and it would still run fine but no boost
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 09:33 AM
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zach why/how did you blow the engine ?
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 11:37 AM
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Originally posted by soul assassin

if you leave it open it won't ever open?? correct? if you block it off same problem, someone tell me i am smoking crack but i don't think you can do it either of those ways, the only way i could think of is if you had a map sensor instead of a maf then you could just disconnect the intercooler piping and it would still run fine but no boost
Heh - it's been too long since you've seen a stock turbo, soul!

There's a boost line that runs from the (post-compressor) intake tract that feeds into a little actuator which opens an internal wastegate. I was thinking of tying that little sucker to the "open" position - so the wastegate is always open, no matter where the boost is. It "should" bypass enough exhaust gasses to keep the turbo from spooling to any meaningful degree...

Unfortunately, the stock WG is way too small What he'd see (remember, WAG here ) would be like "boost creep". As the engine pumped more air, it'd eventually overwhelm the wastegate, forcing exhaust past the turbine, and thus, boost. He probably would only see a few PSI in 1st and 2nd, but may get to full boost by redline in 3rd or 4th...

Thoughts? I think it might work with a huge aftermarket WG (like a 40mm TIAL or HKS), but the stocker is just too small...

Brandon
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 12:02 PM
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Originally posted by vosko
zach why/how did you blow the engine ?
Hell if I know. I'm working on it today and I think it may be a stuck apex seal. During the winter when I would drive to work, the car would never reach full operating temp since I live so close to work. Thusly, I''ve got the feeling that my engine has plenty of carbon build up. I'm doing the ATF trick today and see if that helps it out at all. What happened was I was out cruising with a buddy of mine and when we were going up a hill (engine @2500 RPM and no boost) the engine cut out all of a sudden and I had to pull over. When I manage to get her started she sounds like a lawnmower and there is NO power. The car was completely stock except for the intake, but it did have 96K on it.
Oh well...

To everyone else, I've decided that my brother does not get the privilage of driving my baby on prom night. He can take his Jetta or my mom's A6...but to give him a high-powered sports car is not a wise idea.

By the way...he doesn't drink, but he does smoke pot occasionally.
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 12:18 PM
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Originally posted by Samps
there is no way anyone is driving a turbo 2 on prom night and not either getting killed or destroying the car. Just tell him it is not running right. Or dismantle the intake and tell him it's broken. It's sad that a car could come between two brothers, but hey "IT'S A TII"

I took my TII to my senior prom, I got **** *** drunk and had to let my date drive it back.....BYE BYE CLUTCH!!! Oh well, at least I didn't crash and at least I'm in one piece
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Old Feb 12, 2002 | 12:22 PM
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k when I hydroplaned my car and it was in the body shop. i dunno how this happend but the intake pipe that comes from the air filter was no connected to the hookup on the engine. and when i took my car from the body shop i drove it up the road and there was no boost ! was like wtf. but then i popped the hood and saw. so i connected it and boost worked fine. so maybe if u hookup a mini airfilter to that little hookup it will work. im takling out of my ***. but thats how i discovered the turbo stoppd workin
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