plenum gasket?

[red vtec]

If I have a dodgy gasket on the turbo plenum will it run like a bag of old spanners, i.e zero power? Is that correct?

When on the road it has no power, i guess i'm sucking in air, have ordered anew one from SJ Sportscars.

Chris

[troutrou]

If I have a dodgy gasket on the turbo plenum will it run like a bag of old spanners, i.e zero power? Is that correct?

Well I don't think it would leak so much as to cause "zero power" as you say, and in any case you can easily know if your boost is escaping or not : just read the boost guage on your dashboard ;-)

If you get 0.6bars on full blast, then all is well in the boost department, and your lack of power is due to somethig else.

Edited July 24, 2010 by troutrou

[red vtec]

Not getting much boost, I think its due to gasket, I'll look in morning, wont do any harm to fit a new one

[lotus4s]

Have you checked the inside of the big hose that goes from air intake box to turbo? When they get old they can sometimes delaminate on the inside and collapse under boost vacuum. Just a thought worth checking...

Edited July 24, 2010 by lotus4s

[Bibs]

i guess i'm sucking in air

Sucking in air is a good thing, it's blowing it out that you don't want!

[red vtec]

Ah! thats what I think its doing I have ordered a new one so hopefully will get it soon.

[Mike6]

I would imagine Lotus used a gasket for a reason, its pretty cheap  so would stick with it.

[red vtec]

Hi Buddsy,

I think you could actually make one from gasket paper, you can get that from a motor factor cheap. The sj one is not much more than that.

Chris

[Qavion]

Not getting much boost, I think its due to gasket, I'll look in morning, wont do any harm to fit a new one

 

 

Could be any number of factors (almost), depending on who last worked on the car. Post-maintenance, I didn't sufficiently tighten the jubilee clips on the orange pipe from the turbo to the intercooler (letting pressure out).

[rogerch]

Wastegate not closing.

[red vtec]

Regards the boost I had not plugged the pipe back in......

Buddsy to make the gasket hold the paper over the face of the plenum and gently tap it round the edge with a flat hammer this will give you an exact outline of the gasket. They did that on wheeler dealer

[red vtec]

That's correct I have a carb tune I paid about £50 I have the instructions for setting the carbs somewhere

[jonwat]

Note that the link is to a two cylinder, you need a four :-)

http://www.carbtune.com/

[Neil Potter]

I also make my own plenum, air pipe and carb gaskets from 0.8mm gasket paper by using the old one as a template, and sealing with Hylomar.  Use an 8mm punch to cut out the holes for the bolts.  Oddly, I found a Swiss 5 franc coin is the perfect curve when using my Swiss Army knife to carve the curvy bits on the corners of the big plenum gasket.

 

Not very quick to produce but saves a fortune.

 

FWIW I think the Carbtune is the most essential specialist tool for our cars, well worth it.