Thread: Need help! Turbo spools, boost gauge reads 10 psi but the car will not pull...

Need some insight if possible. I am in the process of buying a 92 Sentra with a bunch of work to it. 550cc injectors, JGY fuel rail, 300zx MAF, Jim Wolf ECU and much more. I took it for a test drive today and the RPM's never jumped...it just casually climbed. You could hear the turbo spool and the boost gauge held steady at 10psi, but there was no torque. I've ridden in one other stock sr20det and had one myself that was fairly modded with 440cc injectors and those cars pulled 10x more than this. It was in the shop recently and a boost leak fixed and a new seal put on the turbo. Owner has built this car with all new parts and has less than 20 miles on it due to two jobs, one being in the Army.

Any insight why this car would not pull? Could it be timing? Sound like a fuel issue? Again, it would spool. read 10psi and it just didn't feel like the air was getting into the engine. Bad motor? Any help is appreciated.

That's a crazy one. It could be a few things. You sure it's not a fake boost gauge?

If the engine is really getting 10 psi, and it passes a leak-down test, then ignition timing is possibly the next most likely problem. It could be too retarded, but the EGTs would be through the roof...

No doubt they are selling this car for some reason.

Thanks for insight. Had my mechanic there tonight. Thinks it's timing. Has aftermarket pulley so couldn't do timing, but he's bringing a stock one saturday to adjust. He's getting rid of it for a jet ski to ride with his son. He has put less 2 miles on the car so he wasn't aware it was doing that, especially after having it in the shop two weeks ago. He's
a good friend who had a monster b13 previously. My mechanic told him the shop in DE screwed him. Charged him $1,600 and did practically nothing.