Rev3 rear clip tubby conversion problems.

[BALDYMONSTER]

Hi guys I need a little advice here if possible.

I picked up my 93 L Reg UK N/A after having its full Rev3 turbo conversion on Sat the 14th last week.

60 miles driving back up the road I come off the motorway and find the clutch pedal is flat on the floor. So I hook my left toe under it and lift it back to the normal position a few times and pump the pedal and the clutch works again. I get out and check for leaks but no sign of any so I check the reservoir and the fluid is like pitch black even though all fluids where supposed to be changed and bled through if need be. So I’m hoping the slave cylinder just needs bled through?

Anyway, another day 70-80 odd miles miles and I start to notice that the car is not really wanting to produce power and this gets progressively worse, pretty soon it doesn’t want to produce any boost at all and this rapidly deteriorated and I still have 99 miles to go. I had to gently nurse the car the last 50 miles as it just did not want to accelerate at all. Anything at all over about 1200-1500 rpm and it just dies or kangaroos all over the place.

Now the fuel tank was removed during the conversion to fit a TRE uprated fuel pump and I am told that these can be fitted incorrectly causing these issues or obviously the pump could have failed.

I initially asked for my usual choice which is a Walbro 255 but was swayed as the fitter persuaded me that the TRE pump was just as good and I’d save a few quid, it I suppose this is irrelevant, I’m just saying.

I have uncovered all sorts of extremely shoddy workmanship and the more I look the more I find.

Now I am not going to name this claimed “specialist” as I don’t feel it’s fair to do so at this time but can anybody on here give me there opinion on the likelihood of the fuel pump being fitted incorrectly and causing these problems?

Incidentally the fuel filter was supposed to have been changed but doesn’t look like one bolt has had a socket near it for years and there are no marks that you would expect if a reaplaxement had been fitted.

There is much more but I’ll leave that for now.

Btw, all plugs were checked and showed signs of a lean engine, ignition leads are fine, dizzy etc are all good.

So is it the case that this is most likely a faulty or incorrectly fitted TRE fuel pump that is causing the car to run like a bag of absolute nails?

Thanks in advance.

[Paul Woods]

My first thoughts are, take it straight back and ask for all issues to be fixed, if they are reputable at all their work will come with warranty, it shouldn't be your headache to fix in my opinion, you've paid for a conversion and it should be right.

[BALDYMONSTER]

I totally agree Paul, and normally that’s exactly what I would do obviously.

However I cannot afford to have the car trailered back to the garage as it is 255 miles away and when I told the garage this all I got was, “well let me know when it’s arriving and keep in touch”.

Bit like when I called to tell the garage that the clutch pedal had failed and the car was overheating, the response? “That’s weird, it worked fine with me”. “Must be your original master cylinder that’s broken, and the car simply cannot be overheating as I bled it through thoroughly”. FYI I’ve topped the coolant up three times so far and there are no leaks.

I’m not going to go into detail but there are many, many totally unacceptable bits of work that no customer should have been handed his car back with this level of shoddy workmanship and bodged nonsense. Additionally the pattern of behavior and attitude is that it is never ever his fault, he denies ever being near whatever broken, bodged or missing part and is incredibly defensive at being questioned at all. So much so that a regular past time seems to be telling stories of customer complaints about work where he consistently states it could never have been him as he “was never near it!” Or “never touched it!

I simply cannot afford to have my car transported 255 miles and given the car broke down 60 miles into driving it back and got progressively worse and then the following day I uncover all manner of shoddy workmanship, loose spark plugs, every single hose and connector loose, bare and frayed wires wrapped round parts of the engine bay and lying on top of a roasting hot rocker cover, loose multi plug, a multi plug not connected at all, hole drilled in engine bay with fine, bare wires flopping about loose through the hole with no insulation, shroud or rubber grommet for protection, ignition lead plastic shroud flopping about loose on top of the rocker cover rather than spend two minutes securingbit with a few M6 screws.


I could go on I really could.


But would you really want your pride and joy given back to this chap?

[rainen]

Paul I assume you have read the 8 pages running on MR2OC about this one? Suggest you give it a look before investing any more time on responding.

[BALDYMONSTER]

I just want to know if the problem the car has could well be down to a faulty or incorrectly fitted fuel filter?

[Paul Woods]

Paul I assume you have read the 8 pages running on MR2OC about this one? Suggest you give it a look before investing any more time on responding.

Sorry Nigel I don't use the OC, glitchy forum causes havoc with my PC and I find it hard to navigate.

[Paul Woods]

It could be pump related but it sounds like there multiple issues going on here, I will help where I can but to be honest it really should be the garage stepping forward.

[BALDYMONSTER]

Thanks Paul, the car drove absolutely fine but like I say after about 100 miles of driving I just felt that the car was making less power and the more miles I drove the worse and worse it got.

Then stopped wanting to go past 2500rpm and the last 50 miles home it seriously struggled to get anywhere near 1800 rpm and kangarooed all over the place.

It actually feels like an old car trying to run with the manual choke pulled right out although starting from cold it will rev in neutral fine for the first minute perhaps.

Idling it sounds sweet as a nut, no rattles or clinks or drop/rise in idle at all.

Also feels like it could be dirty fuel, the fuel filter was supposed to have been changed but it obviously hasn’t.

I’m over being angry about it now I’m just really down about the entire thing, the job went approximately 2 months past the agreed time limit and the garage were supposed to have cleared all jobs to concentrate solely on my car as they know from the beginning it was my only transport.

I know that I should be getting it back to the garage to rectify their work but the experience I have had with them and what I now know of the character involved I am 99% positive this will just cause even more stress and heartache.

I’ve been planning this swap and a subsequent road trip for three years of which the garage were well aware of also and I stressed many times that reliability was sooo important.

You never know, maybe a new fuel filter will solve this issue, the others I will have to address when I can. And there are many. :(

[byrney1984]

Hi Paul. I’ve just read the thread on the MR2OC and after about 30mins of reading god knows hows many replies etc. The op didn’t listen to a thing. Quite rightly as you said he should have taken it back to the original garage to fix. Sounds like a proper back street cut and shut shop. But he choose to take the car else where probably due to him owing the garage a undisclosed balance on the bill. Still no excuse for dangerous workmanship though. Its probably worth a read to save wasting your time. Reminds me like that yank who you did a harness for but still refused to listen to your knowledge and guidence. Up to you pal.

[markstevieandmads]

Yeah this guy has already been told to check the fuel pressure either by disconnecting at the fuel filter and just looking at the power of the fuel coming out or more accurately fit a quick pressure gauge, both easier than removing the pump.

However he doesnt listen to any advice so i wouldnt waste time by answering.