Turbo Exhaust Elbow Lever Arm Bushing

[gnonyx]

Is there anyway of replacing turbo exhaust elbow lever arm bushing (IF ANY)?
The reason why I'm asking during the time of finding any exhaust leaks by using a smoke machine, I have found a little smoke coming out of the elbow lever arm.
I feel this little leak might be causing my AutoMeter A/F at idle to read very lean, yet when I WOT the A/F reads around 10.6.
I'm trying to tune since my total repairs of headers, resurfaced throttle body, and repaired some vacuum leaks. After all the work was done I smoke again on exhaust system, and vacuum, and found NO LEAKS.
Have anyone one else has the same issue with the stock turbo exhaust elbow lever arm exhaust leaks, and if so what did you do to result the issue?
Thanks

[Steve Wood]

I don't think that will cause it to read lean


I do think that setting the maf base to 5 will make it run lean at idle...  after all that is what position 5 is supposed to do.

[gnonyx]

I don't think that will cause it to read lean


I do think that setting the maf base to 5 will make it run lean at idle...  after all that is what position 5 is supposed to do.

Hi Steve,
I do agreed with you, but once I installed the GM 3" MAF, and MAF translator settings as follow:
sw1-on, sw2-on, sw3-on, sw4-off, maf base#3
scanmaster readings:
02-519-675
AF-05-06
LB-38
BAT-13.4
INT-128-129
BL-117-120
NPH-0
CLT-173
ATS-112
R-825-850
TPS-.42
IAC-34
CC-140-249
NAL-0
OIL PRES-23
VAC-16.5
A/F-15.1-15.6
Now I changed the maf translator base to #5 - leaner at idle, also reduce the scanmaster blm setting from base #128 to #2 to reduce rich condition
scanmaster readings:
02-722
AF-05
LB-36
BAT-13.4
INT-132
BL-128
NPH-0
CLT-175
ATS-130
R-725
TPS-.42
IAC-24
CC-162-215
NAL-0
OIL PRES-26
VAC-15
A/F-15.4-15.7
What I'm trying to understand, if I do have any type of leak the BLM should be reading on the leaner condition, yet I have to make adjustment for a rich condition, but the A/F is till showing lean at idle
these are all of my frustration signs
Do have any ideas of what is going on?
Thanks

[Steve Wood]

you have to have a really big leak to affect the o2s and there is very little chance that a leak in the wastegate arm bushing could suck any amount of air back in with six exhaust pulses hitting it.  I understand that you are driving yourself crazy worrying about blms and so on, but they are pretty unimportant in the scheme of things.  As soon as you give it much gas, they are no longer used.
  Ideally, your AF at idle would be 14.7.  Set the Translator base to 4 which is richer and that should make the AF go down a little.  Lower AFs are richer.  The Translator is an approximation, that is all.  If the car idles smoothly, who cares?

With my chips, I go a bit richer at idle, down in the 13's because my car needs a bit more fuel to idle well, particularly when cold due to the cam.  I notice since I put a looser converter in, I could lean it down some, however.  Lots of variables and I highly doubt that it makes any difference at all-not in gas mileage, or anything else.

You need to go drive the car and enjoy it before winter gets here.  There is no such thing as perfection in a modified, non stock Buick.

You would kill yourself if you saw my a/fs at cruise.  Close to 16 to one and I used to run 17-1!

[nocooler]

Ignore the wideband at idle and use the data the stock pcm is telling you. It's controlling the show, the wideband is just along for the ride. It's not uncommon for widebands to drift lean at idle, exhaust flow, camshaft size, and many other things lead to this. Let it idle where it's happy. 
Are you resetting the computer each time after you make a change on the translator? 
As Steve said you are probably chasing your tail on something that isn't an issue, if the car drives fine send it! 

[gnonyx]

you have to have a really big leak to affect the o2s and there is very little chance that a leak in the wastegate arm bushing could suck any amount of air back in with six exhaust pulses hitting it.  I understand that you are driving yourself crazy worrying about blms and so on, but they are pretty unimportant in the scheme of things.  As soon as you give it much gas, they are no longer used.
  Ideally, your AF at idle would be 14.7.  Set the Translator base to 4 which is richer and that should make the AF go down a little.  Lower AFs are richer.  The Translator is an approximation, that is all.  If the car idles smoothly, who cares?

With my chips, I go a bit richer at idle, down in the 13's because my car needs a bit more fuel to idle well, particularly when cold due to the cam.  I notice since I put a looser converter in, I could lean it down some, however.  Lots of variables and I highly doubt that it makes any difference at all-not in gas mileage, or anything else.

You need to go drive the car and enjoy it before winter gets here.  There is no such thing as perfection in a modified, non stock Buick.

You would kill yourself if you saw my a/fs at cruise.  Close to 16 to one and I used to run 17-1!

Thanks for info, and I will change all to default setting and start from the beginning with Translator setting to #4, and go from there. will post with results

[Steve Wood]

I agree with Jeremy.....

[ULYCYC]

A doctor friend of mine said the worst thing that happened to his practice is the wide consumer availability of blood pressure devices. His office must get 50 calls a week that my numbers went up of down two points and should I go to the hospital or come in to him. As most forget a banana or cup of coffee is the cause. Point is enjoy life and or your car

[gnonyx]

Ignore the wideband at idle and use the data the stock pcm is telling you. It's controlling the show, the wideband is just along for the ride. It's not uncommon for widebands to drift lean at idle, exhaust flow, camshaft size, and many other things lead to this. Let it idle where it's happy.
Are you resetting the computer each time after you make a change on the translator?
As Steve said you are probably chasing your tail on something that isn't an issue, if the car drives fine send it!

Thanks for the more info and yes I do reset the ECM each time I make a change except when I make scanmaster adjustment to the BLM parameter.

[Steve Wood]

What chip are you using?

[gnonyx]

I agree with Jeremy.....

I also agreed with your advise Steve, as you have helped me out with many decision, to the point of you coming to see me and beat it into my head.

[gnonyx]

What chip are you using?

I have a Bob Bailey Commander Chip many years ago. as I can make adjustment through the Scanmaster

[Steve Wood]

oh, well I will quit telling you how to adjust the chip then LOL

I always tune by how the car runs.  After looking at what seems like zillions of run on PowerLogger that people have sent me, I came to the conclusion that if the engine was in good condition, tuning was not critical at all in 11 and 12 second cars with regard to performance.  Once in the ballpark, engine tuning was hard to make better by tweaking things.  Driving skills and suspension were more important.  

I have also learned to put more belief  into the factory O2 than widebands in the general sense on cars in the same range.  These cheap widebands are often flaky and the calibration is often wrong.  Of course in your case, I will never have much faith in yours due to the sensor location LOL

[gnonyx]

oh, well I will quit telling you how to adjust the chip then LOL

I always tune by how the car runs.  After looking at what seems like zillions of run on PowerLogger that people have sent me, I came to the conclusion that if the engine was in good condition, tuning was not critical at all in 11 and 12 second cars with regard to performance.  Once in the ballpark, engine tuning was hard to make better by tweaking things.  Driving skills and suspension were more important. 

I have also learned to put more belief  into the factory O2 than widebands in the general sense on cars in the same range.  These cheap widebands are often flaky and the calibration is often wrong.  Of course in your case, I will never have much faith in yours due to the sensor location LOL

One thing I never, never do is stop accepting advise especially someone as yourself; whether I know it or not.
Trust me I do understand about your judgement of the wideband location, but I'm only going what the manual claimed for the type of wideband I have.
Before I started to do the repair to the headers, and vacuum leaks, I always got the wideband to read 14.7 with the original MAF. I the got a Delphi AF10056 - 3.5" MAF to which I think might been out of calibration; spec. numbers all over the place. Once I finished tuning with the GM 3"MAF, I will write down the spec. configuration numbers, I will reinstall the Delphi AF10056 and go from there for tuning; as I'm doing this for spare MAF.
Yes I also do understand wideband is not the main coarse, but listening from you and Jeremy advises has given me the positive flow of tuning, and preventing from me doing head gasket.
I have WOT but yet to see if I need to do valve spring replacement; one thing at a time.

[Steve Wood]

That is the best course of action.  One thing at a time...