Common TC Problems April 20, 2007, 12:41:11 AM I'm starting to look at a couple TC's in my area, but I know the can have some nasty problems, especially with the turbos. I'm just wondering what I could be looking at, because I want this to be my daily/when-I'm-working-on-the-Sport car. Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #1 – April 20, 2007, 09:24:55 AM Especially with the turbos?Not really. You sound like my dad. When I was in high school I wanted a turbo coupe so bad. My dad said "You don't want one of those, the turbo will go out and it will cost a fortune to fix." Well, that's not really true. If it's been halfway taken care of, the turbo should be fine. The stock IHI on my original engine was still going strong at 145K. Unfortunately, most people don't really know how to care for a turbo and don't know to not shut the car off for awhile after boosting.If the turbo is bad, it will smoke excessively either at idle or under boost, or will make odd noises. And if it IS bad, it's really not a big job to replace. $200 for a used turbo and a couple hours to pull the turbo and manifold (and could give you some leverage on the price).Also, make sure the brakes are working properly, check for any ABS warning lights. If it's been spewing oil out from around the oil cap, it probably has blowby, which isn't a HUGE issue as I think all the turbo 2.3's end up like that eventually. Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #2 – April 20, 2007, 11:28:50 AM I guess the biggest #1 problem with turbo coupes to really look out for is the fact that the heads gets cracked. Other that than it is like Red just said. Many people have problems with there turbo coupes but if you have ok auto sense you should be just fine. I learned alot from my 84 turbo coupe. Now I think it is one of the easiest cars to work on. I've been dirving my 84 turbo coupe everyday for over 2yrs now nothing major has happened. Brakes, oil changes, 3g alt conversion. I've done lots of other things to but those are since its been the Daily Driver. I love it. It just needs body work now. Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #3 – April 20, 2007, 12:21:46 PM I can't speak for the 83-86 TCs, but the 87-88s(not in any particular order)....ABS no workyPower Brakes no workyRide Control no workyCooling Fans no workyAlternator is weakParking Brakes no workyBoost Cutout TFI & PIP causing power cutoutTPS & IAC causing idle issuesStock Fuel Pump is weakHeadgasket blownOil leaksBurnt Fog Light wiringOf course all of this is relative to the condition of the car in the first place. So your question and my answer are kinda pointless. Except for the electrical stuff... that seems to be pretty common with these cars. In that respect I'd rather have an 83-86 TC. Because I just end up deleting half that stuff in the first place.And because 4-Eyes RULE!!! Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #4 – April 20, 2007, 12:57:00 PM dont forget about rust in the strut towers where the k-member bolts up!! Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #5 – April 20, 2007, 01:00:40 PM Pfft, that's ALL fox chassis cars :hick: Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #6 – April 20, 2007, 01:17:33 PM Quote from: cougarman;141535dont forget about rust in the strut towers where the k-member bolts up!!Quote from: Aerobird Motorsports Pfft, that's ALL fox chassis cars Not a problem where I live...Out of 14 TCs(all '87-'88) & Four 5.0 Birds, I only had one TC that was rusty... Of course it was one of those northern refugees... Being the kind hearted good ole Southern boy I am, killed it and put it out of it's misery...Quote from: Ether947;141528I can't speak for the 83-86 TCs, but the 87-88s(not in any particular order)....ABS no workyPower Brakes no workyRide Control no workyCooling Fans no workyAlternator is weakParking Brakes no workyBoost Cutout TFI & PIP causing power cutoutTPS & IAC causing idle issuesStock Fuel Pump is weakHeadgasket blownOil leaksBurnt Fog Light wiringOf course all of this is relative to the condition of the car in the first place. So your question and my answer are kinda pointless. Except for the electrical stuff... that seems to be pretty common with these cars. In that respect I'd rather have an 83-86 TC. Because I just end up deleting half that stuff in the first place.And because 4-Eyes RULE!!!I'll list the number of failures with the TC I owned(OK what I remember) BTW Except for two, ALL of my TCs were bought at auction... Generally they were the old proverbial "Pig in A Poke"... Buy them where they set and takes your chances...Number of cars with failuresABS no worky......................... 1(OK 1.5, my white TC had the bad acspoogeulator, but the brakes worked) Power Brakes no worky............. 1(same as above)Ride Control no worky............... 1(bad actuators)Cooling Fans no worky............... 3-4(yeah I consider this a issue, seen both bad motors and controllers)Alternator is weak..................... YupParking Brakes no worky.............(none I've had, even the rusty one worked)Boost Cutout ............................(no problem, unless you are referring to the weak fuel pump syndrome)TFI & PIP causing power cutout... Not confined just to TCsTPS & IAC causing idle issues...... 2-3(probably no more problem than the non turbo engines)Stock Fuel Pump is weak............ 4-5(were fine when new, after 100K yup they are worn out)Headgasket blown....................... 0( but if you are gonna lean on a old turbo engine it will probably happen)Oil leaks.................................... Nothing a valvecover gasket wouldn't fix...Burnt Fog Light wiring..................Never had a problem, but it can be a issue(did have a headlamp switch fail)Additional ProblemsLEAKING INJECTORS................... 4-5 I consider it a BIG problemLeaking Fuel Pressure Regulator... 2 another potentially serious issueTurbo...................................... 2 one totally shot and one with leaking seals...Clutch..................................... 3 (they had a lot of miles)CAM........................................ 4 I consider this to be a definite sore spot on any slider cam 2.3...Transmission.............................. No T5 problems, but the A4LD automatic is basically junk Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #7 – April 20, 2007, 01:25:19 PM Not a problem here either unless left in a field in Oregon underwater :hick: Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #8 – April 20, 2007, 03:41:14 PM If I ever got another 87-88 TC the first thing I'd do is convert to vacuum brakes.The only issue I had with my old 87 TC was the stupid electric brakes. I did eventually loose a turbo. Everything else was general maintenance things like water pump, alternator, starter etc...Oh, I just remembered... The factory alternator plug is pr0ne to shorting out on TC's. I lost 2 alternators before someone mentioned that I might want to replace that plug. Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #9 – April 20, 2007, 03:50:50 PM My first 87 TC caught fire back in 01 due to the alternator thingy. Good thing I carried an extinguisher! :hick:Out of the 30+ TC's I've bought, problems occured in order of commbuttstuffity:#1 Leaky injectors (but I sell rebuilt sets @$99 :D )#2 Leaky hoses (all those darn heater hoses and what not )#3 Turbos (guys just don't change oil and they freeze up, poor little IHI's)#4 Pistons (the stockers do NOT like detonation and with the pee for gas we have they like chppping ring lands and chunking skirts, even on auto cars!!)#5 A4LD (I've only had 1 good one, but it did last 100K after the rebuild with a shift kit, convertor, and HUGE cooler)#6 electronics (EATC, ABS, headlight switch, engine wiring. This does NOT include all the wiring nightmares from radio installations)#7 alternators (pre-88 only)#8 exhaust (they usually rust off or I cut them off, either way :hick: ) Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #10 – April 20, 2007, 03:52:53 PM I've never had a problem with leaky injectors, either on my old engine or my new one.Oh yeah, my heater core got plugged up, but that seems to plague every fox chassis car... Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #11 – April 20, 2007, 04:20:16 PM Pistons being a common problem? Thats news to me. Ive had debris get in my cylinders, and hardly do damage. Ive detonated the hell out this motor, ive run 32psi (yes, 32psi) with a stock fuel pump, its been run lean, rich, detonated, lugged, bounced off the rev limiter, and i have no piston related problems. Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #12 – April 20, 2007, 06:15:49 PM It's definately a regional problem. None of my 13 TC's from FL had it. The gas up here is 10-15% ethanol year-round and the octane's are really low (we can buy 85, 87, 89, and 90, Shell has 92). It's just for gas and stock TC's will ping the snot out of it. Out of the 2-dozen plus 2.3T's I've had apart up here for either myself or customers, I've had 14 cases of chunked piston. It's usually the skirt breaking off or the top chunking a piece to the ring land. I have a collection of them in a bin in the garage. Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #13 – April 21, 2007, 01:21:43 AM I say the older ones were less comlicated than the newer 87-88 ones. My 84 hasn't had any of the brake problems, or piston porblems. I'm gonna tell you if you get one of the 83-86 cars most of the stuff is still the old style vac brakes/ no ABS, Regualr suspension not the electronic stuff. I do still have all the power inertior goddies just not the experimental at the time abs/ suspension stuff. A turbo coupe is just a bad as any other car the only thing going aninst a turbo coupe is it is supposed to be the HOT ROD t-bird witch means at some time someone has rodded on it I'm sure. But if that somone was a responable person that is no big deal now if they are an everyday joe"no offense to any Joe's" then that isn't such a good thing. So go for it a quit with the excuses you know you want it so go get it!! You'll love the 4banger gas mileage on the highway with the V8 power. Quote Selected
Common TC Problems Reply #14 – April 21, 2007, 09:25:40 PM If you buy a T/C you expect to have to work on it at least once a week Quote Selected
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