Ok i recently had a new headgasket, ARP head studs,and a hondata intake manifold gasket installed. Sence ive gotten the car back ive noticed the car feels considerbly less ballsy in lower gears, and for some reason its not spooling as fast as before and its not reaching full boost. I know that the slow spool +lack of full boost is sympton of a leak, but after testing, no leaks were discovered. Now I did not replace the exhaust manifold gasket at this time, and it is fairly old, could this be causing my boost problems? I dont hear any exhuast leaks by the manifold though. Could this loss of power in lower gears be the result of a timing issue?
Any help or suggestions towards figuring this out would be apreciated, thank you

 

The exhaust manifold gasket could be a problem, but I doubt it....
Check your cam gear timing marks, then check your static timing and make sure it's at 16 degree's (assuming your using some sort of programable tuning set-up such as hondata)...
Your timing could be off, that would cause your symptoms

 

arg this damn car is possessed. This morning it was doing its dragging ass routine, and i get on the highway, a few miles down the road i move to pass a car and wouldnt you know the thing does full boost. I do few more pulls and everytime quick spool and full boost. I get off the highway and decide to check to see if the lower gears are still slow, a quick test in 3rd showed the car got its balls back. I get off work today, excited to have my car back in shape, only to be met once again with the same symptoms. This is REALLY fricking frustrating

 

Do you think the turbo itself could be the problem?

 

due to the fact that you said there aren't any boost leaks.. i'm gonna put my money on wastegate problem!

 

I guess it always a chance, but why would it work then not work? This is annoying because It ran fine for that time this morning, so i dont know what to look at, obviusly timing must be fine if it worked, and cant be a leak sence it boosted fine. I dont think its the wastegate sence its just a spring holding it shut, and again it worked fine for a period this morning.

I keep thinking of the Hondata intake manifold gasket. Sence its a plastic could it be it be that its not sealing or properly or something untill it gets hot? I realize thats a long shot but this crap is so confusing. I dont understand how the car can run fine at one moment,then not another.

 

The manifold gasket couldn't be the problem. If it were leaking badly, you would have a bad idle at best and a massive vacuum leak causing the rpms to climb to redline when the car is started at worst.

Look at the wastegate and the turbo. It sounds like either of those could be the problem.

 

is it internal or external. also, check the bolts on the turbo and make sure there all there. if there is an exhaust leak by the turbo, it will feel slower, it happened to me

 

Well i think ive figured out the problem. Looks like my conservative timing basemap, and some pretty fouled injectors owned me big time. As for the boost, it seems to be doing fine now, though im sure the stock cat that is on it is only getting worse, which in turn is affecting spool time. So new plugs are bought, another map is made and ready to be loaded (still working on leaning it out bit), and i need to hurry up and get my fricking exhaust cut out lol