Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Former 89PGL owner, hopeful 1st gen PGT owner.

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Former 89PGL owner, hopeful 1st gen PGT owner.

    Hi all, new here, but familiar with gen 1 probes & forums.
    As the title says, I used to own red 89PGL....with the dreaded proberosa kit & color matched rear & side window louvers to boot lol. I bought it that way. Unfortunately, I gave it to my ex-wife upon my enlisting in the Army a year later, and her new husband blew it up in less than a year.

    So here I am 12 years later, hunting a 1st gen PGT. I am currently looking at one 7 hours away and since the seller seems to be fairly knowledgeable on PGTs (his 4th), I am hoping you guys can enlighten me on a few things...turbo in particular.

    Seller told me something about running a heavier ground wire to the turbo, to get more boost. Makes no sense to me, but my turbo knowledge is limited to commercial diesel, and I haven't touched one of those in 5 years. I have never owned anything with a turbo (except a playstation1 controller lol).
    Last edited by dprez; October 9, 2012, 07:14 PM.

  • #2
    well that seller must be on some drugs, running bigger ground wires does nothing to the turbo. In fact, there is nothing electrical about the turbo at all, other than the solenoid that Ford put there to increase a bit of pressure. The solenoid is fixed so you can't make it boost any more with that but you can put a Manual Boost Controller, which is basicly a resctricting valve, to get more boost.

    However, if your to-be Probe is in a nice condition, you don't have to worry about that in the beginning. At least to me, the stock system actually felt uncomfortably too powerful in the beginning. Now of course I've grown used to it, but its still powerful enough for now as it is.

    During that time you will have time to investigate and study the turbo system and the car in general. If you care about your car you really must know things, and your engine bay must be completely in a good shape before you upgrade the boost, or you risk blowing it up and making me hate you.

    For a nice read on upgrading, theres quite a bit of information on performanceprobe.com, the website in itself (not the forums) has everything I can think off. Also, a good read is the 1st Gen FAQ on this forum.

    Theres also videos from SummitRacing in YouTube where they explain turbos, wastegates, manual boost controllers, I found them informative when I started on Probes.

    And from the top of my head, when you're testdriving that thing, let it warm up really good before you hit full throttle and full boost. I think I made my engine/turbo worse by not being so patient in the first days of driving. Also, if you've been driving fast you need to let a turbo car idle for a while (like a minute or two) before you turn it off, to cool it off a bit and avoid damage.

    And also if the car hasn't been run in over, say a week, you should crank the motor to get the oil pressure up before you fire the engine. I do this by removing the FUEL INJ fuse from the fuse box in the engine bay, then crank it up for ~10 seconds, put the fuse back in and fire it up. Otherwise the turbo bearings are going to run dry and might get damaged.

    That's all you need right now.
    Last edited by Jouzer; October 10, 2012, 04:10 AM.

    Ford Probe 2.2T -92
    myfordprobe.blogspot.com
    My Probe work blog

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks a lot for the insight. I do have one other Q. There is another 89 PGT much closer to me, but in nowhere near as good in condition & has higher mileage. Seller says turbo is inop, clutch is gone (he has new clutch, just needs to be installed), brakes don't work(new master, may just need proper bleeding), & paint is really rough...it does however crank & run like a top, but he's asking $900 which I feel is is about $300 overpriced.

      I am a mechanic by trade, but my time is just as valuable at home as it is in the shop, so I'm factoring in labor on these repairs just as if I had to pay someone my hourly rate of 55USD. Turbo may be re-buildable, but it's been driven with it inoperable which is likely detrimental to it. I offered him $650 for it, he was insulted, even after I explained that I had no use for the clutch he's purchased (advance auto basic) since I plan to put a lighter flywheel & ceramic clutch in it. His argument was the stereo he put in it and the antenna he put in it.

      Given the one 7hrs away has great paint, less mileage, nice wheels & only needs a CV axle for $1800, what would any of you guys do in my situation?

      Comment


      • #4
        If you can afford the 1800, I'm sure you're going to be much happier.

        A cheap paint job is going to be 500, and look like you paid 500 for it too.
        Plus all the other work, clutch etc.

        You'll be at your 1800 mark really quick, and will have spent a bunch of time on it.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by 92PGL View Post
          If you can afford the 1800, I'm sure you're going to be much happier.

          A cheap paint job is going to be 500, and look like you paid 500 for it too.
          Plus all the other work, clutch etc.

          You'll be at your 1800 mark really quick, and will have spent a bunch of time on it.
          Exactly what I was thinking, thanks for the 3rd party unbiased POV, it does make me feel like I'm making the right choice.

          The 1800 car has OE wheels thrown in, as well as a "shutdown/turbo cool down" switch, and a few other odds & ends. I will have to install the switch, but will alleviate my newbie turbo owner worries about cool down.

          Comment


          • #6
            I bought a 89 pgt and a 90 pgt parts car that had been rolled for 800. 89 has low compression best cylinder is 60psi. 90s motor seems decent so im in the middle of swapping drivetrain. Its going to be kind of a money pit. brakes are shot brakelines are shot ball joints shot cv axle boots and tie rod ends. probably end up around the 1500 range all said and done not including my labor. but its a project car and its what i like doing so Im okay with it.
            89 pgt crumpled mbc set at 11psi
            89 pgt replacement
            93 s10 pickup 4.3l 4x4
            95 aspire 2dr 5spd (won't die)

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by coors628 View Post
              I bought a 89 pgt and a 90 pgt parts car that had been rolled for 800. 89 has low compression best cylinder is 60psi. 90s motor seems decent so im in the middle of swapping drivetrain. Its going to be kind of a money pit. brakes are shot brakelines are shot ball joints shot cv axle boots and tie rod ends. probably end up around the 1500 range all said and done not including my labor. but its a project car and its what i like doing so Im okay with it.
              If I had the money & the guy would come down a to $750, I go buy the rough 89pgt, since I got an extra turbo & exh mani in the other deal. A friend of mine also has a 92pgt parts car, he only wants powertrain & rear axle for his 91 mx6, hopefully I can get a lot of spares from it.

              Comment


              • #8
                Ima be droppin motor and trans in today gotta get a few misc parts and hoses. I couldnt track down an oil pickup tube gasket because apparently nobody stocks it so I ended up making one. I also couldnt find the injector seals that go between the injector and the plentum. I dont know hope mine dont leak. Its kind of amazing how the auto parts stores have quit stocking older stuff and performance parts.
                89 pgt crumpled mbc set at 11psi
                89 pgt replacement
                93 s10 pickup 4.3l 4x4
                95 aspire 2dr 5spd (won't die)

                Comment


                • #9
                  try rock auto you can find stuff there, aha i bought my 89gt for 350 only thing bad was it needed a tune up and the passengers fender, and strut assembly since it got hit there but everything else was fine. and i can go pick one up for 200, head gasket went out, and he sold the passengers hub but i got one to put on.
                  owner of
                  89 Probe GL - ran, broke down, ran, junked
                  89 Probe GT - ran,broke, never got fixed junked
                  89 Probe GT - the 1st probe replacement
                  92 mazda 323 - current daily, klde swap coming soon

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    1st Gen.'89 Probe Gt woes

                    Hey V3NOM951, could you please help me with a shifting/clutch problem Thanks.... Do you know why my '89 PGT won't allow me to shift gears once it's running. If I turn off the engine, depress the clutch, I can shift the gears. But it's like the gears are locked and the clutch won't disengage while it's running. I've been able start off in 3rd and was able to limp home in 3rd gear. Amazingly lucky that I didn't have to stop/start while going uphill. There is a whirring noise that seems to be coming from the lower part of the engine compartment, maybe the clutch, maybe the transaxel? I don't know for sure, but it "whirrs" whenever I push in the clutch. It was suggested to me that it was the neutral safety switch. That, Haines says, is located near the clutch pedal. I can't find it for the life of me! I don't know, maybe I just missed it all three times I spent 10 mins. each time looking for it. HELP! I'm not too convinced that this is the problem but I gotta start somewhere. Any knowledge or suggestions? Thankscmg
                    No Probe...no problem.
                    '89 fire red Probe GT

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      That could be Dozens of things. Do you have clutch pressure? could be as simple as needing to be bled.

                      and the whirring noise when you push the clutch in is normal, thats your throw out bearing.
                      PaTricK
                      ~ 92 PGT, 97 KL MTX 626, 05 Mazda6, 13 Mazda CX9, 09 Kia Sportage 4x4 v6 ~

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I replaced the clutch (about 3 yrs ago), new master and slave cylinders(2), bleed through 2 qts of brake fluid a few times now, readjusted the pedal play, tried the gravity bleed, the whole 9 yrds, seems ok at first, shifts through all 5 gears on jack stands and road test, then about a mile down the road the clutch won't engage, unless I stomp on the pedal . She shifts fine with the engine off as well,there's a little rattling noise in neutral no clutch LOSING MY MIND! Now I can only start off in 2nd gear, and the gears lock up, gears grind when I try shifting. Could it be the throw out bearing. My NAPA parts guy said it sounds like I still have air in the system...I've bled it like crazy, fluid runs clear, no bubbles. WTF? Anybody?
                        No Probe...no problem.
                        '89 fire red Probe GT

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Dang... It took you 3 months to do all that? Anyways, noise without clutch pressed in is usually the input shaft. But, it does seem like there is still air in the system. Gravity bleeding is not as effective as the two person method or vacuum bleeding. Also inspect the slave and the master and make sure they are not leaking at any seals.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by cmicgross View Post
                            I replaced the clutch (about 3 yrs ago), new master and slave cylinders(2), bleed through 2 qts of brake fluid a few times now, readjusted the pedal play, tried the gravity bleed, the whole 9 yrds, seems ok at first, shifts through all 5 gears on jack stands and road test, then about a mile down the road the clutch won't engage, unless I stomp on the pedal . She shifts fine with the engine off as well,there's a little rattling noise in neutral no clutch LOSING MY MIND! Now I can only start off in 2nd gear, and the gears lock up, gears grind when I try shifting. Could it be the throw out bearing. My NAPA parts guy said it sounds like I still have air in the system...I've bled it like crazy, fluid runs clear, no bubbles. WTF? Anybody?
                            My money would be on the throwout bearing from what you've described.
                            Jim
                            1989 Probe GT
                            2010 Mustang GT Premium (MT): Red Candy Metallic
                            2014 Focus S (MTX): Sterling Grey daily

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              his clutch isn't engaged when he hears the noise.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X