Lost performance

Wals0248

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Weird question here,
earlier this spring I installed a VMP gen 2r 2.3 on my 2013 GT. It worked great, pulled super hard and would break traction in third with 3.31 gears and even an extra passenger. Recently however, it seems down on power. I passed it off that the hot humid Minnesota summer was holding it back, but it was a pretty cool morning today, about 54 degrees, and when I romped on it in second it wouldn't even spin the tires. Something really seems off. I haven't pulled a plug or done a compression check yet.
It's got a fresh clutch last year and barely have 3k miles with the blower, any ideas? No check engine lights or anything.
 

01yellercobra

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First thing I'd check for is belt slip. Look for dust around the blower pulley. You could check the plugs, but I'm guessing its not running rough or anything. Is that an air to water set up? Are you able to watch your IAT's?
 

Wals0248

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I inspected the belt and that looks ok, yes its an air to water. Its got the track app so I can watch IATs, everything looks ok there, I didn't watch it this morning but typically its about 10 degrees over ambient max when moving. I've seen it get pretty hot in stop and go traffic though 140+.
 

Mojo88

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First thing I would do is open hood and check CAREFULLY to see if any vacuum lines or other types of connectors have fallen off. Also wiggle things around a bit to see if something may have come loose.

If all seems good, the next thing I would do is spray clean the MAF. My MAF seems to get dirty rather quickly, and if my boost seems down or engine seems a little rough, I clean the crap out of the MAF and it starts running great again. It takes a good number of sprays to clean it thoroughly, using appropriate MAF cleaner. My 'theory' on my dirty MAF's is that some of the oil on the K&N air filter is drawn through and collects on the tiny MAF wires, causing improper readings.

As poster above states, checking your IAT is important too.

Keep us posted. Good luck. Should be a relatively simple fix.
 

DSG2003Mach1

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it would be helpful to be able to see boost as well to see if it is slipping, malfunctioning bypass valve etc...
 

Wals0248

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I've got a gauge, and while its hard to watch it really close when driving, the needle appears to indicate the correct amount of boost 7-8ish psi with an 85mm pulley.
I'll check the lines over, clean the maf and worst case maybe plug the gauge to see if it makes a difference
 

4sdvenom

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I know you said it was a fairly new clutch but I would still look for large amounts of clutch dust around the vent at the bottom of the bell housing. Also pay close attention when driving it and getting on it to see if you smell burnt clutch. Do the ‘13s have any kind of adjuster for the clutch cable or are they hydraulic? I’m not familiar with what they have but if something is out of adjustment with the clutch it could have caused premature wear. What kind of differential does it have? Could be worn clutch packs there too depending on what’s in it.

Ken
 

Wals0248

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I checked the lines last night and gave the maf a good spray clean. I think the air filter clamp was a little loose. It definitely hit 8.5 psi on the gauge this morning. Still seems a little soft, I might try to get a dyno run in. I have a friend with a 12 that would be interested and it would be a good baseline.
 

Wals0248

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It's a hydraulic clutch, fresh fluid, slave, and braided line. I feel like a slipping clutch would be more evident, I think its an exedy stage 3 if I remember correctly.
 

Mojo88

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Yeah, slipping clutch should be very evident. But perhaps not so obvious in the beginning stages of failure. But the smell would be there even if only slipping a little. So give it a run and then pull over right away and see if you've got that wonderful burning brakes aroma wafting up from underneath.
 

Mojo88

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Those plugs look perfect to me. What say the other viewers here?????

Here's the pic he posted (err, tried to post):
plugs2.jpg
 

Wals0248

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New theory, could just be a combination of a few things, air filter was slightly loose, maf has been cleaned, the foam insert for the jlt intake had become unlodged in the cai, lastly but most importantly, I also noticed the coolant in the heat exchanger reservoir had dropped(I don't think I ever added any extra coolant after the initial start, I just added probably at least a third of a gallon) this may have been contributing to higher than normal iats. I'll drive it to work tomorrow amd see how it goes.
 

Wals0248

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I don't think it's anything to be worried about, just the system naturally burping itself and settling, I should have kept a closer eye on it
 

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