Trilogy8

I have an 87' 951 and looking to find out how to test the turbo in the vehicle is working. I was told if the turbo wasn't working that the vehicle would barely move, which is not the case. I seem to get good power and when I get into 3rd gear is when the car has some giddy-up. I have some issues with my instrument panel and a few gauges, one being the 'Bar' gauge. Since that is affected I don't have a reading if the turbo is kicking in or not and someone planted the seed that my turbo can be blown. Trying to find out a true way to prove that out.

Humboldtgrin

fortysixandtwo

Installing a mechanical boost gauge will be the simplest and reliable way to read what what you're getting for boost and its curve.
It's been a long time since I drove a 951 with a stock turbo, but I recall the boost should come on around 2500 to 2800 rpm for a k26-6. Cars with a 26-8 turbo come on around 3000 rpm.

Tom M'Guinn

Plus 1 on a cheap mechanical boost gauge. At least you'll know if it's making pressure that way, which is step 1. If it was making zero boost, I doubt you'd use the word giddy-up, but it may be coming on late, or too little, or over-spinning/heating for the boost level, etc.

And the boost gauge is fairly simple to diagnose if interested.

V2Rocket

even with the turbo disabled or even removed a 951 engine would probably produce about 130hp naturally aspirated...
so it'd still be faster than a 924

Tedro951

Clamp the wastegate line shut and see if it helps.

Droops83

I once had the stock waste gate valve jam open after a track weekend at Willow Springs. I drove it home to Santa Barbara with no boost, and it was a dog!

It would be fairly easy to tee into the waste gate signal line and install a cheap gauge to see if there is positive manifold pressure.

Or just leave a boost hose loose on purpose and see if it blows off .