2005 Rodeo 3.0TD power problems

[2005Slowdeo]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post (please go easy on me). I have recently brought a 2005 Holden rodeo, isuzu dmax whatever you want to call it. It has the 4jh1-tc engine with only 140,000 kms on the clock.

I have noticed that recently is pretty sluggish, I conducted my own experiments to see if it is making any boost pressure. I disconnected the hose from the intercooler to the intake manifold and started it up to see if i could feel any boost pressure. Nothing was really felt so I gave it a few revs to spool it up, this is when strange things started to happen, I floored it in driveway in neutral and got a mate to see if he could feel any boost pressure, it struggled big time to come up to about 1500 rpm and did not rev any higher. Not much boost pressure could be felt either (engine was warm). I reconnected that hose, then took off the hose the leads from the air filter to the turbo inlet to see if the fins had been damaged. No damage was visible and the turbo did start to spin once i started it up. I floored it again and same story. 4 days later I tried the same tests, disconnected the hose from the intercooler to manifold and did the same thing. However after disconnecting the hose from the air filter to turbo and flooring it seemed to be a different engine as it kicked up to 4,000 rpm no problem. I reconnected the air filter hose and left the hose clamp loose on the hose from the intercooler to manifold to test boost pressure and it managed to blow the hose off when i gave it a boot full. I then decided to the same test again today in a carpark, I only disconnected the hose from air filter to turbo then floored it, same problem with it only going to 1500 rpm.

some background info:
- Has new fuel filter
- Has new air filter
- Mass air flow meter was cleaned
- EGR valve was blocked off by prev owner
- no check engine lights
- injectors have been cleaned
- engine was warm during all tests
- intake manifold in not clogged

My best guesses:
- Fault code or limp from the egr block
- boost leak (didn't hear anything during tests)
- pretty sure this is why I have no power as there is a strong smell of diesel in the cab which im guessing is excess fuel because of the lack of air (no fuel leaks found)

any help would be much appreciated or just to know if any one else has had this problem. Cheers and thank you.

[pig75]

I had a power problem turned out to be a bug stuck in the air flow meter after the service

[isuzurob]

Remove the exhaust pipe, at the flange just above the oil filter, I would say the catalytic converter is melted and blocked, very common issue with them, smash it out with a long bar, and refit exhaust, egr wont bring up codes or make it low on power, there not power pack utes by any means

[2005Slowdeo]

thank you for the replies pig75 and isuzu rob,
driving it this arvo it was pretty gutless, was pretty embarrassing getting overtaken by a bus
after the engine had a chance to cool off I took the egr blanking plate off and went for a run and it had a hell of alot more poke. I've worked first hand on DiD & common rail 4m41 's and their egr problems, but I wouldn't think these engine would have that much of an egr issue. I think you might be on the money with a clogged cat isuzurob, maybe removing the egr blanking plate just allowed it to breathe a bit better. My plans is on the weekend get her up on the hoist take the cat off, smash out the gunk, then throw it back together and ill give the Mafs another clean. I'll throw the egr blanking plate back on as well and see how she goes. If she still goes like a wet sponge after that i'll drill a 5 mil hole in the blanking plate. not expecting it to all of sudden to become a v8 but it shouldn't be like what it was this arvo. Once again thank you for the help, much appreciated.

[isuzurob]

Leave the cat on and smash it out from the bottom takes around 10mins to do, done hundreds of them, and completely block egr with plates, doesnt need any holes

[2005Slowdeo]

Just took the bottom bit of the cat off (the one with the flex joint), noticed the cat didn't look right so completely took it off for a better look and it turns out it has already punched out. could another muffler be blocked??

[isuzurob]

I dont remember a flex joint, the cat is bolted directly onto the turbo

[isuzurob]

I dont remember a flex joint, the cat is bolted directly onto the turbo

[2005Slowdeo]

The setup on mine goes turbo, cat, then from the cat back is a pipe that runs into a flex joint which then leads a bit of straight pipe then the rear muffler.