Best manual Boost controller

[Pure Stock Auto]

I recently go my GN out of storage ,installed new 40 # injectors with matching chip to run on 93 octane fuel.

Car still detonates, so I am thinking of installing a manual boost controller, so I can adjust boost from inside car or under the hood to reduce boost to control detonation.

Then if I go to the track with better fuel it is easy to increase boost.

Who makes the best and or simple manual boost controller?

 

[GNRick]

Oh, you're going to get lots of advice now....and it won't have anything to do with an Mbc....lol

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

RJC Racing makes a simple easy manual boost controller so you don't have to cut/ thread the wastegate rod.
I'm not smart enough to add a link so you'll have to use the search function.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Oh, you're going to get lots of advice now....and it won't have anything to do with an Mbc....lol

Exactly!
Lets start w/ the obvious ?'s
Boost is?
Fuel psi is?
False knock?
W/G puck frozen? BIG pissin contest here, on that topic!
Data logs?

There, the gate has been opened!

 

[Pure Stock Auto]

This 87 GN is basically stock.
Hi volume pump,40 # injectors with matched chip programmed for 93 octane fuel 17 max #'s of boost.
Car detonates, so want to reduce boost.
I do not have fuel pressure gauge, car has a stock 237 Fuel regulator on fuel rail.

 

[20psiofevil]

2 kinds of mbc, bleeder and ball and spring style. Bleeder leaks boost to atmosphere, b&s hold the pressure back via the spring. I think the best are the ball and spring style. Hallman make a very nice piece as well as grimmspeed. I've owned both and will say the gs is the most accurate due to the clicking action and scale on the side. The hallman can be mounted in cabin with the addition of their adjuster kit. They have their trade-offs but I believe these 2 to be the best out there.

 

[zapp240]

my $.02 would be to find the real cause of the detonation opposed to trying to band-aid it with a Mbc.
#1 would be to get a scanmaster to assist in troubleshooting.
You can get a cheap fuel pressure gauge (from harbor freight and others) that screw onto the end of the fuel rail's schrader valve. An adjustable fuel pressure regulator will be needed to set your fuel pressure to aprox 43 psi per Eric's instructions for his chip.
did you do any of the spring cleaning as in properly gaped new plugs , fuel filter, the basics?
as per the original questions , an RJC or the other ones will do the job.

 

[V6POWER]

2 kinds of mbc, bleeder and ball and spring style. Bleeder leaks boost to atmosphere, b&s hold the pressure back via the spring. I think the best are the ball and spring style. Hallman make a very nice piece as well as grimmspeed. I've owned both and will say the gs is the most accurate due to the clicking action and scale on the side. The hallman can be mounted in cabin with the addition of their adjuster kit. They have their trade-offs but I believe these 2 to be the best out there.

I agree with this statement and I use the Hallman (https://www.amazon.com/Hallman-PRO-...&sr=8-2&keywords=hallman+pro+boost+controller). If you use the RJC controller, you have to remove a hose each time you make an adjustment; you do not have to remove a hose with either the Hallman or the Grimmspeed.

 

[Pure Stock Auto]

Thank you for all your responses.
Yes car has everything maintenance wise fresh.

 

[zapp240]

Thank you for all your responses.
Yes car has everything maintenance wise fresh.

good to hear. Also when installing that manual boost controller, if you wish to decrease boost, make sure the W/G actuator rod is not to stiff, going down in pressure you may be at the threshold of what the w/g spring and rod tension are set at.

 

[Pure Stock Auto]

I think I will manually adust wastegate rod, these wastegate boost contollers do not seem to be that great .

One revolution of rod, extending rods length, should decrease maximum boost 1 psi /revolution, correct?
Decrease 1 psi at a time, test drive until detonation goes away to hone in on max psi for 93-94 octane pump gas.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

test drive until detonation goes away

Either that, or the crank goes away.....
Seems you are not hearing what others are saying.
Keep screwing around, and the next ? will be: "how hard is it to pull an engine on my driveway?"
Your 30 yo parts, such as the fpr, and who knows what else, is where you start.

 

[Pure Stock Auto]

Either that, or the crank goes away.....
Seems you are not hearing what others are saying.
Keep screwing around, and the next ? will be: "how hard is it to pull an engine on my driveway?"
Your 30 yo parts, such as the fpr, and who knows what else, is where you start.

Well how else would you find maximum boost level for 94 Octane pump gas?

 

[20psiofevil]

Well how else would you find maximum boost level for 94 Octane pump gas?

I think what Chuck is trying to say is make sure you have the proper fuel supply and the other parts are working correctly. I can say this, a tuner will not start at the max boost setting and work his way down. You collect the data to ensure things are working properly and ease into it.

 

[turbo89]

Before all these guys get excited ... you say 17 psi

But we don't know what chip .. you say matching but what chip .. what pump is in the car ? IS it hotwired ? how old is it ?
how are you determining detonation ? Audible knock or you have a scantool .

Is the 93 Fresh or been sitting a while ?

the more info you can provide the faster you can get it fixed ...

We cant even get to the MBC yet ..

 

[dank GN]

Truthfully I have had a RJC boost controller that I paid retail price for and ran it for along time . I have also had a $20'ebay special and they both performed the same . Most all the manual boost controller are designed the same with a spring & ball and some kind of bolt to tension the spring . So truthfully I would have no problem running the $20 eBay special again .

 

[GNRick]

Well how else would you find maximum boost level for 94 Octane pump gas?

You could also crank the wastegate in to find max boost. Right Chuck? Lol...Factory was about 15-16 psi so if you get Knock at that psi then something is wrong.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

I'm not "getting excited", just pointing out what's about to happen, if other items, already mentioned, are not attended to.
Op says: "I do not have fuel pressure gauge, car has a stock 237 Fuel regulator on fuel rail.". This is exactly what I asked about several posts up. No response.
I'm done.

 

[turbo89]

I'm not "getting excited", just pointing out what's about to happen, if other items, already mentioned, are not attended to.
Op says: "I do not have fuel pressure gauge, car has a stock 237 Fuel regulator on fuel rail.". This is exactly what I asked about several posts up. No response.
I'm done.

Yupp i hear ya.. We need more info for sure..

 

[Pure Stock Auto]

Guys this car was in the corner of my shop and not driven since 1995.
This winter/spring/summer to get it going I have completed the following:

New fuel tank.
New Kirban HV fuel pump and hanger
New Ignition Module
New Coil pack
New Spark plug wires
New Spark Plugs
New Kirban 3" down pipe feeding into straight pipe with electric dump .
New cat back 87 GN reproduction Gardner stock exhaust system.
New Turbo Tweak 42 lb injectors /chip combo ( that is all my invoice says ,told Turbo Tweak was going to be running 93-94 octane fuel,thus 16-18 psi boost)
New Trans fresh rebuild with GSCA red stripe 2200 rpm stall converter
Stock Turbo
Stock intercooler
237 Fuel regulator
I had old Red Armstrong fuel enhancer but it has failed and removed, so I currently do not have a fuel pump enhancer (thinking of ordering Fuel Pump Feeder kit # 6751 from Kirban ,are these worth it?

In short this is a basically stock 87 GN that I want to run strong on the street .