boost controller, adj. wastegate, or both?
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From hanging around here for a couple of days I realize how important the scan tool is going to be. But whats up with all these boost controllers. Some you turn by hand, others are electronic. What purpose do thay have. Can you have both? If you can, how do you know which one to adjust?
salvageV6
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The adjustable wastegate rod is used to get you in the ballpark of the boost you want to run.
You normally set your low range boost with that.
Then with the chip or a boost controller the wastegate bleeds air and the boost can go up from there.
On my stocker GN I wanted to hit 19 psi. with alky. Chip and stock wastegate arm only gave me 17psi. I cut the arm and made it adjustable and cranked in 2 more psi. base by hand. Red's chip does the rest.
On my other car I have the arm cranked a bit more about 17 psi. and run 2 solenoids with an electronic controller BSTC, no chip command. The controller has a knob that lets me adjust the boost from about 17 to 26 or so.
Bleeder valves are a third topic I have never used one so I will leave the "tuners" for that post.
Then there's external wastegates.....
You normally set your low range boost with that.
Then with the chip or a boost controller the wastegate bleeds air and the boost can go up from there.
On my stocker GN I wanted to hit 19 psi. with alky. Chip and stock wastegate arm only gave me 17psi. I cut the arm and made it adjustable and cranked in 2 more psi. base by hand. Red's chip does the rest.
On my other car I have the arm cranked a bit more about 17 psi. and run 2 solenoids with an electronic controller BSTC, no chip command. The controller has a knob that lets me adjust the boost from about 17 to 26 or so.
Bleeder valves are a third topic I have never used one so I will leave the "tuners" for that post.
Then there's external wastegates.....
is this about right? The wastegate arm gives you your range. And the line conected to the wastegate actuator controls it all. And that control can be an electronic boost controller, or a chip added to the computer. When the chip is being used, there is a line going to some solinoid that the car controls.
salvageV6
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If you have a GN like your sig. says go out and take a look.
Stock spring and non-adjusting actuator is about 12 psi.
The chip pulses the wastegate solenoid through all the lines and bleeds away some of the boost that would normally push the puck open. That causes the boost to rise.
Stock setting is 14 or so psi.
You can plumb the boost line directly to an adjustable arm and crank it to 15, 17 whatever you want with no solenoid in there.
But then you get into issues with boost creep, overshoot etc.
A bleeder valve in the line acts as an adjustable controller with no solenoid in place and the boost line directly to the wastegate arm.
Lots of ways to do it.
I prefer the factory way if possible.
Stock spring and non-adjusting actuator is about 12 psi.
The chip pulses the wastegate solenoid through all the lines and bleeds away some of the boost that would normally push the puck open. That causes the boost to rise.
Stock setting is 14 or so psi.
You can plumb the boost line directly to an adjustable arm and crank it to 15, 17 whatever you want with no solenoid in there.
But then you get into issues with boost creep, overshoot etc.
A bleeder valve in the line acts as an adjustable controller with no solenoid in place and the boost line directly to the wastegate arm.
Lots of ways to do it.
I prefer the factory way if possible.
At this point I own the car but do not have it yet. I am in the middle of getting it. I am in the learning stage right now. I am reading a bunch at gnttype, and asking questions here. Some of my questions might seem stupid because I cant even see it for myself yet.
salvageV6
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Ain't stoopid at all.
Took me 10 years to sorta understand it.
There's a bazillion ways out there to control boost.
Some good some not so good.
For a mostly stock car stick to an adjustable actuator and the chip.
There is no feedback to this system the chip just bleeds away boost sometimes the same, sometimes differently, in each gear depending on what type of chip it is and who and how it is programmed by.
No need really for electronic controllers if you can adjust your actuator yourself and have a good boost gauge in the car.
The factory system has a line right off the turbo that pushes out air under boost. That line goes to the solenoid via a controlled orifice in a Y connector plastic thingy.
The other side of the Y goes to the wastegate arm. As the boost rises the arm starts to move and opens the puck on the wastegate flapper that kills the boost, or at least stabilizes it. All mechanical excepting the solenoid part. If that is pulsed by the chip some of the turbo boost in the line bleeds out to the atmosphere. Not as much goes to the wastegate arm so it doesn't move as early or as quickly. Boost rises controlled by the chip normally, or an electronic device if added in there.
Doing away with the solenoid in this setup and putting a manual bleeder valve in there allows for additional tuning by hand.
The key is to not have the adjustable arm too tight as it is harder to control boost that way.
A stock car with a street 93 chip most likely will not need an adjustable actuator for pump gas. At least mine didn't as it ran about 17-18 psi. with one of Reds 93 chips in it.
With the alky. I had to make the thing adjustable to get more boost.
Took me 10 years to sorta understand it.
There's a bazillion ways out there to control boost.
Some good some not so good.
For a mostly stock car stick to an adjustable actuator and the chip.
There is no feedback to this system the chip just bleeds away boost sometimes the same, sometimes differently, in each gear depending on what type of chip it is and who and how it is programmed by.
No need really for electronic controllers if you can adjust your actuator yourself and have a good boost gauge in the car.
The factory system has a line right off the turbo that pushes out air under boost. That line goes to the solenoid via a controlled orifice in a Y connector plastic thingy.
The other side of the Y goes to the wastegate arm. As the boost rises the arm starts to move and opens the puck on the wastegate flapper that kills the boost, or at least stabilizes it. All mechanical excepting the solenoid part. If that is pulsed by the chip some of the turbo boost in the line bleeds out to the atmosphere. Not as much goes to the wastegate arm so it doesn't move as early or as quickly. Boost rises controlled by the chip normally, or an electronic device if added in there.
Doing away with the solenoid in this setup and putting a manual bleeder valve in there allows for additional tuning by hand.
The key is to not have the adjustable arm too tight as it is harder to control boost that way.
A stock car with a street 93 chip most likely will not need an adjustable actuator for pump gas. At least mine didn't as it ran about 17-18 psi. with one of Reds 93 chips in it.
With the alky. I had to make the thing adjustable to get more boost.
turboculosis
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Red Armstrong I believe owns QuadAir Performance.They don't have a website that I know of,but you can call them at 440-235-3232.HTH
salvageV6
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You can also get chips from the used parts section.
Must be set up for your combo such as stock injectors and turbo and fuel type such as 93 pump gas chip or 108 race fuel chip.
Modern musclecar makes a great 93 pump gas street chip.
Must be set up for your combo such as stock injectors and turbo and fuel type such as 93 pump gas chip or 108 race fuel chip.
Modern musclecar makes a great 93 pump gas street chip.
