Max Booost

[Boost231]

Hey guys im sitting here in Iraq thinking about my car that has been down for 2 years and is currently at the paint shop. There about to finish it soon and im preping for vegas. I was wondering what is the max boost you guys have ever run. i have ran 22 psi on a stock turbo way back in the day but i want to run 30 psi. I want to try to run as much boost as i can i vegas. my list of my are down below. Any ideas the max boost i can run and possible ET. times. I will be running the car up in vegas in octber but just kinda wondering now. I think the only thing holding me back is the heads on my car. im going to also be running Razors alky kit when i get up there. that isnt listed in my mods. well if you have any guess on #'s that would be great

brent

 

[WFO]

no way in hell you're gonna run 30# with pump gas and alky.not with any timing anyway...

if you really want to go as fast as possible you're gonna have to buck up and buy some c-16.then if you tune carefully and have big enough balls you can run 26-28º and ~30#.

be aware that the slightest hiccup at these levels can be catastrophic...

 

[GNeric]

I personally would prefer to make the heads/intake flow more air and run the 21psi I do now instead of major amounts of boost. More air in and out makes more power than just more boost. You can pack the manifold full of air and make the guage read more and it doesn't really mean more power.

 

[6SENSE]

So far, Ive safely run about 23psi with ta33 on 93oct and alky. If I remember right I think Herb aka TurboRegal84 was running 27psi?

Its all about [efficient] airflow though as already hit on. If I could run a bigger turbo with the intake and head porting more efficiently with less boost and achieve the same results as a small turbo pushing its limits, then IMO thats the way to go. The turbo has its limits where after pushing it so far all you really wind up doing is heating up the air which leads to loss of performance and detonation. Smaller turbos reach this limit quicker. Its definately all about combo when it comes to "the right size turbo".
As a side note, dont want to be misleading with the less boost/bigger turbo idea that this lowers the risk or worries of detonation. Was just speaking purely on a performance standpoint (assuming KR is being kept under control). Heating up the air by pushing a turbo over the edge does not help performance at all. Idea was that a turbo that is not being maxed out gives much more room for performance. Its all about how much air your moving through the little engine, so although running less boost with big turbo and porting, you gotta watch for knock at a lower level than you would with the small turbo. Power is power regardless of where the needle is on the boost gauge. Kind of goes along with the old saying, "Boost doesnt blow headgaskets, detonation does". Just my 2cents.

 

[WFO]

Originally posted by 6SENSE
So far, Ive safely run about 23psi with ta33 on 93oct and alky. If I remember right I think Herb aka TurboRegal84 was running 27psi?

I don't remember how much boost Herb was running but I don't think it was anywhere near that much...

FWIW,I have run 24#'s on alky/pump gas with 20º timing.I have also run 24º with 20# and the car was a friggin animal.Way more power,especially right off throttle with more timing.Couldn't keep the transitional knock away with the single stage alky tho .Gonna buck up for a progressive kit hopefully this summer.

 

[6SENSE]

Yeah your probably right, WFO. I just did a search and saw where Herb said he was running 24psi. I do remember a thread where he was talking about high boost in the upper 20's with a ta33 though. Probably was a discussion speculating on what type of boost could be ran with it??

Ive also been running 20º, with my JL chip. So you say you had better results with less boost and more timing? I have a Casper's thumbwheel that I recall when I ran it on the stock setting (#2) which has 22º timing, the car felt a bit more responsive (unless I was just trippin'). Never really ran it too much in the higher settings. Maybe I should try that. Performance settings are from 18º-26º in 2º increments.
I recall a guy who had a turbo Tbird (prior to the SC Tbirds) who told me he had good success running high timing. I guess I didnt really pay him much attention I guess I could see it helping with quickness on the streets, but thought that more boost would be of better benefit at the track. Especially for topend.

 

[WFO]

From my experience more timing helps all around.But you gotta have enough octane to keep the knock away...

If you've never put pure C16 in your car and cranked up the timing and boost you've never even approached the real potential of your car...

 

[Boost231]

hey

i have always ran c16 or 118 fuel in my car. i was thinking when i go to vegas to try to run race gas like 100 oct. or so on top of the alky to see how this works. im ordering a chip for my car i was think around a 23 deg. chip set for alky and have it lock up the converter at around 80-90 not sure yet. what do u all think


brent

 

[WFO]

I think you should run c16 and a real race chip and run your car down the track...

 

[Boost231]

hey wfo

ok for a full out race chip what should i tell the burner to do. what wold you tell them for makeing a full race chip. my mods are listed below and i will have alky as well. im going to be running 28 in slicks when i go to vegas. if you have any other quesations just ask me in going to be having turbo tweak burn the chip for me



brent

 

[6SENSE]

You guys think the alky will be of any benefit when using high octane race fuel like c16? I can see for purely a air charge cooling standpoint it still serves its purpose, but as far as enrichening the mixture Ive heard some say there is no benefit.
WFO, any experience with running alky and race gas at the same time? What octane, 100, 104......?

 

[Boost231]

yes

i was told you dont need to run high octane with alky. like maybe 100 or so will be more then enough. i planed on 100 oct with the alky.

brent

 

[broke1]

Ask Razor.Id think that since alky also has a cooling effect it might still be benificial with race gas on a hot air,dunno.

 

[cool 84]

My dad did the 100 octane and alky. We used the race chip with 28 degrees, injectors were static, and boost was at 26psi. While it was stupid fast, as WFO pointed out, ANY little hiccup at that level and you're in trouble. We saved a couple of the headgaskets from that time period with over half the gasket missing.

I vote for C-16 and after you get that sorted out, throw some alky on top of it and see if it helps any. With the 54 turbo and stock heads (you have stock heads, right?) you can probably push it to the level you want and be somewhat efficient.

To answer your other question, I've run 24 psi on the TA49 before I ran into ignition problems. When I switched to the TA64 I could only run 19lbs but the car felt just as fast if not faster. The only thing that kept me from running 25+psi is the old ignition.

 

[WFO]

Originally posted by cool 84
I vote for C-16 and after you get that sorted out, throw some alky on top of it and see if it helps any.

yup...

If you're gonna have a full race(c16 only)chip burned I'd go for at least 26º if not 28º.With pure C16 you should be able to get the boost up to 25+.I don't know if I'd try it with alky,it just doesn't have the detonation resistance that pure race gas does...

My worry with the alky+race gas would be the chance of diluting the race gas or making it run too rich.There's one way to find out tho...

 

[WFO]

Hell,come to think of it,Lee Thompson sprays methanol on top of C16,so I guess we know it works...I say give it a go...

 

[Boost231]

Chip

so you guys thing i should have him burn me a 26 deg chip lean it on the bottom end and lock up the converter at around 90 right. any other info i need to tell him. i will run straight C16

brent