"safe" boost levels

[xxninja]

hey guys i was just curious..........
after my last headgasket mishap i wanted to set my wastegate rod to a safe level so i would have no more blown headgaskets


i stay in michigan, and i usually fill up on sunoco 94 every time......

so my question is, how many pounds of boost do you think i could safely make with a properly tuned car
this is with no alky or intercooler
on 94 octane?



thanx guys

 

[cool 84]

I know this is not what you want to hear but every car is different. My dad's hotair could run 21psi on 92 octane with less than 1 degree of knock on the shifts. I could run 17 before the intercooler, 15-16 with the intercooler. On 94 octane, assuming everything else is working right on your car, 15 should be very safe, I would be tempted to say at least 17 but 15 for sure.

On a stock hotair, headgaskets are hard to blow. When I was in highschool, way before this board existed I would turn the boost up to 20psi and hear it knocking and I never hurt anything.

 

[b4black]

Run as much boost as your knock gauge lets you. You do have a knock gauge, right?

 

[Wizard]

17 PSI

I spike out at 20psi and it lays comfortably at 17psi. Thought you would like to know. Also I have some Lier material on ebay if you know anyone who wants it. NOS and its perfect.