tuner style question

[BADINBLACK6]

What does tuner style do? If you set boost up tuner style does that mean boost is only controlled by the length of the wastegate rod? Do you have to have a max effort chip to do it or does it work with all chips?

 

[Ken Cunningham]

I may be wrong, because "tuner style" is not a very descriptive term, but I have heard it applied to a car that controls boost via an air valve. There are a number of different ways to do that, so "tuner style" remains a pretty vague term.

In my set up, I bypass the stock wastegate solenoid by running the wastegate air line to a brass valve that allows a certain (adjustable) amount of air pressure to pass. So my boost is controlled *mostly* by the adjustable w/g arm and my air valve. I did this because the stock set up was too much boost for the Calif crap gas these days. So I wanted to maintain just a little more pressure (= less boost) than my Thrasher 92 was set for. The added benefit is at the track with a 101 chip and 114 race fuel I can open the valve up and allow higher boost to build.

Others control boost via a more sophisticated 'Grainger' valve that allows air to pass in a non-linear fashion (at a certain pressure, then air passes). Others run even more sophisticated set ups with cockpit controllers utilizing electronic settings. Others run air valves in series with the stock wastegate solenoid. So run the different flavors of 'tuner style.'

 

[azgn]

in the simplest form, you just loop the compressor and wastegate
and control boost with the tension on the wastegate arm...this will work with any chip (the solenoid is not used)

 

[2QUIK6]

To clarify what azgn said, you just run the vac hose from the wastegate actuator to the turbo. The vac hose from the solenoid on the pass side valve cover now would connect to nothing, so that the solenoid is removed from operation. This should allow you to control boost solely by the spring tension in the actuator, thus shortening the arm will increase boost.
Usually this is done if you are having over boost problems to help you determine what may be causing the over boost condition. If boost is still uncontrollable, could either be to short of an arm if adj, too heavy of a spring, or wastegate hole not big enough to allow excessive exhaust to escape. If overboost only happens when solenoid is hooked up, then bad solenoid.

 

[bruce]

If by Tuner Style you mean chip editing.
There is more to boost management then boost level.

In the Chip you can reduce the Wastegate Duty cycle in 3rd gear.
Also, by a different amount in 4th gear.

There is a wastegate DC scaling by RPM, and TPS.

So if you want to can alter the way the car spools when staged.

The limit to how much boost you can run, is tunable by using an adjustable wastegate rod.

 

[BADINBLACK6]

I wasn't very descriptive sorry But you guys answered perfect. I was talking about just running a line from wastegate to turbo, But thanks for the other info Bruce & ken.

 

[Tom Willard]

when running tuner style I have found boost comes up much quicker if you put an inline check-valve(grainger valve?) to limit what the wastgate sees before it gets pressurized and pushes the actuator arm open (releasing boost pressure).

 

[BADINBLACK6]

Are there any draw backs to running this way? Can you do it even if your not looking to fix a boost problem but just want your adj to come from wastegate rod?

 

[azgn]

well, there are better ways to do it, but unless you can program your own chips or spend a bunch of money on a good controller, it works just fine!

Just be careful, the wastegate rod tends not to be linear in its adjustment.......

 

[8UWITH6]

With a bleeder valve, I have noticed boost spike when you first lay into the car. IE- car goes to 17psi, then settles at 15psi for the rest of the pass. This is with the wastegate hose and the turbo hose going to the stock "Y" fitting, then instead of going to the boost soleniod, I go through the bleeder valve. I too have noticed faster spool up, but boost spike (at least in my cars) is noticable. Somtimes it is as much as 3 to 4psi higher than my "set" boost. This has caused knock, but what do you expect with crap gas and 19psi for that second or so.

Also, I have heard people say to crank the hell out of the wastegate (down) when using a bleeder valve for fast spool up. I think this has a lot to do with the spike though. So, when I do run the bleeder (not very often anymore since my cars dont have exhaust leaks anymore!) I just leave the wastegate rod set at 14-15psi instead of cranking it down a ton. Then adjust the bleeder valve for my desired boost level. HTH

 

[Steve Wood]

I have had better luck on cars running tuner style keeping the wastegate rod relatively loose and using a Granger valve or bleeder to set boost beyond the spring tension. There seems to be a point when you get the rod too short trying for more boost where it does not allow the puck to react quickly enough to prevent a boost spike. If the tension is kept minimal, then the puck jumps off the seat faster and boost is controlled better.