Volt booster or no?

[richardv6]

What are your opinions. I am using fast 2.0 and wonder if using a volt booster would be ok..would it give false sensor readings or no..what you think.

 

[TT/Ameasap]

I just put my first volt booster (Caspers) on a few months ago and I now get 14.8-15.2 volts at WOT. Before it was 12.2-12.6
I was always told not to use them, but found many of the fast guys run them..Even with alky.
There are threads with John Spina (Caspers) explaining how they work and busting some of the myths associated with the unit.

 

[David Husek]

There are a lot of opinions about volt boosters. Simply put there is no excuse for the added benefits of having more voltage while under power. I prefer the boost activated versions. I have been running them for at least 20 years now . I just don't see a downside to having one installed.

 

[tbone87]

I was told no problem with it with the fast cause a lot of people use 16 volt or so with the fast anyway.

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[forcefed3.8's]

Been using Red's forever. Never had a problem.

 

[turbobitt]

I have a home brewed version that is directly controlled by the XFI. I have it dialed in to give me 16V at a predetermined boost set by Aux output 2.
AG.

 

[richardv6]

cool thanks guys I will put one on

 

[Lil Truck]

I just put my first volt booster (Caspers) on a few months ago and I now get 14.8-15.2 volts at WOT. Before it was 12.2-12.6
I was always told not to use them, but found many of the fast guys run them..Even with alky.
There are threads with John Spina (Caspers) explaining how they work and busting some of the myths associated with the unit.

Is this the CCCI voltage booster you are running?

 

[TT/Ameasap]

Is this the CCCI voltage booster you are running?

http://www.casperselectronics.com/store2/product_info.php?products_id=614

 

[GNVenom]

Chiming in here, standing on the soap box.

Over the years, I have built a few directly into the engine harness (custom harness build) making it integral. Very stealth that way. The booster is triggered by TPS but can be triggered by the ECU routine if you're programming your own (XFI). This way, it can be referenced to the MAP table, or RPM table, however you need it.

The main reason you need more voltage is to supplement the ignition system - not the fuel pump, like many people believe. Let's face it, if the car is set up properly, you have way more than enough fuel volume for your application, even if the battery voltage drops a bit. Look at the delivery curve vs. battery voltage on the fuel pump spec's and you will see that delivery is generally enough even at a slightly diminished voltage. Hot-wiring the fuel pump is essential, since factory wiring exhibits too much resistance, i.e. voltage drop, for larger pumps, but using 10 gage or arc welding cable or a solid copper bus bar to feed a pump is not necessary. Don't be fooled by "bigger is better".

Any alternator you use is pretty much capable of putting out more voltage, limited by the effects of its regulator. Doesn't matter, 90 amp vs. 200 amp alternators, they all work the same, and you will still have voltage drop effects (I personally use a 105 amp alternator). It's the VOLTAGE that affects your spark, not the current. In fact, average current draw actually drops off to the CCCI when RPM increases. But, spark energy drops off substantially when voltage decreases. More voltage, greater spark.

And you need a greater spark when under boost.

But I digress. Back to the OP, volt boosters can and will help your WOT performance. Call it a band-aid if you want, but the factory system left us no good way to handle diminished charging voltage because it really wasn't necessary when the car was sold as stock.

 

[robzombie]

In other threads I've read there are the naysayers that espouse the negative affects of running a volt booster especially if you run alky.

My car came with a Q/A booster in a box of extra parts that came with the car. When I thought of installing it I started reading past threads and saw there was a lot of controversy on this subject and haven't installed it as of yet mainly because I run alky.

I've read that if I run a booster in conjunction with alky it would throw off the rate of alky delivery by supplying a 12V pump with up to 15/16 volts causing higher than desired pump pressures.

I also wonder if I were to use one which would be the better unit to use? Caspers is throttle % activated and the Reds Q/A is boost activated. Both have there merits in the way they are activated but I was wondering if one is more desirable than the other.

I haven't hit a wall as of yet that I know of where it would be beneficial for me to run one.

The previous owner took it off for a reason and I'm guessing it was because of the alky system but that's just a guess as I didn't even know I had the V/B until a month or so later when I went through all the extra/spare stuff that came with the car.

My question is to the guys that are running alky out there. Is anyone running a V/B with either a Reds Q/A or caspers unit and found/made it work to your benefit and not be detrimental to how the alky system works??

 

[bison]

I've been running volt boosters for almost 20 years. There are measurable differences in running the volt booster. I haven't seen any downsides.

 

[GNVenom]

I have seen this come up as well. After looking into it, seems as though it's a compatibility issue with the common alky controllers. The controller I'm familiar with uses an analog circuit to determine duty cycle to the alky pump. Taken a design like that into consideration, its output might be proportional to the input voltage, and under that scenario, the pump duty cycle could increase with supply voltage.

That could really mess with proportional alky delivery and control.

By contrast, if the controller were digital, a voltage variation would have no effect on the duty cycle. Perhaps the alky controller designers would chime in, as I have no direct knowledge of alky controller designs, and am only guessing.

 

[robzombie]

I've been running volt boosters for almost 20 years. There are measurable differences in running the volt booster. I haven't seen any downsides.

Do you run them with Julios alky system??

And if so what precautions/changes to alky setup or delivery need to be made to prevent using more alky than intended??

Does changing the initial or gain compensate for V/B use and if so what is the general starting point from what Julios kit recommends???

 

[TT/Ameasap]

I ran into this too. After talking to other TB owners that run alky, they end up tuning around the added voltage as I have myself. You would also have to consider the amount of people running adjustable regulators in their alternator that run alky too. I really dont see an issue and neither do the people running higher voltage with alky I talked to either.

 

[robzombie]

I ran into this too. After talking to other TB owners that run alky, they end up tuning around the added voltage as I have myself. You would also have to consider the amount of people running adjustable regulators in their alternator that run alky too. I really dont see an issue and neither do the people running higher voltage with alky I talked to either.

That's what I thought could be done but didn't want to install it because I figured the P/O removed it for a reason.

Do you know if one style booster has an advantage over the other? Boost VS. rpm activated??

 

[TT/Ameasap]

In our case, the booster can be boost(reds style) or TPS(Caspers) activated. The people I talked to have both. I wanted a brand new unit that has not been dropped or spliced, so I went with the caspers unit.

 

[robzombie]

I will try the red's booster that came with the car and go from there.

I have it so why not, if it doesn't work I'll get the casper's unit.

Thanks for the input.

 

[bison]

Do you run them with Julios alky system??

And if so what precautions/changes to alky setup or delivery need to be made to prevent using more alky than intended??

Does changing the initial or gain compensate for V/B use and if so what is the general starting point from what Julios kit recommends???

ive ran it with various systems. My own back in the 90's, smc, and now Julio's. I know I changed the initial on my cars. I don't exactly where they are but they are adjusted. I use a 3.5 bar on one car so the alky isn't injected as much at lower boost levels but still hits the full output. I had one GM 3 bar chit the bed one and was reading lower than actual. When I replaced it all was good again. If you're worried about the alky adjustment I'd leave it alone and use the logs to tune the car.

 

[fast86gn]

I have been running the one from Red, for years and have never had a problem. You notice a difference over 10 lbs of boost. Installed the FAST a few years ago and no problems. I don't run alky though.