ZR8ED Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 I have been plagued by boost controller woes, and i just don't want to spend huge dollars on an electronic one. I have my manual one mounted under my hood. My mechanic put it there to keep me from killing myself racing a viper or something. hehehehehehehe I want to move it to inside the car so I can turn it up when i want to run the car hard...I fooled my mechanic by just cranking the boost all she could suffer and just leaving it like that all the time. hehehehehe It sure would be nice to be able to turn it back down for everyday driving. SOOOOOO I'm starting to check out parts catalogs looking for some kind of valve that I can put in the car that I can mount under my centre counsole, and just have a plain knob stick up through the console...maybe two settings written on it..hehe "Fast" and "Hang on" hehehe Is anyone using a manual controler like that? or are most people that are in the same "crazy" bracket as me just using electronic controlers? Scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 msa sells one, look for the "dial a boost" its the same one they use in the wangan midnite movies....its like 100.00, which i think is ok... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 Ouch, that's expensive. Hunt aorund here for th ename of th eAussie auto site that's so good (yeah, forgot again). It's got very detailed stuff on how to build a VERY nice unit yourself using industrial valves that I believe would be superior to most of what you can buy. If I have time I'll try to hunt it up but IMO it's worth looking into - was liek a 4part series with various mods making it better at each step! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-Gad Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 This guy's boost valves seem pretty descent... http://boostvalve.com/ I plan on dropping him a line when I am ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom Scala Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 From what I understand the longer the vacuum hose to the controller the more unstable the boost levels will be. I had a spiking problem where the boost would overshoot the desired level by 2-3 psi. for an second or two then settle in. Putting the controller under the hood and keeping the lines very short fixed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyMIz Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 Hey rated i have a dial a boost in my 76zt and i love it but i don't mess with it much i just leave it at 18psi all the time.But i put mine in my center console and it looks nice and works great.Mine was from msa and did cost 100 bucks but it came with everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 I made one up based on a design from our Zoom car mag. Basically, the air line from the turbo to the diaphragm is bled of air pressure. Using lots of suitable flexible tubing, I mounted an adjustable needle valve in the cabin. Of course an accurate boost gauge is needed to set the adjustment range, and perhaps a restrictor in the air line to reduce adjustment sensitivity. But it is never adjusted in practice, set at 15psi boost permanently. Use my right foot to govern boost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 I've tried bleeder type (fish tank valve, no kidding) boost controllers, but I really prefer the relief valve type that push against a spring and only let boost get to the wastegate at a prescribed (adjustable) presure. Low boost response is much better with the latter. Here's an example of a cheap one: http://www.turbologic.com/joepmbc/ I've heard of people trying to do in cockpit controllers, but the creep and lag/overshoot issue seems to always raise it's ugly head. Personally, I adjust mine twice a year. Once when it gets hot out (above 65) and again when the temps drop below 65. Other than that, I don't see a need for further tweeking. If I try more boost, the knock sensor hears bad stuff and pulls timing out and the thing feels like a VW BUS. [ October 24, 2001: Message edited by: pparaska ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickB Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 I used a brass "bleeder style" valve from the hardware store. The type that uses a needle and seat. On my 11 second Buick Turbo 6 it worked great. If I really wanted to scare my passengers I could disconnect the "exhaust" side of the valve and this ominous "whoooshing" sound would fill the car under boost Tip: keep the vacuum line i.d. as small as possible. [ October 24, 2001: Message edited by: RickB ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tim78zt Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 Hey Scott! I agree with those who say leave it under the hood. Here is the one I'm currently building and it will go, and stay, under the hood: http://pages.cthome.net/gus/cutout.html I'll actually shorten the existing line from the wastegate to the compressor in the process. Right now I get full boost at 2000rpm and I don't even want to think about spiking!! Tim78zt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie-GNZ Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 I have made some posts in the past on this subject so I will not go into deep detail here. I use a modified wastegate rod, an in-cockpit bleed-off valve AND a relief valve. I use the relief valve to stop the signal to the wastegate cannister to keep the puck closed and allow quick spoolup to a specified boost level. DO NOT use this with a stock L28T turbo or a turbo with a small turbine wheel. The reason I use both a modified wastegate rod and a bleed-off valve is because taking the boost from 12# to 24# would make the rod so short that it probably would not function correctly and I prefer not to use the bleed-off valve to add that much boost. Another reason is that on the street I use just the rod and at the track I add the bleed-off valve to get to race boost. I accomplish this by using a special hard, but flexible plastic line that uses a quick disconnect to connect the bleed-off valve. On the street I quick disconnect the bleed-off and replace it with a quick disconnect cap and vice-versa at the track. One of the problems with bleed-off valves, especially the industrial type, is that they were designed with an adjustment range up 100 and even 150#. Now folks are trying to use it to change their boost by 1 or 2# and the granularity is just not there. The way to fix that is to replace the spring with a much softer one. I obviously cannot recommend a spring as they will vary with the valve. You need to take the valve apart and go to a shop that has a good selection of springs and find the appropriate one. Despite running up to 24# boost, I have no spikes or oddities with the boost. Here you see the in-cockpit bleeder-valve which was a $2.50 item from a surplus store, the blue plastic line and the brass quick-disconnect. I tried explaining this once before and I am not sure if it made any sense, so I drew up a crude diagram that I hope will better help understanding it. Hope I am not throwing too many pics out there, but as they say, a pic is worth.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 Scottie, it's crystal clear now with the diagram - THANKS! I imagine that the line from the T to the bleeder valve is quite a small ID, and the tube wall is fairly rigid, so that it doesn't expand and contribute to boost spiking. Cool system. I think I'll be changing my Eclipse's setup to yours, just to be able to fine tune the boost to keep the computer from pulling the timing out as often. I also think I have a hyperactive knock sensor and I'm going to change that out too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tim78zt Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 Hey ScottieGNZ! Could you please compare and contrast (sounds like HS history, sorry!) Gus's install in my post with the Boostvalve.com install in Z-Gad's post in terms of the differences between capping the compressor fitting (done by Boostvalve) and simply splicing into the MAP sensor/intake manifold line like Gus does. Originally I thought this valve should go inline between the compressor and wastegate actuator. That would be the "bleeder" type valve, wouldn't it? Thanks!! Tim78zt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted October 25, 2001 Author Share Posted October 25, 2001 Thanks guys for all your input. You have managed to talk me out of the "in car" controler. Too many hassles for what would end up being a novelty. Besides, who am I kidding, ZR8ED turning the boost down? Bwahahahaha!!!! I found through industrial parts cataloges the same valve as the hallman unit. It is adjustable from 5-25psi and is a ball and spring type. looks like I will go that route and be done with it. I will get it done asap. And since my I/C is not here yet, I guess I will being doing it all again anyways..am I a glutton for punishment or what? Thanks again. Scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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