WasteGate or Vacuum?

[edmonds27]

Hey guys, another NEWBIE question: My Wastegate does nothing. I can operate it by hand so it's not stuck or anything. I have the type with 2 vacuum lines on it. When I remove the driver side vacuum line it does begin working but it doesn't seem to do much. I know I can pull it off and cap it but my concern is if it won't workwith both lines connected wouldn't that mean I don't have enough vacuum pressure? The car seems to be down on power a little and I was really expecting the turbo whistle to be a little more noticeable, but otherwise the engine is running well. Do I have a vacuum problem, boost problem, a busted wastegate????

 

[edmonds27]

I see a lot of people have looked in here, but no information as of yet, so here's some new info I found on my own. I removed and capped off the vacuum line on the driver side of the wastegate actuator. Good grief this baby screams now! I still think my vacuum pressure might be a little low since I don't have enough to operate the actuator with both vacuum lines connected. I'm going to look for vacuum leaks tomorrow.

 

[turbobooster]

im thinking the puck is getting stuck from my understanding by blocking off one of the 2 ports its like running a single port wastegate which requires a different routing of vacumm lines to the vacumm block i would hit up brad pagett on here he can give direction on how to reroute ur vacumm lines using one port i believe theres a link with pictures in the basic hotair info thread at the very top of this section (hot air non intercooled) on single port wastegates

 

[edmonds27]

Okay guys, the car seems to be running pretty good now. BUT, In order to make it run I have to connect the vacuum line to the passenger side of the wastegate actuator and block off the driver side. According to all the vacuum diagrams this is backwards. When I connect the vacuum according to the diagrams the car runs like grandma's regal... I can hear the turbo spin up, but not very much, and I have no torque, no power. Is there something wrong with my wastegate? solenoid? or ??? My real concern is that by moving it to the wrong vacuum port I might just be compensating for a different problem somewhere else. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[novaderrik]

how much boost does it make in each different configuration?

 

[edmonds27]

I only have the stock boost gauge. It seems to be working, but after reading about them in here I don't really trust it. I know that it gets into the red now with it connected on the passenger side (running well) I think it turns red at 12?. I don't really remember what it was showing with it connected to the driver side (running poorly) but I'm pretty sure it was a lot less. I don't remember seeing it in the red. I have a reman OEM turbo, on a .060 over motor with a Comp Cams 69-234-4 (206/206 @050 425/425 lift). Everything else I THINK is OEM. I'll try switching the vac line back to the other side once more tomorrow just to make sure that what I'm telling you is correct.

 

[turbobooster]

u need some accurate numbers and readings to really see wats going on with ur boost the stock boost gauge is ****ty as well as the rpm one get urself an aftermarket gauge and install it that should take no more than an hr possibly way less that way u can see what ur really boosting its a must IMO

 

[edmonds27]

Okay the boost gauge is completely useless. It acts more like it's connected to the TPS instead of boost. When you just barely touch the throttle it begins to climb. Anyway, I've checked the vac line to the MAP, it seems fine. I just replaced it when we put the engine in. Still no sign of a vac leak anywhere. The engine does seem to have an incosistent idle, but I don't really know what these motors normally sound like. This is the only GN motor I've ever heard up close! Do you know how much vac I should have at the wastegate actuator from the solenoid? from the vacuum block? at the MAP? When I connect the actuator according to the diagram it acts like I don't have enough vacuum to operate it. The actuator is REALLY hard to move by hand. Maybe this is the wrong the actuator? Maybe it's damaged? Are they supposed to be really hard to operate? I can't operate it by hand I have to grab the gate lever with pliers or a wrench... seems like too much to me.