Just installed boost controller and gauge!
 

Hello everyone! I just installed a Voodoo boost controler that I bought on ebay for like $7 along with a boost gauge a just picked up from Autozone for $39.99. I put the boost controller in line of the waste gate hose and the knob is easily accessible for me to tune the boost in. I lossened my far left drivers vent, pushed it back and mounted the boost gueage in the hole. The one I got from AZ had an aluminum bracket that I was able to bend out to hold the gauge in securely. That way, when/if I ever take it out, I can just reattach the vent and all is back to stock. I turned the boost controller to about half way to start out. Under normal acceleration the boost stays just under 10 psi. Cruising at 65 on the highway on a level area I am pushing 5-8 psi. Up a hill it may hit 10 psi. Here is my question. What should the boost be set at for factory specs or optimal specs. I am mainly interested in fuel economy and not performance but man did that controller make a world of difference. I also adjusted my rack bolt to get rid of the real bad engine shake. It helped a ton. I wanted to see how much boost I could "BRIEFLY" get and I got it to about 17-18 psi for about 2 seconds and let off. What are my safe limits here??? Thanks in advance for your reply!

I've heard 11.5-13 are something like the stock numbers. Someone will chime in with the exact number. You don't want to go above those without increasing the fuel because all that will do is put more stress on the motor with no benefit. I've got a Dawes boost controller on mine. Its set at 13psi but it'll hit 14, maybe 15 if I floor it for a while up a long hill. Under normal full-throttle acceleration, however, it won't top 13psi.

It's not a question of "safe limits" but, the point at which additional boost does nothing but raise the temperature of the incoming charge air.

I've got the SD at 13.5" and, I'm quite convinced that there is insufficient fuel to use the air available at that pressure. I'm also fairly sure that the ALDA is maxed out at a level that's less than 13.5".

Therefore, I'd set the boost at approximately 12". Anything more than 12" is basically useless.

what was the stock pressure?

Stock boost pressure on a 617 is 10.3-11.7 psig

The controller I have is a cheapy but mechanically it works well. I do not have any type of markings to tell me where it is set at. So, I should be able to just back it out to where I will get the minimal amount of boost the the wore out wastegate will keep and just increase the controller until the gauge will not show anything greater than 12psi right? I guess anything over 12 psi at that point will just go on out the waste gate?

I did not check the stock boost before I installed the controller. I did the controller and the gauge at the same time and took it for a spin.

Pics
 

Here are the picss:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l231/JEREMYC_03/boostcontroller003.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l231/JEREMYC_03/boostcontroller001.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l231/JEREMYC_03/boostcontroller004.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l231/JEREMYC_03/boostcontroller005.jpg

Why do all of the boost gages I see have a vacuum range on them also?

I just picked up a 0-15 psi gage with the intention of installing it as a boost gage. Do I now have another useless spare gage? :)

-Jim

The vacuum gauges are just there because most of the customers they sell to have gas engines. 0-15psi is all you need.

If you would have checked it before installing the controller, you most likely would have been seeing around 7-8psi of boost, most likely due to age on the wastegate and being set slightly conservative from the factory.

My waste gate is stock, as far as I know, and 'opens' at about 10.5 psi on my 0-15 psi gauge. I see about 2-3 psi at 60 MPH and about 6 at 80 MPH.

The right way to do it.
 

Excellent!

Huh. Both mine were around 7-8 psi before adding the controller and I've read about several others that saw the same. Good to hear yours was still where its supposed to be!

You should be seeing 6-7psi at 60 and about 10-12psi at 80mph.

Interesting. So what's wrong? What do I do to fix it?

I will say that my car has never had the 'rush' feeling of getting on the tubo as it winds up -- but I always thought it was due to the trap cat restricting the breathing. Would be happy to be wrong! :D

I've never played with a TrapOx equipped engine so that may be the case. That Trap is a pretty significant restriction and allows the exhaust to expand before the turbo.

It's really neat how you mounted that gauge! I wish my SD had round vents :(

I'm going to make a little pod that I set right next to the hump for the instrument cluster, I have to repair some cracks in my dash anyway so I thought I'd integrate a pod in there... Volts, Boost and EGT whenever I get the $$ for all that..

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I will adjust it today so the waste gate "opens" at around 12psi or so. Thanks again for all of the info. If any one has any questions about an install, please feel free to pm me!

I've wondered about finding a welder to make me a test pipe so I can remove the trap ox and make some comparison tests. That would be easier and quicker than finding a federal version and swapping the parts. You have to replace everything all the way from the air cleaner to the exhaust pipe, or so I've read here. :D

I think you're fine Jeremy, I get the same readings as you with my Fed engine. I can get it up to 11 psi or so when I have it floored, but it never gets that high otherwise.

Thanks, so do I. :D :D :D

How about this VDO with 15psi range? A little more inkeeping with the MB styling?
http://www.egauges.com/vdo_mult.asp?Type=Turbo_Boost&Series=Vision&Units=E

RT

I suggest ISSPRO gauges. The have 10x better lighting and night visibility than VDO.

http://www.egauges.com/vdo_ind.asp?Type=Manifold_Pressure&Series=EVA&PN=R5611

He has more of what I bought. I liked the silicone filled gage.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320045233254&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RSCC_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT&refitem=3200 40364923&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=StoreCatToStoreCat&usedrule2=CrossSell_ LogicX&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget
-Jim

1-1/2" is pretty small. Standard gauges are 2-1/16"

I'm using a VDO boost and pyrometer. They match the stock gauges well in terms of looks and lighting. :P Seriously though I am happy with them. I think it would be distracting to have ultra bright gauges.

That is what I have. Scroll through the pics posted after the Sacramento GTG and you will see my 3-gauge panel.

Mine too, it was a joke. lol

I'm about 13psi now. MUCH better down the freeway.

Did you adjust max load at all? These engines should have an excess of air, so I am surprised there was an effect from increasing the boost.

I have been wanting to do this for a while, as lately I have basically no torque at highway speeds. Like the engine can't pull the car against wind resistance. 0-60 around 15s, feels ok around town but is a dog on the highway.

Nope, but there was a noticable difference back to stock boost. 8psi is WAY too low. Car would struggle on the freeway, the extra boost allowed for more fuel as I recall when I had the ALDA.

So now that I have my boost back to stock or just a little better, how do I adjust the fuel coming in? With the ALDA? Someone has already removed the plastic cap on mine and there is a rubber cap covering it now. I am looking for max fuel economy, not max power. Thanks!

ALDA helps with off the line perfomance.

Your economy should remain the same when it's at proper spec.

I would strongly suggest it. It is very easy to do. Took me about an hour to install the controller and the gauge and I took my time. I really noticed the most difference on the highway. When I go up a hill now, the car does not bog at all. The boost goes up to about 10 psi and it just scoots right along. I have a bunch of things I need to do to the car to get it up to the level of maintenance that it needs. I am going to get the "renew" kit from dieselgiant here pretty soon. It should take care of a lot of the small issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgkast (Post 1323340) Did you adjust max load at all? These engines should have an excess of air, so I am surprised there was an effect from increasing the boost.

Increasing boost will increase fueling as the IP is boost referenced. More boost = more fuel-to a point. The overboost switch inline in the manifold pressure (boost) line running from the back of the intake manifold to the IP will close causing a decrease in fuel if manifold pressure exceeds about 14psi.

I would assume that removing/bypassing the overboost switch will allow the IP to continue to add more fuel at higher manifold pressure. This would be a stupid thing to try without an EGT gauge. The other issue that has been mentioned is the temperature of the air exiting the turbocharger at 13 or so psi is already quite warm. Increasing manifold pressure beyond 13 or 14 psi produces diminishing returns as the increase in temperature negates any gain. Time for an intercooler.

RT

Rob, the limit is basically the limit of the ALDA. Once the ALDA reaches it's limit, you can add all the boost you wish and the vehicle won't perform any better.

In my tests with the ALDA, the limit appears to be 12 psi or less with an ALDA that has been tweaked to provide more fuel off idle. Since the ALDA has a fixed range, if the ALDA is used with the setting from the factory, I'd hazard a guess that 13.5 psi might be required to reach the limit of it's travel.

Did you see my thread on running the 603 without an ALDA installed? This is the true measure of the ALDA limit. The rack is not limited by the ALDA at any point in it's operation.

That's in the works, just need to have my spare intake manifold modified.

Even after I intercool I don't plan on turning up the boost too much. Maybe up to 15 psi from the stock 10 psi that I get now when I have a good load on the engine.


I bet your 12 psi test result is on the money. It seems that the MB engineers would want the ALDA to be maxed out for a few PSI before the overboost protection kicks in. If the ALDA has been turned up (like most of ours) I bet it is topped out around 10 psi.

As long as you can build enough pressure for the ALDA to reach full load when you floor it I see no reason to increase the boost levels...If I want more boost and more power I will just put my foot in it.

With an intercooler, you'll be able to adjust the full load of the IP to take advantage of the increased boost.

Without a full load adjustment, a boost level above 12 psi does absolutely nothing.

The ALDA reaches the limit of it's travel. At that point, it does not limit the travel of the rack. Therefore, and additional boost is simply ineffective.

If you go into the IP and increase the full load setting, now you've shifted the curve and more air is required. So, higher boost settings are necessary to prevent smoke and give additional power. None of this is related to the ALDA, however.

A full load adjustment is the plan after I see how much my EGTs drop; then I will increase full load until I am back near stock temperatures. So far I have only been able to get the Exhaust up to about 1100 F pre-turbo.

The exhaust temperature is load and time dependent. These diesels can run much more fuel and put out considerably more power if the time under load is limited.

Naturally, the factory has them set so that you can run them at full load indefinitely. That's why their power ratings are so conservative.

Your 1100F. temperature would probably climb up above 1200F. on a 1/4 mile run, but, it's well within safe limits.

You could turn up the full load screw right now and run it for a limited time at full load. You may have only 15 seconds before it climbs above 1200F. With a pyrometer, you can do many devious things and not hurt the engine.

I noticed that when I had my boost turned up to where it would hit 15psi or so, I would here a clicking comeing from somewhere around the left side of the dash panel. It was a quick intermittant clicking. Was that the overboost valve that is mounted on the left side of firewall working because of too much pressure?

My guess is "yes."

As per Brian,
I like that phrase! ;) Not going to try it, but I like it.;)

Put another way... the ALDA enrichment is limited by the internal full-load rack stop. With the ALDA maxed out (or removed, which I don't recommend for most people), the power is ultimately limited by the full-load fuel delivery (assuming that you have enough air). Spec for 617 boost is 0.75-0.85 bar, or about 10-12psi.

All this talk about boost pressure at a given speed, or feeling a rush of power (or lack thereof), is highly subjective and hard to prove anything with. How about a 0-60 test with a stopwatch, even better if you can confirm the speedo is accurate with a handheld GPS. That's usually a good barometer for your power output.

If you monkey with the full-load setting, you may have to actually lean out the ALDA, as the full load moves the whole rack (as I understand it), and will increase fuel delivery over the whole RPM range. Don't even think about this without a pyrometer. You're safe up to about 1300F, but at 1500F I chicken out and lift my foot. Time for an intercooler....

:silly:

http://www.w124performance.com/image...t/peak_EGT.jpg

Thanks for the info and pic. Pretty neat pic. You are braver than I!

waste gate?
 

How do I know if my waste gate is opening? I dont hear the psh I used to.
Is it the EGR? I noticed that this guy has no EGR in his last pictire.
Help a brother out.