Turbo waste gate.
 

I have just noticed my black rubber hose from the turbo to the waste gate is dry and cracked, with a hole. Looks like a big PITA to get to the back side of the turbo to remove the stock clamp for the hose. Any ideas on replacement of this hose?

It's nowhere as hard as you describe. Two clamps and about 1' of hose, nothing to be complicated. All you need is a screwdriver and maybe a knife to cut the hose off the nipples.

It's a very important hose and you should get it fixed asap.

You can even use fuel line hose as a temporary solution until you get the correct type of tube.

Am I loosing boost from this hose?

With it leaking, the wastegate will not receive the proper pressure signal. That will make the turbo put out too much boost pressure.

There's an overboost protection system that vents the pressure to the ALDA if an overboost occurs because of a bad wastegate or wastegate hose. The problem is, a lot of the overboost protection systems on these old cars are all gunked up and don't work properly anymore...so you're really risking your engine if you don't get it fixed ASAP.

I use the standard 3/8" fuel line hose. For $1.00, you can replace it about 18 times compared to a proper "wastegate hose".

It ought to last about two years or so.

This is somewhat of a thread hijack, but my dad basically took out the overboost protection on my 300d because it was "limiting the power"
I assume by that he meant that it was partially clogged. It has run with the vacuum (aren't they vacuum?) lines to and from the overboost protector directly connected.

Should I try to clean it out with brake cleaner while he's not looking, wash it with water, let it dry, and put it back in?
Do you think there would be anything majorly wrong because it was bypassed?

The engine seems fine, consumes no oil to speak of, and doesn't smoke... What would be the symptoms if there was damage?



My understanding of engines is limited to the basics, but the turbo is basically pressurizing air and putting it into the cylinders, letting you get more bang every time the pistons come down. When my dad bypassed the overboost protector, he basically put the turbo in a non protected overdrive, so if there was damage...
The rods would bend and there would be oil consumption, right?

You should clean it.......spray some Brakekleen inside it.......but don't go wild.

Get it so that it will flow air and reinstall it.

It's a safety device only. If the wastegate fails and there is no modulation of boost pressure, there is a sensor on the manifold that will ground when the manifold pressure reaches 16 psi. This will open the overboost solenoid and the boost pressure will be vented rather than go to the ALDA. Since the ALDA provides the fuel enrichment, the engine gets less fuel and produces less exhaust and the manifold pressure drops accordingly.

The rods won't bend if the engine suffers from too much boost. However, the head gasket might be compromised.