It's mounted but not running yet. Hopefully I will have some information on how it drives tomorrow. I still have to hook up the oil return, vacuum actuator and re-install my intercooler. Stay tuned...

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

very cool, and very interested in how this works out for you.

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Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

blaze the trail, lewis- clark is ahead of you somewhere....
The masses await your word.

How do you plan on controlling it?

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1992 Mercedes 190D 2.5 turbo 5sp manual. EGT+boost gauges. Boost controller set to ~14.5 psi. 1 1/4 turns on full load adjustment. LPG injection. Next in the list is water injection.

Are you measuring exhaust pressure with that copper line?

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For Sale: 1982 MB 300TD
1995 Chevrolet Suburban 6.5TD

Sold: 1980 IH Scout Traveler- Nissan SD33T Diesel

Here is how the control will work:
The turbo vanes are normally closed for fast spool times. As boost pressure increases a pressure actuator opens the vanes to limit boost (this is how forcedinduction's VNT works), the pressure actuator should limit boost at about 15 psi.

At wide open throttle the Vacuum Control Valve is putting out no vacuum so the turbo will be controlled by the pressure actuator alone. At lower throttle the vacuum from the VCV will open the vanes to further reduce boost via a vacuum actuator mounted opposite of the pressure actuator. This should solve the problem of the turbo putting out full boost no matter what position the throttle is at, which exists when a pressure actuator alone is used.

The vacuum control valve puts out a maximum of 15" or so of vacuum which is around -7.8 psi. My pressure and vacuum actuators are roughly the same diameter so every psi of vacuum applied to the vacuum actuator will be equivalent to a psi applied to the pressure actuator, and should reduce the boost the turbo is producing by the same amount. At low throttle my boost level will theoretically be 15 psi – 7.8 psi = 7.2 psi. The factor of boost reduction from the vacuum signal could be adjusted by increasing the size of the vacuum actuator. I also plan to use a vacuum thumbwheel from a euro headlight setup to reduce or cut off the vacuum signal to the turbo on the fly.

Yes, the copper tube is for measuring the pressure at the turbine inlet.

Hopefully I can finish it tonight.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

It's up and running. My first test around the block had the turbo making 15 psi of boost on light to moderate acceleration. This run was with the helper spring disconnected. When cruising the boost was around 10 psi or so, but there was instant boost when I stomped on it. (vertical is 15 psi on the boost gauge)

I hooked up the helper spring and now cruise is 7-8 psi with similar boost on acceleration. The boost pressure can spike to 25 psi or more on a quick takeoff which produces 50 PSI in the exhaust manifold, and noticable bogging of the engine. I still have a bit of work to do...

Here is a rev at idle

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Sounds MEAN!



Water-Air IC? nice setup.



Could you provide more pictures of the actuator setup and possible a little photoshop schematic of it all?

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-1983 VW Rabbit LS Diesel (5speed, VNT/Giles build)

Here is one more picture of the installed turbo/IC


I mounted a wastegate actuator on the bracket that the vacuum actuator that came with the turbo was mounted on, then made a new bracket to mount the vacuum actuator opposite of the pressure actuator.




The vanes are fully closed (high boost position) with no vacuum or pressure signals, and open with pressure or vacuum. The linkage arms both fit onto the vane control lever.

My pressure actuator took a bit more pressure than I liked to begin opening, so I added a helper spring to lower the opening pressure.



I can draw up a diagram of the lines, but it is quite simple. The vacuum signal line for the transmission is tapped for the signal to the vacuum actuator, the pressure actuator is hooked up like a standard wastegate, with a signal line tapped into the compressor outlet.


I need to try driving it with the vanes fully open to see if I still get 20+ psi of boost at high RPMs. If I do then that means that the turbine is too small to work ideally on the 617 and I will need to add an external wastegate, if the boost level is OK with them fully open then I need to find a better pressure actuator.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Dont just look at it as PSI, the main thing you want to look at is CFM.


Max psi is one thing, boost threshold is another....

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-1983 VW Rabbit LS Diesel (5speed, VNT/Giles build)

I'm not sure I follow.

If the vanes are fully open, and I am still building 50 PSI of exhaust pressure in front of the turbo then the turbine is too small to flow the volume of exhaust that it needs to in this engine, and I will need to add a wastegate to bypass the turbine when the boost is still rising but the vanes are fully open.

The Liberty CRD is a 2.8L engine that redlines at 4,300RPM vs the 617 at 3.0L and a what, 5,000RPM redline? The Liberty also uses 20+ psi of boost, where as I only want 15 max.

I have still yet to test drive the car with the vane actuators disabled and the vanes fully open. I am hopeful that boost will stay under 15-20 PSI at full load and high RPMs.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Are you sure your actuators are moving the full stroke? Your vacuum actuator looks to be pretty short...

The vane lever travels about a good 3/4".

no, I'm not sure, but I will check. The vacuum actuator should have enough travel though, it came with the turbo.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

I just got back from a test drive with the vanes fully open and could not get the boost to hit more than 13 psi with the turbine inlet pressure never reaching 25-27 psi. It appears that the turbo is a fine size for the 617 and that my problem with over-boosting/high turbine inlet pressure is caused by my pressure actuator. I am talking with forge motorsport about having a custom pressure actuator made for me, as I have not been able to find a large diameter pressure actuator that operates at the pressures I need. http://www.forgemotorsport.co.uk/content.asp?inc=product&cat=0001&product=FMAC48CUST

I did a few 0-60 runs and noticed that my EGTs are abot 250* F lower than with the stock T3 (650 vs 850). Looks like it's time to bump up the fuel.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Ask them if they can make more than one... I have a turbo in a box in the garage waited to be liberated.