I got my turbo installed a few days ago, and i've been having fun driving it around the last couple days. Now i'm starting to really pay attention to my boost gauge to look at spool and stuff, and its really slow. Now i expect that with the big ebay turbo and diy mani, but like ismaels post, i think it's still slower than it should be. Just went for a drive with the wastegate disconnected and i hit 5 psi at 5000 rpm in 3rd. The wastegate arm helped, so i'm gonna get a mbc. but i suspect a boost leak as well. I know that the bov i got from siliconeintake.com leaks a little, like when it was off the car i could blow on it through where the charge piping connects and a little air would come out, is that tiny leak enough to significantly loose boost? i guess ill cap off the bov and the ends this weekend to look for any other leaks. any other ideas?

 

#1 cause of boost leaks is a disconnected coupler somewhere.

Check all your couplers and go from there.

 

Anyone who owns a turbo car and doesn't have an intake leak tester like sold at silicone intakes is wasting their time trying to find a leak by yanking on pipes. There are at least 8 hose clamps in most IC setups here. All it takes is one clamp a bit sideways off of the bead to create a leak. You'll never find that by pulling on pipes.

 

^Yes.

You can make your own for like 10 bucks. Get a coupler of just about any sort, a air fitting (either one for a compressor hose or even just a ghetto barb fitting) and a pvc cap that fits in the coupler and a ring clamp. Clamp the cap into the coupler, maybe use some adhesive while you are at it. Drill and tap the center of the cap for the fitting. USe the adhesive and put in the fitting. Let it all dry, slap it onto the turbo inlet, and voila, put 25 psi into your intake plumbing. Leaks are amaing things, they pop up where you least expect them. I guarantee you have them if you have not pressure tested your system.

Edit: I forgot that you will need a clamp for the coupler side going onto the turbo inlet. One caution here is that in some cases if you have this thing loose or the air fitting is not properly secured to the cap, stuff will start flying around at a pretty decent velocity. I almost lost an eye this way. I usually put the pressure to it from a distance and then get in there and find the leaks.

 

Ya I'll make one this weekend

 

on evo m they have a how to of how to make your own for like $5.02 heres the link
How To: Boost leak tester for $5.02 - evolutionm.net
you could also get one of the valve stems that has a pressure gauge on it if youd want to

 

alright i'm going to do this today, main question about the evo site way is is it ok to keep the tubing hooked up to the tb while doing this?

 

You have to in order to keep the pressure in the plumbing to find the leaks. Otherwsie you would just have all the air blasting right out of the UICP where it normally connects to the TB.