To me it looks like the wastegate is pushed open. Verify I'm not mistaken, if not, then cut that arm and reweld it shorter.


BTW....I love the custom shaped air filter

 

That's a filthy engine bay...but who am I to talk with my non-turbo car?

 

yeah dude the waste gate looks like its already pushed opemn. hmmmmmm

 

well I agree it looks open but, here its in a similar position and the door is closed... I'll take a look tonight

 

Your breather filter port isn't still plugged like in those pics is it? That's a good way to screw things up...although not related to your boost problem.

 

no that was just to remind me, its routed to the intake pre turbo now.

well the hood wouldnt close, then it started with the mama jokes

 

were is the wastegate line ran to? could it have a vac leak for that or not be hooked up right? or maybe you are boosting but its just your gauge? how high did you get your rpms?

oh also were you driving while reving it or just sitting there. i cant get into boost or atleast cant see it on the gauge sitting still gotta have a load on it.

it also could verry well be just your heat sheild is blocking the arm from movimg properly

 

all good points, the wastegate line is routed to the port on the compressor, the bov is plumb there as well, but I think its fine and hadnt blown off.

the gauge is a little sunpro pos but I certainly didnt feel any boost from idle to redline, uphill (up university->park->washington, we live near each other), or wot. the gauge is plumb inline with the autotune pressure switch, is it possible the pressure switch is backwards? just thought of that, I dont remember any markings on it but...

and I was going to check the heat shield but it was hot and I had to run a part back to the shop right away... thats on the list of suspects tonight. it also could be the cotter pin on the wastegate arm, maybe it broke?

 

well get it fixed and get you into boost.

 

A leak in the wastegate vacuum line would make it stick closed.... not open. I'm with braineak, your wastegate is open in that pic.

 

Agreed, mine would be open at that angle.

EDIT:Here's the best pic I have showing what mine looks like when closed.

 

It may not be open but if there is no preload on the flapper it will push open from exhaust gases pretty early. That can prevent you from reaching boost...

How long is the rod on the WGA?

 

The bracket holding the actuator to the housing looks bent. The circled part of the picture can't look like that naturally. Either during shipping or by mishandling, the actuator bracket has been bent and has actually moved the can closer to the CHRA and is holding the flapper open.

With a pair of pliers, grab the bracket and bent it back straight until the rod starts to be pulled out of the can when the flapper is fully closed.

ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO BACK ME UP ON THIS, OR AM I CRAZY?

 

I just held the 16g sitting on my office floor (you'd recognize it Sam ) up to the monitor to compare. While the bend that Sam pointed out is normally there, the wastegate is most certainly beign held open; the rod is pughing the lever waay too far.

 

You may be right, however, it could also totally be bent like that stock. I've seen enough interesting bends in otherwise good wastegate actuator brackets that I did't ask about it

 

The bend is fine. Both my 16g actuators look like that.

 

You want at least a mm of preload. If the rod just slipped over the post on the flapper without you needing to pull it a bit I'd say that that is very likely the problem.

When you hit 0 vac do you get ANY smoke?

 

ok well I got home at took a look at everything...
A. it was being held open, the bracket is bent because the guy tried that before modding the wastegate arm...
B. I spaced the wastegate so that it was closed
C. wastegate blew up when I pressure tested it.

conclusion need new wastegate YAY!

anyone have a 16g wastegate for sale cheap?

 

dude just bend your braket and rod no biggy what do you mean the WG blew up. did it explode what. Mine did the same **** and it was brand new abit of creative bending fixed it right up.

 

This doesn't sound like anything zip-ties can fix