sorry guys, but these "boost elbows" are junk

[Forrest Nearing]

I realize they're pretty much the industry standard, but these things really are a compromised design... I guess if it's just something you set and forget, it's all good, but mine started giving me trouble tonight...



I bought my truck w/ a fair amount of mods already done to it... injectors, plate, GSK, clutch, etc... and a boost elbow was one of those mods...



when I bought the truck it made 35psi...



I later found a tear in one of the intercooler boots, so I put some PDR boots on it. all good... then I noticed the boost would creep up to 37psi when it was cold out... no worries...



well tonight, I noticed when I'd wail on it, boost would hit 40 pretty quickly and start creeping even higher!



I played with the adjustment on the elbow... finally got it down to 35psi again... life was good... then all of a sudden it was like someone shoved a potato in the exhaust pipe (or a pair of canteloupes in the stacks!)



popped the hood and found that the allen headed set screw had backed all the way out and fell out onto the road! :{ of course it's xmas eve, and I'm leaving for Oklahoma tomorrow



I got home and after trying a number of different bolts and such, found a zerk fitting of all things, that had the same thread... tightened it down, and the truck's making 35psi again.



I realize the elbows work, but it just doesn't seem like that great of a design... I'm going to fab up a pressure relief style bleeder like I used to use on my turbo gassers!



I guess I just had to vent more than anything... I was kinda ticked off when I was looking at possibly having to drive to Oklahoma in an accidental "valet" mode, but when the new turbo goes on, I'm putting a better boost adjuster on too!



Forrest

 

[krs]

To be fair I've never seen a boost elbow supplied without an instruction not to adjust it. As to an adjustable one - find the Turbo Master at

http://www.turbo-master.com/?page=products&cat=Turbo-Master Boost Controllers&make=dodge



(noaffiliationorrelations) at all.

 

[JTBMC]

Thanks for the link, thats just the thing I need for my buddies 01

TJ

 

[Ramafid]

I agree that the adjustable elbows just don't work well. I was constantly adjusting due to the set screw not staying in the same position for very long. I finally drilled a slightly larger hole in my non-adjustable boost elbow and have been happy ever since.

 

[BPonci]

Try a variable control regulator. Works great!

 

[Forrest Nearing]

like I said, it was on the truck when I got it... I can fab something up that'll work great for $5-10 or so. I'm just surprised that so many people use these things... I'm not impressed.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

People use them because they are quick, cheap, and effective. Some are not adjustable, but the ones that are give you a bit of room to tailor your boost. Anything over 28 pounds is fine. The setscrew stays in because it is jammed into the end of the threads. If you loosen it, put on blue loctite because vibration happens. BTW most companies use 1/4 x 20 threads. If you loosen other bolts on the engine--they will fall out too. So do dowel pins

 

[WadePatton]

I'm not sure exactly which "elbow" you're talking about. I drilled my N/A elbow and cranked on the WG rod to get my boost where I wanted it on the stock charger.



The Dodgezilla that I'm running now came with a short brass extension piece--where the elbow normally plugs in. This extension is drilled and tapped--and comes with several pre-drilled button-head screws. The hole through the screw bleeds off pressure to the WG actuator. Bigger hole = slower WG = more boost.



This would be easy enough to fab up at home, but City Diesel might sell you the parts. I dunno.

 

[krs]

"Bigger hole = slower WG = more boost"... ... or other way around?

 

[WadePatton]

Originally posted by KRS

"Bigger hole = slower WG = more boost"... ... or other way around?

It is very easy to misunderstand the setup I'm talking about. Let me 'splain it again.



Stock-- boost line transfers boost pressure to WG acutator.



The traditional "boost" elbow. Restricted orifice -INLINE- delays boost to the WG actuator. If you make this hole bigger, then the WG comes in faster.



What I've got. Boost "extension" -VENTED TO ATMOSHERE- The bigger the vent hole, the bigger the pressure loss to the WG, the slower the WG responds, hence more boost.



Yeah, I put the wrong vent screw in first trying to reduce pressures.



questions?

 

[Joe G.]

Wade,



Do you think something with a needle valve would work? I can't help but wonder why Dodgezilla didn't use something like that.

 

[WadePatton]

I find this arrangement quite simple. It's like re-jetting a carburetor (anybody remember those?), except there's no disassembly. Remove the air hose to the turbo, R&R screw, replace air hose--that's it.



I've read of members setting up their own needle-valve adjustment. I think at least one guy rigged his up inside the cab. I don't like the idea of inadvertent adjustment of a valve.

 

[DPS]

I really like my 1/8 inch pipe plug for stock charger trucks. Low Egt with proper fueling and 40-44 lbs of boost every time.

 

[WadePatton]

My truck went into the 40's with the DDUFM and regular boost elbow. Plug would have been way much. I drilled and adjusted to get it down into mid 30's.



The first time I really hammered my current setup the boost needle was swinging toward 50 VERY QUICKLY and I got out of it by 48#. I was told to keep this turbo at 45 and that it "maps" at 42 It's now reset for 45 max--a couple of screws larger. Can't do that with a plug.



I may go plug the 12v, see what it'll do.

 

[lmills]

A lot of the 24 valve guys with automatics have disabled their wastegastes all togethers. Certain year trucks had the hard line to the wastegate. So the only thing you could do was turnbuckle it shut or replace the turbo with a different model. I personally ran my hy-35 on my 01 up till the day I sold it with the waqstegate disabled. I put the turnbuckle on at around 50,000 miles and didn't take it off till around 95,000 miles. I usually ran it around 33 pounds with the EZ and hit around 40 with my EZ and injectors. I personally never had any issues with the turbo. Not saying that this will work for everyone, but I am currently doing it to m 03 also. So far so good.

 

[sfritts]

I had trouble with the set screw in the boost elbow . So I bought a bottle of Vibratite, It looks like and smells like the wife's nail polish. This stuff seems to handle getting hot better than Blue Locktite. Since I put it on the screw hasn't moved when I didn't want it to. I usually run 30- 32 psi. but sometimes I crank it up to 39-40 psi to make them guys that own the brands X & Y trucks feel bad.

 

[RKohn]

1/4" x 1" setscrew works great...

Take off the hose. Screw it in a couple inches. Put the hose back on. No muss, no fuss, no adjustment needed.