2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Wastegate NOT Disabled but....

[JFulford]

I've got a 2002 Ram with an Edge EZ. I just installed Bosch 275RV injectors and

started researching the forums for a "turnbuckle" description. Found it, got ready to install it, then noticed, while entering the highway at 3/4 throttle, my boost guage was reading 30 to 31. I've now duplicated this reading a few times.

What gives? As far as I can tell, the wastegate has not been physically disabled.

Any ideas?

jeff



2002 Ram QCSB, 4. 10s, 47RE, 82K, Westach boost, fuel, EGT, Trans Temp,

AFE Filter/housing, Edge EZ, 275RV injectors

 

[NoSeeUm]

Waste gate stuck closed seems most obvioius?



Jim

 

[JFulford]

Jim,

I actually haven't checked that! I've visibly looked at it and it "looked" fine; clean and with all the parts there. I forgot to mention that, before I installed the injectors(and this may be my old age brain) that my boost would top out around 21. I had thought about a turnbuckle before the injectors because of this. I had actually quit paying attention to it because it got to 21 so fast and the power dropped off. I noticed it recently because when I was accelerating off the entrance ramp, my power didn't seem to be dropping off as quickly and that's when I noticed the guage at 31.

jeff

 

[DNewell]

Also be on the lookout for a clog in a small rubberized line that runs to the wastegate. My brother ran a KW for a while, and indicated that when this rubberized line is capped off, they can develop quite a bit more boost. On the big rigs, it's a good mod, but apparently on our trucks, it can have disasterous consequences on the turbo...

 

[NoSeeUm]

Jim,

I actually haven't checked that! I've visibly looked at it and it "looked" fine; clean and with all the parts there. I forgot to mention that, before I installed the injectors(and this may be my old age brain) that my boost would top out around 21. I had thought about a turnbuckle before the injectors because of this. I had actually quit paying attention to it because it got to 21 so fast and the power dropped off. I noticed it recently because when I was accelerating off the entrance ramp, my power didn't seem to be dropping off as quickly and that's when I noticed the guage at 31.

jeff

LOL I know all about the old brain...



OK that makes a bit more sense, but keep in mind that my truck has a HX35 which is a slightly bigger turbo with a different waste gate actuator set up.



Some information might help you. In case you don't know, a stock truck has two methods to control high boost. The waste gate actuator is the first way, and the second is the engine computor itself (ECM). The ECM limits fuel by cutting fuel back (defueling) when boost gets too high. Normally both methods gang up to make sure boost stays in the low twenties.



By installing the EZ you have effectively disabled the ECM high boost defueling function and now must entirely rely on the waste gate actuator. In the past when I was running a set-up simular to you, I could drive my boost pressure to 25 psi. For the HX35 you can add boost elbow to get boost a bit higher which I did intentionally to raise my boost to 35 psi.



I would certainly check to ensure that your waste gate operaties freely. The reason and the alternative is that it is possible to drive your boost pressure higher than your waste gate opening setpoint. It can be caused by just having an excessive exhaust flow rate. If this is happening, you need to be careful. I believe a HY35 can be easily over rev'd. If that is the case it would generally indicate that you are running too much fuel and need a bigger turbo.



Other than that, I don't think that 31 psi is all that bad. But it is certainly something to find out about.



Out of curiosity, what was your EGT at those times you saw 31 psi?



Jim

 

[JFulford]

Thanks for all the info!

I am going to check the hose and the hardware functionality of the wastegate(soon as it quit raining!). Jim, I'll let you know the EGTs as soon as I get on it again--had the guage in the "shutdown" position before, so 950 is not a correct answer.



I knew about the boost fooler on the EZ; didn't think it would allow/override the wastegate, but started wondering. I guess the injectors were just a red herring. Probably just watching things closer after I put them in.



I'll respond with the EGTs as soon as I get them. I currently have an AFE filter/housing but my exhaust is stock.



jeff

 

[SHughes]

When I was running the stock exhaust on mine with the DD2's and Edge Juice, I had a hard time getting boost up to 20'ish PSI. Since I put the 4" exhaust on it spools to 30 PSI quicker that I ever thought it would! And I haven't touched the wastegate at all. I've only been able to push it to 35 PSI on two seperate occasions, propbably a good thing with the way I drive.



Up a long hill, running empty, I get 30 PSI and 1050-1150 degrees. I usually back out of it at about 80-85 MPH though. But that is with the Juice set at 5x5. With it set at 3x4 (my normal setting) boost comes up just as well and EGT's are a little lower.

 

[2-ND TIME]

Waste gate Wasted

Mine will start to cut back fueling at 15 lbs boost, the absolute boost is 21 lbs with the plug in power or lack of ( when it finally get there, as of late it is running like a naturaly aspirated engine again ) :{

 

[JFulford]

It looks like around 950-1000 degrees at 30-31 PSI, but it may still be climbing.



I tried moving my wastegate rod a bit from the top and got very little movement.

I've also noticed since the last time I posted that I haven't hit 30 again; now it is topping off at 25-27psi. Maybe the wastegate is just "sticky"; I really haven't driven the truck that hard for a year or more.

jeff