What will happen if i disconnect my wastegate actuator?

[BBowers]

I am contemplating disconnecting and plugging the wastegate actuator hose, or lengthening the adjustable linkage rod to the wastegate on my stock turbo 2003 ctd. I know I am leaving horsepower on the table, and I assume I have the HY 35 turbo, so I am wanting to turn up the boost without damaging anything. I'm looking for about 35 psi max boost to offset the bullydog fueling scene form my tripledog. The dyno charts show only 130 lb-ft of torque on extreme over stock, and 113 horses. my last truck, an 05 auto with a stock motor and exhaust got 104 extra horses and 200 lb-ft to the rear wheels, major torque difference! The 05 had a gutted silencer, drop in true flow filter, and no kitty, whereas my current truck has all the mods listed on below. I think the 05 has an electronic wastegate controller that BD can signal to stay closed to make that extra torque. PLease, someone stop me if im going to grenade my turbo while street driving on extrreme setting on my tripledog with the wastegate actuator disconnected!

 

[JHardwick]

Somebody said that getting more than 28-30psi out of a stock turbo would only produce higher EGT's since the stocker was being pushed out of it's efficiency range. I know that compressing air creates heat and I bought this theory. Heck, I even preached it here on TDR. It souunded like sound advise to me.



Just here recently while on the road with a load of horses, I stopped at a rest stop and while stopped I put a spring clamp on the wastegate hose. After returning to the highway, I immediately noticed 10# of additional boost and 100-200* cooler EGT's ... ... ... ... so go figure?

 

[BHolm]

It is hard to guess at what kind of pressure the turbo might build with the wastegate permanently closed. If you watch the gauge I would think you will be fine setting a personal limit of 35 psi.



On my '06 I have disconnected the electronic solenoid and run a boost line to the actuator like the older style. I have pretty much plugged that line in a effort to build more boost. I can't normally get more than 35 psi and sometimes my EGTs get too high even on the 60 hp setting of my Quad box. Part of my problem though is altitude, I live at 8000 ft and I notice better boost down around 6000 ft which tells me it very well may be the altitude not allowing me to get up around 38-40 psi where I want to be.



Anyway, what I have done by plugging the line should have a similar effect to what you plan to do. Tell the wastegate to stay closed. I have not seen anything near an overboost with my set-up, I am still looking for a little more and have considered doing the same thing you are just to see what happens.

 

[JCleary]

Unplugging the wastegate will do nothing for your hp levels. The turbo just makes hot air after about 30psi. The better option would be to use a boost elbow. At least your wastegate will open slower, and hold a little higher.



The real issue is the Bully Dog. On my '03, the difference between levels was about 10hp from Extreme to Tow, and the boost levels were comparable.



For some reason the '03 trucks do not respond as well to the Bully Dog as the 325/600 trucks do.



Cheapest way to make a HUGE difference is to install a Ramifier. The Bully Dog/Ramifier stack RIPS! Even with the pressure box set at 30-50% it makes a huge difference in boost and performance. OTOH the Bully Dog on Tow stacked with my TST and SPS66 (no pressure) netted me 555/960 at the rear wheels. The Bully Dog is really nice for a mild power increase, but as a stand-alone power adder for an '03 I think it's lacking.



Better yet would be to ditch the Bully Dog and get a Smarty. I did on my '03 and loved the Smarty. Great by itself, wicked when stacked when pressure from the Ramifier. I'm going with this setup as soon as I can on my new '07.



My . 02

 

[JHardwick]

Unplugging the wastegate will do nothing for your hp levels. The turbo just makes hot air after about 30psi. The better option would be to use a boost elbow. At least your wastegate will open slower, and hold a little higher.

So goes the urban legend :-laf

 

[JHardwick]

I can't normally get more than 35 psi and sometimes my EGTs get too high even on the 60 hp setting of my Quad box. Part of my problem though is altitude, I live at 8000 ft and I notice better boost down around 6000 ft which tells me it very well may be the altitude not allowing me to get up around 38-40 psi where I want to be.

I was just in Colorado a week ago and you are exaclty correct. My truck responds way more favorably here @ <1000' in the Ohio River Valley.

 

[BHolm]

Since my improved airflow via the intake horn and filter/tube mod I have tried the 100 hp setting on the quad more. Down at 6000 ft today it would pull 38-39 psi and the EGTs stayed low even on a fairly long pass uphill. Once back up the hill a ways I couldn't make the same numbers. I still suspect that the actuator spring is weak and I may try to lengthen the rod a little to keep the gate closed longer.



The 38-39 psi boost numbers on my truck translate into significantly lower EGTs, there is no doubt about it. Higher on the mountain with it set on 100 hp and only making 35 psi I can hit 1500 in no time. Down lower at 38 psi I was closer to 12-1300. There are definately flow limits to the stock turbos and I suspect that 38-40 psi is about the limit for a "600" truck, probably more like 35 psi for the 305/555 trucks. Up to that point though the extra boost definately helps considerably. Maybe not with a big hp boost but lower EGTs that actually allow the extra fueling.

 

[BBowers]

I have pinched off my wastegate actuator hose with a hose clamp and a 1 inch long, 1/2 " diam. piece of bar stock to allow the hose clamp to pinch better. I wrapped the hose with a few passes of electrical tape to keep the hose form being cut or chafed. I now have 37 psi boost on extreme and my EGT's are now at 1440 or so instead of 1523 doing 0-60 type pulls on the road. Suffice to say it's faster too and the whine is very shrill and menacing compared to the old 30 psi max. I can say this: It doesn't make sense about my results. I am now forcing most or all of the exhaust through the turbine wheel which is tiny, and I have lost some total exhaust flow potential by disabling the waste gate. If the turbo was "making hot air" over 30 psi, it would evidence itslef in HIGHER EGTs, not LOWER!!! SO, In conclusion, i have decided IMHO, that the power gains, lower EGTs and higher boost pressure add up to a condition in which the additional fuel provided by the tripledog is now being burned more completely, thus the lower EGTs and better response. The turbine is seemingly spooling up faster too. idle speed boost is still around 2. 0 psi. 03 vs 05 with electronic wastegate? Problem solved. Just hope it holds together! I don't intend to be using over 20 psi most of the time anyway. I just like knowing I can blow a powerjoke or durapuke off the road now. Please let me know if i am going to grenade my turbo. i haven't heard any ugly noises form under the hood or anying different for that matter other than a shriller whine over 30psi. AS for if the truck smokes less under hard acceleration, I don't know. The truck was accelerating so fast i didnt dare look back for fear of plowing into a rear bumper ahead!!! I don't think it smokes much now, though, didnt remember seeing any smoke in my right sideview!

 

[07dodge]

If u take out the map sensor in your intake, u will see higher boost pressures alot faster. this is the sensor located in the top of the intake going to the turbo. If u just unplug it, it will throw a code so just take those two screws out and throw a plate over top of the hole so that your not sucking dirt in. that map sensor is basically like a voltage regulator that sends a signal to your waste gate to tell it to open.

 

[Bekim]

Removing the IAT sensor will take away your ecm's ability to read the temperature of the incoming air, and eliminate the timing and fuel adjustments that normally occur automatically. The IAT sensor that your talking about is the "Intake Air Temperature Sensor" If you can somehow fool the IAT into thinking the incoming air is cooler (denser) than the ECM will pour more fuel into the mix. Some people do this by placing the sensor in a place where it will get cooler readings, like further from the turbo along the intake. Maybe tapping it into the air box just after the filter would do this.
Cheers
Mike
###

If u take out the map sensor in your intake, u will see higher boost pressures alot faster. this is the sensor located in the top of the intake going to the turbo. If u just unplug it, it will throw a code so just take those two screws out and throw a plate over top of the hole so that your not sucking dirt in. that map sensor is basically like a voltage regulator that sends a signal to your waste gate to tell it to open.

 

[JJPage]

Just purchase an adjustable boost elbow, and a Manifold Pressure Gauge/Boost.



Adjust it to where you want it, and be happy!



If you are going to run any kind of box/downloader, which you are doing, leave the stock boost elbow in, or you will, WILL, destroy your factory turbo.



Maybe not today, but it's days are #ed.