Turbosmart Dual-stage Boost Controller

[long33]

I have installed the above unit as per instructions(just realised i havent removed the factory boost control solenoid but i dont know where that is either!) and am having a few problems, there doesnt seem to be anything happening!!?? ive done test runs and changed the dials to increase pressure but my boost gauge and my stomach aint feeling a difference. I fear that i may not have the pressure lines hooked up to the wrong pipes. Can anyone help me with pics maybe or more specific instructions on how and where these things are :

1) INTERNAL WASTEGATE SETUP

• Allow the engine to cool down before installing your boost controller

• Locate the pressure source port and the wastegate actuator port on the turbocharger assembly (refer drawing 1)

• Remove the factory boost control solenoid if fitted from the boost pressure supply port while leaving the solenoid connected to the

ECU

• Install the DSBC Tee piece in the wastegate pressure line with the wastegate arrow pointing towards the wastegate actuator

• If your wastegate actuator has additional ports, these will need to be blocked

• Secure all silicone hose ends with hose clamps

• Mount your boost controller bracket onto the vehicle, and then attach the boost controller onto the bracket with the supplied screws

• Make sure the boost dials are turned completely anti-clockwise before making adjustments.

[Alex_r33s2gts25t]

Hey man i can help u with this as i just installed the exact same unit bout 2 weeks ago lol. This was for an R33 GTST... not sure how it would vary with other models but i can imagine it would be simillar. If you havent removed the factory boost solenoid your doing something wrong so start over, this is roughly how i did it:

1. I pulled out the factory air box (front right of the car) to give me more room to work with...4 bolts (its easier to loosen the hose clamp and unplud the connector and just pull out the AFM (air flow meter) attached to the box).

2. The factory boost solenoid (located behind the Air box) has 2 hoses attached to it. You need to unplug both of these from the factory solenoid.

(http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/uploads/1188354774/gallery_41505_11_38452.jpg)

You need to block off the top hose with either a screw or a bolt that you can jam in for a tight fit then stick a cable tie round it just to be sure.

The hose below, follow it until it connects to a T peice. This T peice joins the hose going from the intercooler (black pipe) to the wastegate (further down under). Pull out the T peice. This is where your boost controller connects up. im pretty sure the ARROW on the turbosmart tpeice points to the wastegate, it says it in the instructions, so plug that end pointing towards the waste gate and the other end to the peice of hose comming off the intercooler piping. Tighten with cable ties or even better small hose clamps if u have any (bunnings 3 bux each)

You can now unplug the socket of the factory boost solenoid (wires going to ecu) and unbolt it from the car and remove it all together. I bolted the turbosmart into this space where the old factory solenoid was.

Thats the easy part done, now you gotta do the wiring. Lemme see if i can remember how it went:

3. The brown wire you need to ground to the vehicle chasis, i used the O connector that came in the lil plastic bag, crimped it onto the wire, then put it under one of the bolts as u get the air box back on.

4. The blue extension wire u get seperate, from inside the car tape it to a coat hanger and under the glove box there is a rubber gromit (i removed the glove box to give me more room dunno if its necessary or not) on the wall of the car. Its about 10cm in diameter and has a wiring stack comming through, poke the coat hanger through the rubber (i had to make a new hole cause it was a bastard to get through) then pull the wire through into your engine bay, just enough to reach the boost controller. They give you some black plastic shrink wrap, slide some down one end of the wire before you join them up, then you can slide it over the join and heat it with a lighter to seal your joining of the blue wires.

5. Now inside the car, you need to decide where your gunna put the switch. I drilled a hole into my dash to the left of the fuse box, (bottom right of dash). Only drill a hole big enough to fit the switch and its neck through, then youll tighten the cap around the outside to hold it in place. (the caps meant to sit so u open the cap, then flick the switch (to go high boost), but when you shut the cap it automatically flips the switch back down).

6. Run the blue wire to the switch, attach the female connector peice to the end of the wire, crimp it onto the wire... then it just slots onto one side of the switch. Preferably while the switch is down, with the cap closed, it should go on the side the switch is selecting in its off position. (i.e switch pointing down, it should be on the lower connector, the direction the switch is pointing)

7. I found i needed to get some more wire from dicksmiths to run the top half of the switch to a power source. Make sure the wire is the same thickness if u dont have enough. Attach this next wire to another female connector and slot it onto the remaining connector at the back of the switch, then run the other end of the wire to a 12v power source running of the ignition. There are some wires in the car which are constant 12v, u dont want this as it will power the boost controller even with your car off (if u leave the switch on) and flatten your battery. Then there are wires which will run 12v once you turn the keys to ACC (accessory) this is fine, and wires which will only run 12v once you actually start the ignition of the vehicle, even better. You can test wires using a multimeter, by inserting a pin into a wire (carefully), then grounding the black electrode to the chasis, and the red (positive) to the pin, nd test the wire with car off, acc, and then on check the voltage runnin it should be round the 12mark.

You may wanna disconnect the - terminal of the battery before proceding lol to be safe...

Anyway i just hooked mine up to the cigarette lighter because it was the easiest for me to get too... one screw behind the ashtray and the dash just pops out. The cigarette lighter had like 3 cables commin of it.. one was acc, one was for the light around it, and the other was ground. Pretty much, the wire on its own is the light, the other 2, black is generally ground (i cant reembr wat colour the wires were) and the other was the ACC 12V, so i just very carefully striped some of the plastic off it and wrapped the wire around this. You could just cut the wire and wind it back together with the blue wire, and heat shrink wrap it or electrical tape it, whatever u do make sure its covered well so it wont touch any other surfaces.

and thats about it... its doable... if your unsure get a friend who knows how to use a multimeter to help you with the wiring bit of it. You can also wire it up to the wiring block comming of the ignition but it seemed like too much effort lol.

Make sure you have an aftermarket boost gauage installed... so u can detect boost spike and get a more accurate reading of your pressure... Remember to have both dials at their minimal settings... and remember you cant go above 10psi (0.69 bar??? from memory double check that) without a piggyback for your ecu or the car will richen the air/fuel rations thinking somethings wrong and it will run like shit.

After i installed mine, for some reason the car is boosting at 10psi at its minimal setting (factory is like 7 at its high point)... with the dials turned to their lowest positions... the factory boost guage is telling me 8psi and the aftermarket one is telling me 10psi thats why its important to have one. Also means the switch is useless till i get a SAFC for the ecu, and even then remember not to go above 12psi as your at the limit of the factory turbo.

ALSO do not up the boost unless you have upgraded your intercooler or u risk detonation nd damaging your engine... your post was lite on info so i just threw all this in, just incase you werent aware.

I think that about covers it... reassemble everything back how it was lol...

if you have any questions pm me.

g'luck with your install

[long33]

thanks man i apperecite all that info, all i needed to know was where the stupid t-piece conected to!everyting else i already did. i also have a 33gtst btw. i have an upgraded cooler (fmic of course), pod and turbo-back 3" exhaust so basically what ur sayin is that with these mods only (no ecu upgrades) with the dials turned right down the only psi u can run is 10 and its like that constantly then if and wen i upgrade the ecu i can still only turn the raise dial up to 12psi with the stock turbo and flick between 10psi and 12psi until i get a new turbo? hmmmm, maybe i shuda saved and got a boost-tee. haha lol well, at least it will come in handy if i upgrade the turbo.

btw i REALLY appreciate ur help mate, u have solved u huge mystery for me.

Dazza

[long33]

hmmm, did what u described and went for a test drive, car runs fine but as for the boost its strange, on takeoff or when u put the foot down boost goes to 10psi for a sec or more then drops off back to what it ran stock(on my aftermarket guage it reads 5psi, has done since i installed it however maybe the problem is my guage isnt hooked up to the right hose??!!!) neway there is a noticable increse in boost to begin with then it drops off heaps to normal is what im sayin. grrr this unit annoys me, can u by any chance post a pic of where u put the t piece. maybe my ground is the prob, i just dont know. ahhh!

[Alex_r33s2gts25t]

its supposed to run at 5/7 psi at its minimal settings (what the factory setup allows) but for some reason mine boosts at 10psi at its lowest settings... which is annoying... so maybe you have installed it correctly... boost spike is a worry though... make sure all ur connections are tight to your hoses so theres no air leaking... go for a drive and floor it and take note of ur boost across a range of gears/revs.. if its steady around 5 or whatever start turning the low boost dial max half turn at a time then retest nd repeat and it should up ur boost! lol yeah but dont go above 10 unless uhave an ecu piggy back such as an apexi safc or power fc or shell run crap. ANd yeah even with that 12 should be the max limit for a stock turbo... u can set the low boost to like 7, and the high to like 10 until u get the piggyback lol, trial and error...

the stock guage is connected to the top hose on the intake manifold, and my aftermarket guage is connected to hose commin of the bottom of the intake manifold (goes to the fuel pressure regulator). It shouldnt matter what hose you tap into, as long as its commin of the intake manifold. Are there any diffs in ur stock and aftermarket guage readings?

Only other thing i could think of which might cause that is if u put the tpeice in the wrong way?? (or loose hoses) Not sure what happen as a result lol but it says to have the arrow pointing to the waste gate i think... id put a pic up but i dont have a camera lol...

[Alex_r33s2gts25t]

also your ground wouldnt be a problem, (what assuming) how the boost controller works, on the minimal setting theres no power to the unit... so it doesnt matter if its grounded correctly or not... then when u flick the switch to high boost setting power goes to the unit causing it to switch over...

[long33]

will test it all properly 2moro as i have the day off.id say i may have a boost leak, had probs a while ago and thot boost leak but prob dissapeared, maybe thats all it is. Im going to change the position of the boost guage and put it in line with the hose goin from the nipple on cooler piping to the wastegate then the reading shud be rather accurate.(ill also dissconect the vac guage i have runing of the same pipe as it may be affecting the reading lol) also will get some hose clamps too, worth it in the long run. will let u know how it goes. btw- what sort of price are the piggyback ecu's? also my cars auto so would a piggy ecu work cos power fc says its only for manuals?!

[Buddah]

Just bought the same unit for my R33 GTST I got it cheap 2nd hand but im missing the turbosmart tpeice I seen on the net it has arrows. Is it any diff then just a normal plastic one I can buy from the part shop?

[Alex_r33s2gts25t]

Just bought the same unit for my R33 GTST I got it cheap 2nd hand but im missing the turbosmart tpeice I seen on the net it has arrows. Is it any diff then just a normal plastic one I can buy from the part shop?

Yeah if yours is an auto you need an apexi safc.... or neo i think they r now... prolly pick up a second hand one for 200 bux if ur lucky.

The turbosmart t peice... im not sure hey i think it may have a spring inside it?????? BUt i dont really see why it would?? Email turbo smart and ask them, they will be able to help u nd maybe replace the tpeice or tell u what to use... turbosmart.com.au lol

[long33]

got it on and had a run on the highway gonna turn the dials a lil bit today on my way to work to see if the boost holds on a higher psi cos its still going to 10psi on take off then dropping.

here are a few pics btw

[borko08]

hey, i dont know if this has anything to do with your problem, but you should keep your hoses as short as possible...as far as i know :S