Boost Gauge - Where Does The T Piece Go?

[hop1308]

Hey guys, I'm looking to instal an aftermarket boost gauge on my R34 GT-T. It's mechanical so i need to connect the hose somewhere on the turbo line. I've searched around the forums and google a fair bit and thought this sorta thing would have been covered already but i really couldn't find much, or anything with pictures, or maybe i just dont understand it.

But yeah, i thought its better to be safe than sorry, so where and what exactly do i cut and put my T piece to connect the hose for the boost gauge?

Thanks heaps

[Birds]

Tap it into one of the vacuum lines running off the intake manifold.

[hop1308]

yeah, ive looked around a bit and thats what most of them say. but im not too familiar with where the intake manifold is or even where the vacuum lines are. And instead of cutting something and ruining my engine i was hoping for something a little more detailed.

like a photo would be awesome, or anything a bit more helpful.

[Birds]

Do some reading up on engines and their basic layout - will help you a lot in future.

See the cylindrical shaped thing on the bottom left with a black hose coming out the top of it? That is the blow off valve and the black hose is a vacuum line that runs from it to the intake manifold. You can splice your T piece into this line.

[hop1308]

oh okay, thanks for that. I attached an image just to make sure, so the red circle is the tube i should cut to attach the T piece?

I have heard from someone that you can also cut the hose coming from that little black can shaped thing, i circled the tube coming off it. Would i be better off cutting this tube?

So which out of the two would be better to cut.

Another question is, will this cause any problems to occur such as stalling or the car running poorly? It just seems a bit daunting to be cutting a tube going to the intake manifold and attaching a little T piece onto it, thats all

Edited September 28, 2012 by hop1308

[Birds]

Yes you have circled correctly. As long as it is a vacuum line going to the intake manifold, it doesn't matter which one you cut and splice into. You're cutting into a hose, but the T piece and boost gauge are blocking it up again.

As for issues, there should be none unless you create a leak somewhere. Rationalise that your worst case scenario is having to replace the hose you cut with a new one and what's the worst that could happen?

[hop1308]

alright, thanks for that. i might just cut the hose i circled in red.

[hop1308]

its not letting me edit my last post, but i looked at the hoses under the hood today and noticed that my T- Piece will fit best on the hose going to the boost sensor as this hose is thinner. I have circled this hose in Blue in the picture, so just making sure, is it okay to cut this hose and put the T piece there to run the boost gauge? the Blue circled one in the post i did above

[hop1308]

guys, can someone please confirm, in the photo i posted above i can cut the hose circled in BLUE to instal my boost gauge?

[jay-rod]

That one in blue goes to the stock boost sensor i believe.

You will get Pressure but not a vaccum reading if i remember correctly.

[JonnoHR31]

No, don't T into that hose, as said you won't get vacuum.

On the back drivers side of the intake manifold there will be a vacuum line the same size as that one which goes to your standard boost gauge, T into that.

Basically you can hook your boost gauge up to anything that's plumbed in AFTER the throttle body, except the fuel reg hose, but that's at the front of the engine anyway.

[hop1308]

thanks for that, does anyone have a photo of the location i can T into? I'm pretty confused about it at the moment and need to know how much psi my cars at lol.

It'd be the biggest help ever if someone has a photo of the hose, thanks again.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

what's wrong with the stock GT-t gauge? reads up to 1 bar.. perfect for stock turbo

[hop1308]

I've heard its unreliable and because Im not sure how my boost settings or lines are made up because they're by passing the solenoid, i need something to tel me in psi

[jay-rod]

Stock gauge is not reliable.

[hop1308]

yeah, so if anyone could get a photo of which hose im supposed to put the T piece into, it'd be a great help

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

yeah, so if anyone could get a photo of which hose im supposed to put the T piece into, it'd be a great help

I've always T'd into the end of the plenum, where the stock vacuum lines goes into the stock boost sensor for the dash (this is for a R33) I am assuming the R34 is the same.

Look at the black cap on the RHS next to the vacuum line for the brake booster, use that.. or if too hard basket, just snip the BOV vacuum line.. easy.

[34GeeTeeTee]

what's wrong with the stock GT-t gauge? reads up to 1 bar.. perfect for stock turbo

Not really! Its got bugger all notches on it so it would be hard to pick what boost it is...... Useless now with 21psi BUT even before then they were pretty useless!

I will be replacing all 3 gauges sometime soon enough.

[34GeeTeeTee]

Just replace the gauge with the new one and use the old vac line? There is a DIY thread on replacing the 3 gauges!

[hop1308]

yeah i was thinking about using the hose going to the boost sensor, but everyones saying you dont get vacuum off it, only boost. I don't really get the photo of the R33 engine, im not too familiar with the hoses of my R34 yet but didn't want to send it off somewhere just to install a boost gauge.

oh and the stock boost gauge doesn't use a vacuum line im pretty sure its purely electrical.

A photo of a R34 engine bay or the hose i should T into would be awesome and save me having to take it to a mechanic over this =\