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Thread: Boost controller plumbing.... quick question and advice

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    Boost controller plumbing.... quick question and advice

    Went to fit an EBC today....... done it twice before, thought i could do it with my eyes closed but now im questioning myself!

    2 port solenoid...... I put the actuator hose in the "out" port and a vac hose from the cold side of the intercooler to the "in" port....

    That right isnt it!?

    Anyways.... controller set to 0.9 bar with 20% gain and the warning set to 1.4 bar..... drove the car, it boosted to about 0.8bar for one second, then flew back down to 0.4 bar.

    Messed about with the gain, set pressure and warning and still the spike and the hightest i could get was 0.5 bar....

    Swapped the hoses on the solenoid.... took it for a spin.... was like running with no actuator hose..... (normal).... so swapped it back.... same as above with the spike to 0.8 and then a flat 0.4.

    Am i doing something wrong!?

    The solenoid and controller are obviously working becase it is limiting the boost to 0.4 bar.

    Stacky confused!

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    Strawberry 14-A VIDAL BABBOON's Avatar
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    How does it know what boost you are running ?

    Would need a reference to know what to do i would have thought !

    EDIT: Also What EBC is it ?
    Last edited by VIDAL BABBOON; 15-04-2012 at 16:41.

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    Should have mentioned, its got a seperate sensor for that.

    I had a mechanical gauge fitted already so that was a simple unplug the vac hose going to the gauge and swap over to the EBC sensor.

    I have been using the boost controller as a "boost gauge" up until fitting the solenoid etc today.


    Funny you should mention that actually. The hose that was fed to the mechanical gauge (and now the EBC) was run from a vac takeoff under the throttle pendulem.
    I was thiking along the same lines as you regarding "what boost the EBC is seeing" so i fitted a T-piece on the Cold side intercooler vac take-off (in my mind this would work the same - if not slightly more accurate)...... but the EBC didnt work as a boost gauge anymore..... it just read 0.... no vac, no boost.... wierd!

    So i swapped it back....

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    Strawberry 14-A VIDAL BABBOON's Avatar
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    Im guessing it's a Gizmo then!

    3 ports ?

    In port 3 goes to boost reference
    out port 2 goes to Actuator
    Port 1 needs to vent to atmosphere and im told needs to point downwards?

    Ensure you have the connection to your boost reference as clean and as short as possible to enable tight control of boost.

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    Nah mate its a Prosport performance EBC..... but essentially the exact same as a gizmo.

    You were correct in saying the solenoid had 3 ports.... (i didnt even notice the 3rd one that was not labeled!, it actually had a rubber bung in it so was flush with the solenoid body).

    I removed the bung so the 3rd port would VTA..... got all excited.... took the car for a spin.....

    Problem is still there but a bit different. Now it will boost to 0.7 then creep a bit to 0.8 or 0.9 and then suddenly fall back down to and fix at about 0.5

    Now i didnt fit a hose fitting ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRASS-BSP-...item8010246f2d )as i dont have one spare for the 3rd port:

    Wouldn have thought that wud make any diffeence tho???

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    Strawberry 14-A VIDAL BABBOON's Avatar
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    No fitting required as you only ever use two ports.

    There is one way for actuators and another for external wastegate types.

    EDIT: sounds like it's now working correctly Except for the fall in boost, have you tried to increase the boost value or duty ?

    Also have you set both options 1 and 2 ?
    Last edited by VIDAL BABBOON; 15-04-2012 at 20:00.

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    yup, set hi and low.

    Both for 1 bar now.
    Both on 25% gain.
    Warning for both set at 1.4 bar.

    I am going to swap one of the hose fittings over tomorrow and try the only 4 possible hose conection combos.....

    If that does not work..... i got nothin!

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    Strawberry 14-A VIDAL BABBOON's Avatar
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    The way you initially had it plumbed is correct

    How long is the boost reference line ?

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    About 1m.

    Its the standard front mount take off point.

    From what i can see, there is no take off point on or anywhere near the hot side?

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    Strawberry 14-A VIDAL BABBOON's Avatar
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    No there wont be any round the turbo side of the bay unless one has been created.

    Just make sure the line is good and not leaking and that its plumbed into the correct port under the TB.

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    If it's like a gizmo, have you checked the boost spike setting is turned off?

    The gizmo usually doesn't like a gain setting of over 10-15 max, if your running 25, might be spiking hard, and then the spike stop might be kicking in to bring it back to a safe figure?

    I'm only saying about the gizmo, I've no idea how close a design it is to the gizmo. Maybe close enough tho??

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    Guest James_S15's Avatar
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    Yeah VIDAL's confirmed everything I would have checked for myself as I'm on my second Gizzmo EBC...


    Although with Gizzmo's you can't set how much 'bar' you want, you can only mess with the 'duty' setting which effectively does the same thing (although like 'gain' it's trial and error to get the correct boost).

    It's much easier to think about the problem by looking at your symptom in reverse i.e. if it's only boosting to 0.4/0.5 bar then the solenoid 'believes' it's getting more pressure using the input reference vacuum than it actually is in reality If there is a leak on the input side to the solenoid then you'd expect the car to boost like crazy as it 'believes' it has less input reference pressure etc.

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    Well lads... i pretty much have it sorted now.

    Thanks Vidal for all your input..... very nice when you have very quick answers (almost like talking to someone in pm's lol).
    And thanks to everyone else for the input.

    I blocked off the boost take off on the intercooler hard pipe and instead I tee'd the solenoid feed line into the boost gauge line from the inlet manifold stock take off.
    Took the car for a spin and its near perfect!

    Taiwan / James - this controller is VERY like a gizzmo..... and you hit the nail on the head with the gain / dutys!

    Its 90% sorted now..... just ever so jumpy on keeping a fixed boost target (+/- 0.1 bar jitters!) but im pretty sure thats down to a combination of:
    1). The Tee piece / sharing the vacuum & pressure between the solenoid and boost gauge. Will resolve by giving it it's own feed from the inlet mani.
    2). I think the vac hose i used to supply the solenoid is very slightly oversized and therefor may be leaking ever so slightly. Its certainly a little bigger then normal vac hose so will replace this.

    Im very confident that once the above is done, it will hold SPOT ON. Of course i will need to fine tune the gain/duty values also...... but i have plenty experience of that from my last Profec!

    At least this finished with a happy ending rather than tears lol!

    I will finish off by saying that i would highly recomend a Prosport EBC anyday if your on a budget. Its VERY close to being as good as a Profec and probably on par with a Gizzmo for a fraction of the price!
    Its roughly half the price of a new Gizmo!

  14. #14
    Guest James_S15's Avatar
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    I like happy endings!!


    Glad you've worked out what it is... and it's interesting to know there's a cheaper alternative to the Gizzmo...

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    Strawberry 14-A VIDAL BABBOON's Avatar
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    I would create a take off on the hot side of the IC somewhere, and keep the vac hose length as short as possible.

    This will also aid the reduction of spikes.

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