hey whats up, I got a 2003 evo, recently I installed my hallman manual boost controller and then took my car out for a test ride. the controller was turned totally off and I was seeing 14-15psi tops, then I was going home and I stepped on it one last time and it shot up to 30psi and i heard a huge pop and the car was then ready to die ( I thought I blew the motor). well I finally made it home and saw that the line from the controller popped off from the bottom where the turbo connects too, and that the lower intercooler pipe blew off. I also through a check engine light for the TPS sensor p0121. so I fixed everything, and now I have a bad vibration in the steering wheel and the car boosts to 15 psi in 1st and 2nd gear then in 3rd and 4th it will go to 15psi then slow build up to about 23-24 psi up around 6000rpm. I did change the spark plugs to 1 degree colder. I have some mods like a bushur racing turbo back 3in exhaust, a buschur lower intercooler pipe, buschur air filter kit, forge rs recirculation valve, hks 272 cams, a 10.5 hotside and the hallman controller. I do hear sucking of air but I think it just the air filter. could I have some bent valves, or just a bad leak somewhere, this **** is really pissing me off. also could the controller have taken a **** on me. please give me some feed back.

update- SATURDAY- did a pressure test found a leak in the lower intercooler pipe and I fixed it, I then used my friends forge boost controller and yes I did hook it up right. and I now see 17-18 psi in 1st, 2nd and in 3rd I see 22-23 psi and the controller is turned totally off to the lowest setting. I personally think I bent valves, but people are saying very doubtful and I really doubt my actuator went bad on the wastegate. I just can't seem to controll the boost at all it just fluctuates like a mothertrucker and now I have no idea what it could be. So now I post in this advanced for asking you the gurus of the evos what could this problem be. thanks

 

The best way to troubleshoot is when was the last time it boostd fine then trace wat changes occurd. hope u didnt keep throwing on parts hoping it would solve issues hehe.

couple few tips i can give considering the lack of history u gave us...

1.did u try taking apart the hallman to clean it? there is a tiny hole on a boost nipple that can be clogged and give inconsistent boost.
2.anytime you suspect a failure of MBC, always run boost straight from wastegate to turbo. this way you can eliminate that variable and you should be running at wastegate pressure only (low teens psi)

 

no I didn't try to clean the controller I put my friends forge on which I know was boosting right. wouldn't turning the manual controller down all the way make you run off of wastegate pressure.

 

I'm going to run the lines straight from the turbo to wastegate to see if I get wastegate pressure only, when its not freezing cold outside!

 

30 psi, thats a nice little jump, i woulda shat my pants after hearing the loud pop

 

not really a big jump, it was boosting to 25psi without the controller on with all the other mods!

 

ok, I put the wastegate and turbo line togetherto run wastegate pressure and I see 13- 14psi then when it hits 6000rpm it hits 18-19, so does anyone have any ideas now!

 

Must be nerve racking to say the least, any update to this point? Silly question,...have you checked you boost gauge as well? I am sure that it is accurate enough for the cause, just wondering? My Defi imerperials have a peak function on them that keeps me up on my peak values, threshold numbers and a record funtion (very usefull) I use it to gauge boost spikes, flutters, etc.

I run 21 PSI full time (no taper,...just a flash and a pill upgrade) no MBC, no issues, no complaints,....I have spiked occasionally in excess of 25-26PSI with no issues (or explosions, popping noises, etc. to report.

Anyhow, why not just go get dyno tuned, flash set your boost values, rev limiter, speed limiter and call it a day? You can rely on the shops MAF (you hope) to determine your true boost values and then go from there. Also, if there is an issue, a quick diagnostic overview on a dyno should point out the problem quickly and easily (you hope). Good Luck,...

 

One quick thing you can check to if it is still giving you issues are the vaccum lines them selves... some times if the lines are old and brittle they can crack an cause a small boost leak, or even get soft and under "extreme boost" expand and cause fluxuations in the boost levels.... good luck! keep us posted!

 

Your O2 housing may not be allowing enough flow to get through the wastegate at high RPMs. Any boost creep issues prior to all this?

 

I put the vacuum lines back to stock to the boost solenoid without the pill in it and I see about 14-15 psi quickly then slowly rises to 19-20 in 1st, 2nd gear. In 3rd and 4th gear it does the same put goes higher to about 23-24psi. the car still idles fine but it feels like it has a bad miss. I did change the plugs to copper one degree colder gapped at .027. the vaccuum on the boost gauge flucs between 12-15.

 

Have you actually tested the operation of the actuator? Its pretty easy, just hook up a foot pump and very slowly apply pressure using your hand on the pump. The actuator should just lift on 14 PSI of pressure and not stick when operating or releasing. Be careful using the foot pump or you can pop the diaphram in the actuator if your clumsy.

MB