I bought a used 2008 GSR a few weeks ago and with it being my first turbo car, I didn't know everything I was looking at. Now I can see the previous owner welded a HKS bov to the upper intercooler pipe (which I can only assume is aftermarket). I intend to do full bolt ons as if it were stock, but I'm left with an issue of not knowing where the factory wastegate was originally.

Also, should I go aftermarket when replacing the bov or get the oem wastegate? I'm sick of the venting to atmosphere, draws unwanted attention when shifting.

 

I've read the OEM BOV is pretty stout. I'm going to be adding on bolt on's myself. I plan on keeping the OEM BOV. My tuner recommends keeping it as well

 

I don't know if you're a sloppy writer or slightly clueless, but a "bov" (which really should be called a "diverter valve" or "compressor bypass valve") is a completely different part with a completely different function from a wastegate. The wastegate (on our cars) is part of the turbocharger, itself.

You should definitely get a recirculating (non-venting) compressor bypass valve. Not only because the noise is silly, annoying, and attention-attracting, but because it is bad for the engine (unless you are running pure speed-density or have a blow-through MAF post-valve).

 

Slightly clueless, maybe a bit more than slightly.

Where is this valve supposed to be? Pretty sure not on an intercooler pipe

 

Let's see some pictures?

 

Normally it's on the intercooler pipe and vents into the intake pipe pre-turbo.

 

Not just normally; that's how it has to be. The only thing that varies is whether the "in" to the valve is pre- or post-intercooler. On Mitsus, it's post-intercooler.

 

It probably is recirculating. The HKS was on my car when I bought it and if you have aftermarket piping it will be LOUD. I could have sworn it was vented when I first test drove it, because I know for a fact my 8 was nowhere near as loud.