Well, let me try to give you as much information as I can.
When I bought my STE the turbo would spool instantly off the line and the car just got up and went...it would take our chipped TGP up to about 30mph. I did a few little things to the car (K&N filter on the turbo, removed cat, magnaflow mufflers, and the AC condensor mod) and the car would push as much boost as I wanted. When I pulled the vacuum line off the wastegate it would go to about 14psi instantaneously on my boost gauge before the computer used its nifty little boost cut that it has (which is AWESOME by the way) With my stock boost controller it would only squeeze out a little over 6psi, but I put one of my modified ones on there and ran 8psi. And I drove it like this for about 3 or 4 months.
Then I decided to get a chip. Got a chip and it solved all of the running problems I was having with the car. It would run with my foot not on the gas and it would idle good and everything. However at WOT the car was only making about 10psi, and we all know with the topgun chip it should be making like 11-12. So after a week or two of driving it with 10psi I turned my boost controller up...well this put boost at 10.5psi, so I turned it up more and boost wasn't going up. I was confused. So then, the morning I went to the dragstrip I got on it a few times and was pleased to see 12-13psi each time...however when I got on the track it was only pushing the 10.5psi. So I've been driving it since.
Today I decided I would do an experiment. I pulled both vacuum lines off the turbo and mashed my foot to the floor (after doing a few part throttle runs to make sure boost wasn't going to go sky high like it should have) and it was still only getting about 10psi. I beat on it for 20 minutes and the most I ever saw on the boost gauge was 11psi...but most of the time it was 9.5-10.5psi. I am confused???? Can the turbo go part bad? Is the wastegate spring maybe worn out? This is really pissing me off because I think the car has another 3 or 4 tenths in it at least in the 1/4 mile, but without boost I'm never gonna get there.
I was thinking that it seemed like an exhaust restriction, but it really can't be that I can think of. I have no cat (i cut it out and replaced it with straight pipe) and I have 5 month old straight through mufflers. (don't know how easy it is for straight through mufflers to collapse or something?). Other than that there can't be an exhaust restriction. The only other thing I'm thinking is that its possibly the crossover, but would the crossover do that all the sudden and be that bad, but yet not have all of the other bad crossover symptoms very bad. (it has the bad crossover symptoms but they are all very minor so I'm thinking my crossover is pretty decent)
Any ideas?????
Shawn
Well, I went out an zip tied the wastegate shut. Then I put my foot halfway to the floor and the boost gauge was at 14psi when I let off. So, my conclusion is that the wastegate actuator spring is worn out. Anyone know where I can get one????
Shawn
Shawn, thoes actuaters are are over 90.00. Test it first with a fish scale(5.00 at walmart) you should have about 30# rite near the end of the travel.
Second the spring in the picture is .050 wire diameter. It's a pretty strong spring.
If you need an actuator mine is for sale. Got maybe 1k on it but its at least 2 years old.
Jud