Advice on Boost Controllers

[Elfenstar]

For the boost, it would depend on the controller. i'm sure diff manufacturers have different settings.

 

As for tuning, i havent had any done to any car in sg, so i can't comment. Give peter from espace a call (tell him you're Noel's friend). I'm sure he can point you to the right place/s or try pming any member of MCf who has done it. I think there was a thread not too long ago.

[Andrewkb]

Any comments on this:

http://www.3barracing.com/product_7.htm

[Elfenstar]

Always been a fan of manual boost controllers, esp the ball and spring type (which i think this is).

 

Price wise it seems pretty good. although if you go to autospeed, you should be able to find these same products for slightly lower prices. If you have connections to a pressure valves and fittings shop, you can build one of these on your own for abt $20ish sgd.

[Andrewkb]

Here's how it look like. Does spring rate matters ?

 

http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~richw426/d...dawesdevice.htm

[DarkLord]

Good thread on boost controllers. Upz!

[Turbonetics]

superglue it.

[DarkLord]

Must ask the mods to do that liaoz.

[Elfenstar]

1.5yrs too late but here's your answer anyway Spring rate is not that important, the bleed-hole size matters as if it is too small it can result in boost spikes. Some of the bigger turbo cars use dual manual controllers.

[Nohnemwan]

Questions:

1. Will this definately increase my performance e.g. 0-100kph?

2. Is it illegal to install one in Singapore?

3. If installed can it easily be disconnected/reconnected from dash (inspection reasons)?

4. Best type to buy, something small,easy to use but would like features such as scramble, overboost warning, allow different boost at different rpm?

5. Any other advise you wish to share?

 

Thanks!

 

I have a Blitz DBSC (installed many years ago). It (still) works fine. Before that I tried the mechanical method of increasing boost (using smaller orifice for the stock boost controller). While it gave more boost, it was not controllable and make the car very snappy because the boost was spiky. And it was not adjustable.

 

To answer your questions:

 

1. Defintely, but the question is by how much. With a boost controller, your improvement will be just mere fractions of a second, definitely not whole seconds. In any case, real world modifications to turbo cars should not be about improving 0-100 times (which it will if done right anyway), it should be about making the car more drivable, with big improvements in low down torque being the main aim, so that you get acceleration RIGHT NOW instead of waiting and waiting and waiting.

 

2. I don't care because my car has passed many Vicoms with it.

 

3. Difficult. It is not really a snap-in snap-out type of installation.

 

4. Very happy with my Blitz. I did not try-before-I-buy, so cannot comment on how other boost controllers would work in my car.

 

5. If you think you can go faster with just a boost controller then you are doing it backwards. Think long term. It is important to mod the ECU FIRST and THEN get a boost controller to take advantage of the mod. Many many many people have melted their pistons by simply fitting a boost controller, winding the boost up and driving like merry hell. The whole idea is to get fatter torque, at a lower point on the power band if possible. Not scream along at higher boost. You can only do this with ECU mods which change the fuel and timing map. Not by fitting a boost controller.

 

The analogy is like this: if you want more money to spend, then the correct way is to make more money. Not by asking for your credit limit to be raised.

 

Fitting a boost controller is like increasing your credit limit without increasing your take home pay. For a while you may think that you have "more money", but the interest charge will hit you in the form of melted pistons and expensive repairs.

 

Do it right the first time. The folks at Espace will have many stories to tell about dummies who anyhow fix boost controller and wind up the boost.

[Powerup]

Well said... Nohnemwan

 

Edited October 21, 2007 by Powerup

[Mongater]

good

[Dwoon]

Apart from being able to control/limit the boost, is there any other advanatges to have an aftermarket boost controller?

 

I heard that there's a diference in terms of the response. Is this true?

 

Wondering whether to fork out ~ $700 for a used EVC.

[Nohnemwan]

With an aftermarket boost controller, it lets the boost build up much faster, and then it will release at the limit pressure you set.

 

With an OEM boost controller, the release valve is "leaky" - all the time that your boost is building up, it is leaking it away continuously as the boost is building up, so the no-boost-to-boost-limit time is much longer than that of an aftermarket EBC.

 

With an EBC, apart from the boost limit, you can also set what they call "Gain", which is how fast you want the boost to build up, in other words, how un-leaky you want the release valve to be.

 

You can also set "Ratio", which is like how much you want the boost to exceed your setting before the release valve opens (because air is a elastic substance and there is some "rubber-band effect" if you compress it).

 

That is what produces the improvement in spool up times.

 

So you have all these parameters to make life interesting. But after playing with it for some time, you tend to stick with the settings that work which you have hopefully saved to memory and just leave it at that.

 

$700 for a used EBC sounds about right, if you take the market price for used stuff to be half of the new price.

 

Please see my earlier post. Hopefully you have modified your ECU for more fuelling at higher boost. If you just fit a boost controller but leave your ECU bone stock, you are asking for melted pistons in just one afternoon of fun.

 

If you are asking this advice on MCF it is likely that you have nobody's mods to use as a reference point to follow (and therefore what costly failures to avoid), so you are experimenting. Experimenting is expensive.

 

Good luck.

 

PS. I managed to find an English version (some kind soul has put in the effort to translate it - it only comes with Japanese instructions) of the instructions for a Blitz EBC. Have a read to try to understand the concepts.

[Dwoon]

Thanks for the feedback. Already did the tuning years ago, just that not too satisfied with the laggy feel. My tuner did not sell the benefits of the BC..... then again... I've heard feedbackfrom some that there is improvement after installation.

 

My intention of the BC is to improve response time. Also, to limit the boost to low settings (maybe 0.4 bar) should I venture into Thailand where only 95RON is available.

 

What's your views on the HKS EVC?

[Nohnemwan]

You are welcome.

 

If your purpose of the EBC is to make the boost more snappy, you should be OK. As long as you don't do what those chow beng do, which is to anyhow wind up the boost pressure, you should not be at risk of melting your pistons.

 

The EBC is also good as a on-the-fly boost limiter in cases of lower grade petrol. That is an excellent way of using the EBC - to trim DOWN the boost as required.

 

Sorry no feedback on HKS - never used before, so nothing to offer in terms of personal experience.

[Gary84]

Bro, what car are u driving?...Personally im on a used Apexi AVC-R running on my LGT. For tat extra oomph...this is enuff with proper tuning...i paid 450 for it. Am boosting 1.2 - 1.4 bar...

 

No comments on EVC..another frd using Blitz i-color came back with equally gd feedack...well it all boils down to the tuner i would say...

[Grubbyrex]

Greddy if that's the 1 you're looking for, one button on the steering wheel and you get your scramble boost for the duration and boost level you wish to attain.