Increasing turbo boost pressure... discuss

Post by **airhead** » 14 Sep 2006, 01:30

Thanks, Harry. Youve been a great help. Ill take a look tomorrow when Im doing other things on the van and see if I can get the grainger vanve somewhere too. Im sure Ill be back with another 20 questions tomorrow evening!

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 14 Sep 2006, 19:48

airhead wrote:So given that it has an integrated wastegate, will there be a hose going to it?

The hose in question is not infact a hose but formed metal pipe with a banjo fitting at either end, I am talking about the KKK K14 turbo, as fitted to T3's, remember Clive has a AAZ and a Garret turbo, which is different.

To tap into this line is not as easy as you would think, not just simply snipping it, you will need to either replace it with something else or chop the original and extend the pipes to where you want your bleed valve, or grainger valve.

Post by **airhead** » 14 Sep 2006, 20:25

Well feck it. Theres always a complication, isnt there! Right so supposing I was to cut a piece out of the pipe and join each end to some rubber hose and connect the rubber hose to the grainger valve, would that work?

Post by **HarryMann** » 14 Sep 2006, 21:50

Sorry, seem to have miseld you into a bout of 'easy' tube snipping... glad Simon sqaured that away, but suppose you could snip it, just need a decent bit of tube that close fits enough to carry about 20 psi, so deburr and degrease the ends first and maybe use a couple of crimp type pipe clips - after all, if you've blocked off the BOV, who knows what the boost will go up to if the wastegate suddenly loses its pressure signal

So maybe start by not blocking off the BOV?

I somehow think these turbos won't boost to silly levels anyway, its petrols where you want to very careful on that one, they're a much more dangerous kettle of fish to play with, boost wise.

Picture of Blow Off Valve blocking method (simple, synthetic cork, a good excuse to buy a nice bottle of wine)... see very last picture in this Wiki link.

http://www.club80-90.co.uk/wiki/index.p ... e-indexing

In fact, presume you've read through this before, as there in the penultimate piccy is the simple bleed-valve and the wastegate operating diaphragm

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 14 Sep 2006, 21:51

Yes.
Like I keep saying though, do the other things first.
I can tell you a few other things you can do to really f**k your engine up too if you like!
Honestly, with something like this, you can't just do the easy and cheap bits, it will work for a while but you'll be buying an engine soon, upping the boost and the fuel are the last step in a line of mods for reliable higher output.
I know a grainger valve is cheap and yes, you will get slightly more boost and you will tell yourself that it's better but, more fuel = more heat and more heat means more turbo.
If you turn the fuelling up you will automatically get more boost without touching the turbo, but more heat also means a shorter engine life, thats why I keep saying fit a oil cooler, then a intercooler to lower the exhaust gas temperatures or you will go into melt down.
Im not lying, or saying this for fun, im trying to disuade you from messing with the turbo before you have all the other steps in place.

In your position this is what I would do to make your 1.6TD better, because I can assure you if you booked your van in with a garage that these things that seriously affect performance will be on the p!ss.

Check and set the cam timing.
Check and set the pump timing, and advance slightly.
Check and adjust tappets, no they aren't hydraulic, they have to be set but no one ever does them.

So now you will have a perkier engine that will start better, this will bring your engine back up to a state that will be suitable to start modding.

Imagine your valve clearances havn't been set for years (very probable) then they may be at a point where they are only just seating, or worse still not seating. Your engine has just been pottering around, you suddenly go messing with things and the engine is creating more heat, right, if your valves aren't seating then they cannot dissipate the heat back into the cylinder head, so they get hot and eventually burn out leaving you with a engine you now have to strip.

Please listen I am trying to save you some money, and time. By all means modify your engine, it is fun and rewarding when it goes right, but it's a real kick in the nads when it doesn't, or worst still you f**k up.

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 14 Sep 2006, 21:55

Sorry Clive, think we were typing at the same time, I was replying to Airhead and not yourself.
I should use the quote thingies really.

Post by **airhead** » 15 Sep 2006, 18:17

Right, oil cooler and intercooler next so! Thanks for the advice. See this is why I asked on here. Im a novice when it comes to performance mods. I was reading how to adjust the tappets. Seems like a curse of a job. Where do I get the shims to adjust the gap?

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 16 Sep 2006, 19:58

airhead wrote:Right, oil cooler and intercooler next so! Thanks for the advice. See this is why I asked on here. Im a novice when it comes to performance mods. I was reading how to adjust the tappets. Seems like a curse of a job. Where do I get the shims to adjust the gap?

Er, from the people who made your van!
You can sometimes swap them about a bit between valves, I have a tub of them I use, but I seem to use all the usefull ones and end up with a load of common ones, VW must fit X-shim from standard, then no one ever sets them so when I set them I end up with a big pile of the same sized shim!

Post by **t25adict** » 16 Sep 2006, 20:33

the easiest mod an a safe one has to be the intercooler....
one from a flat front (mk3 ) passat is good as lots of rubber hose to play around with..
if posible try to get the air feed (whats going into the engine+cooler etc) located so that there is as little engine bay heat getting to it as posible.

fitting an intercooler has many good effects
we all know cold air is (od way to discribe but) thicker than hot air
(british sportsman in hot countries and all that)

as simon says get it working right in the first efficient and you will see a big difference...

Post by **airhead** » 17 Sep 2006, 01:41

OK so! Next van day Im doing (where I designate a day to get oily) Ill do the tappets. Ive to look into intercoolers too. But any mods will all be done when Im finished the interior. Not far off now but still a bit to be done. After that, the engines getting some attention.