I have an adjustable boost elbow on my truck that I got from ebay. The instructions said that the elbow comes with the set screw already adjusted for maximum boost and that most people just leave it that way. I wonder, and I could have checked before I put it in, if maximum boost on this elbow is set by just tightening the set screw all the way down and completely blocking air to the wastegate. If that's the case, then why not just cap it off instead of buying or making a boost elbow? Also How much boost is too much or can you even get too much with a stock turbo? And last but not least, is too much boost the primary cause of "turbo bark"?
I hope I'm not doing this.....

 

Mine is completely blocked off. I made my own elbow and get 32 psi of boost. To me, that is plenty. I just wanted to have adjustablilty.

 

o.k...... you need guages too so you can tell how much boost you have and after making mods you will want to keep an eye on the EGT's as well. I think mine @ 32 psi is safe, but you will get varying opinions. As for bark....that is just spooling the turbo really fast and letting off the go pedal too quick. Causes the turbo to slow down excessively fast making the noise. Not good to do a lot on a stock turbo.

 

I'm hearing something like a bark, but it's when I've still got the pedal to the floor and I'm winding out in first gear. I'm still waiting for my Commander to get here so I can read everything and maybe find out whatz up. Got a Walbro coming too, so I can get some more fuel...might be draining the rail, but I don't know if that would make a noise.

 

I have the ebay adjustable boost elbow, also see 32psi max with the SMARTY.

MikeyB

 

you shouldn't even need the elbow with the smarty. I was seeing up to 42psi on the stock turbo with the smarty alone and no codes set.

 

Tritont,
The '03-04's have a different turbo with a mechanical wastegate.

MikeyB

 

May have a intercooler leak or a charge air hose leak. Check all the clamps.

 

i have the elbow on mine and see 38 psi peak.....I really havent played much with the elbow to see what kind of range of adjustablility in psi it has

 

A couple of months after installing mine, I checked it and found the screw to be loose. So I just tightened it all the way down and left it set there. My turbo does bark now and then, usually from 3rd to OD.

 

Maybe that's the problem, because my max boost is only 25. I had an outlook on it.

 

Mine does the same thing, and I see 38 psi all the time.

 

Could be. I see up to 34 psi when hitting it hard (usually towing). I will likely never see higher than that because the EGTS are right up there with the boost, somewhere around 1250 - 1300, and I never push it higher than that.

 

i made my own elbow with an inline gate valve between the elbow and the diaphram. totally blocked off i seen 42 -44 for about three hard pulls and then got that cool noise the turbo makes when you ruin the bearings and junk the turbo. those of you that have heard this noise know exactly what i am talking about. just thinking about that noise makes me cringe because of how much money that noise cost me.