I have one setup with a homemade boost elbow, mine is a little fancy with a spring loaded ball and an adjusting screw. Adjusted so my max boost is 38psi, I did not change any setting on the actuator road. I did drill the divider in the turbine housing so it can vent the exhaust out of the front 3 cylinders when the wastegate opens.

I don't know where your reading that 45psi won't take out a head gasket, but there are many people here that have had them blow at lower psi, including myself, 38psi max. And 45psi is getting into the danger zone with the turbo, not to mention way out of its efficiency range, at some point it will come apart, not if, but when.

 

I don't think it will give you more usable boost- the turbine can only flow that much and the compressor will not increase efficient pressure ratio and flow because of the wastegate.
The HX35 is quite maxed out around 30-35 psi (depending on engine rpm) the HY is even lower.

Where is your EGT probe?

Adjusting the wastegate to any higher pressure than stock (either using a boost elbow or adjusting the actuator) will only yield positive results up to a certain point- when the turbine chokes out or when the compressor overspeeds.- most of the time this happens simultaneously.
The superchips programmer does remove the stock program that expects the wastegate to open at 21 psi and if this doesn't happen will defuel to keep the turbo together- if the standard defueling doesn't help (like with big injectors) it will throw a code and will even throw you into limp mode at (IIRC) 30 psi.
So since you got up to 45psi the superchips does "boost fooling" the wording comes from the performance boxes that left the stock ECM program and needed to lie to the ECM to make it blind for the true boost.These boost foolers kept telling the ecm the truth up to 20 psi and then they cut off the signal and replaced it with 20 psi for the ECM.

HTH

AlpineRAM

 

Lotsa good info from you guys, thanks! I dont recall where I read about the head gasket...I will certanly take your word for it and play on the safe side. To clear it up, I am not running 45# right now. That was with the WG closed off, just to see if the WG was giving me some surging power. Im not really interested in making the truck powerful to the point of low reliability. I am happy with the Superchips and the intake. I only want the the new actuator to cure the surging power that I get sometimes. I wanted to pick the brains of the smarter folks to see if there was anything I needed to know prior to getting a performance actuator. I would like my truck to last a long time, so I am trying to play it safe. I would be very intersted in seeing some drawings and pics of JD730's home made embow though. Think you can send some of them my way?

 

As for your quest for reliability- You'll want to keep the boost as low as necessary to keep egts below 1200F pre turbo. These engines are regulated by the amount of fuel they get and as long as you've got enough air to burn it you have enough. Feeding it more air will cost you power. (Pumping loss)

 

i would just get a boost controller, likey they say, its just a needle valve, couple turns you can adjust them very easy
leave the rod alone,

 

I just finished doing my head gasket because i was running 42 WOT. I got rid of my elbow and got a heavier actuator, just because the stocker wouldn't open. My HX-35 saw 48 lbs many times before I slid my plate back to run 42 then not to long after that head gasket popped. Id say I ran high boost for about 6 months, that how long the Head G lasted. and don't buy a big head they are 150 or 200 bucks or somthin, you can get the same thing for 90 bucks without banks name on it IMO. I am feeling more power from my truck set at 34 lbs WOT than I did at 48, little faster climbing temps though.

 

Ok well that is good to know. Like I said before, I am not looking for 1,000 hp or anything... I just want it to run well. I was looking at the banks big head actuator but your right, Banks is waaay over priced. Where did you find an off brand one? I have been looking but had no luck. Also, my surging problem went away when I did the updates for my Superchips. I would really like to know where to get a decent actuator though