Someone suggested the problems I have been having (see *edge juice losing power*) may be a boost leak. I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried soap and water in a spray bottle? Don't laugh, it works with tire leaks. Has anyone ever tried this, if so, did it work. Where are boost leaks most likely to occur?? Can you only hear a leak under heavy loads, or at idle as well?

 

that's how i found my boost leaks in the past. i made up a rig to adapt my turbo intake to my compressor hose and ran it up to 20psi.

 

No boost at idle, soap doesn't work. Just make a homemade boost leak tester out of a rubber fernco & pvc cap. You just drill a hole in the cap for a air chuck & hook your compressor on.

 

Pretty simple to make with a few plumbing fittings from Home Depot. You can get complicated with it or keep it simple, they all work the same. Pressure it up and soap spray away.

This is what I use......

Jeff

 

I'm guessing you'd want to do that with the engine running only?Otherwise you might damage the turbo bearings?

 

NO engine OFF!!!!!
The air will just pass through the turbo.

 

Here's mine. Same idea.

 

I posted a thread a few years ago on TDR about building this contraption using the fernco & pvc cap. I just thought it up one day when I was standing in my garage trying to find a boost leak. I never heard of or read about anyone building one like this before I built mine. I think of it as my personal design, maybe someone built one before me, who knows. I built mine from my own mind & named it my "Redneck leaker seaker". I've searched posts before my post on TDR & there was no info about it previous to my thread.

 

What Boost levels are you seeing, and what levels are you looking for?

Are the levels lower in stock mode than with the module?

Where are you measuring fuel pressure - which side of the filter?

 

Latley I see only around 24psi with the juice turned up. The engine seems to drop off around 2500 PSI. When i say drop off what I mean is, it pulls hard until 2500 psi, it will still pull but not with the same violence it did up to that point. I notice no drop off in power when I flog it in the stock setting.

In stock mode, it also appears the boost pressure rise faster. Mabye it is just me. I have had issues with my turbo timer that made the truck not shut off until i disconnected the turbo timer fuse. I have the timer set to off right now until i can get the module to Edge.

Fuel pressure shows 20PSI @ idle, 17 cruising, and 14-15 WOT. The gauge i use is built in the edge monitor, it says it takes the pressure at the VP44. So, it is post filter.

I really am not looking for cetain boost levels. I am just wondering why it isn't running as hard as it did. Case in point, my buddy has an 06, I raced him a couple months back and handled him easily in stages 2, and 3. But the other night I raced him and 5 and it was all i could do to stay right along side off him. All 3 races.

 

That looks a lot like mine. I used a valve stem on the pvc cap and use the guage already on the tire chuck.

 

Fuel pressure measured at the VP44 mostly eliminates dirty fuel filter -why? 20psi measured on the inlet side of a dirty filter can be 1psi on the outlet to the VP44

Ok - several other things to consider:

Winter temps - cold air is denser, does not require as much Boost to get same volume (mass) of air thru engine - ECM knows this via intake air temp and pressure sensors factored with Boost temp and pressure sensors

Winter fuel - winter fuel does not have same BTU content as summer fuel + your VP44 will need some type of lubricity additive and possibly some Cetane booster with either blend of fuel, but 'specially with winter blends

Fuel quality and source - do you fill up at the same station your bud does - some stations have really nasty fuel, even nastier in winter

Dirty\damp air filter will restrict air flow, particularly at higher rpms - ECM will reduce fuel accordingly = reduced Boost and power

Engine is rated ~235hp @ 2700rpm on stock tune\stock valve springs - normally, 2500-2700rpm is where they start falling down - you may get there quicker with the Edge, but there's still the mechanical engine limitations.

Unless your truck is really loud, you can hear a Boost leak at 25psi as a loud hiss

After you've driven a vehicle for a while, the ole butt dyno becomes rather insensitive to the nuances of higher performance - try driving a slower vehicle for a while, then get back in your truck: it'll scare ya - and remember: winter performance will be down because winter fuel is down in energy - takes a lotta Cetane booster to bring it back up to Summer Blend, and 2-stroke oil will help, as there is a lot more energy in a gallon of oil than in a gallon of Diesel fuel

Try 8oz Cetane + 8oz 2-stroke oil per tank - you can up that to 1/2 to 1oz\gallon of each in winter to restore power - but, at the obvious cost of economy

 

have you been seeing extra black smoke and higher egt's?

 

Great post. I use Lucas fuel additive, is that good enough or do I need a cetane booster?

 

The only time I know I am getting smoke is on stage 4 or 5 at night in other peoples head lights. No kidding, I can't see any smoke during the day on this thing. It is smoking, but not much. As far as EGt's, they seem to be running slightly higher than usual. What does this mean?