I can get a whopping 27 lbs of boost, the needle swings pretty fast once the boost starts coming on then hits a brick wall at 27 lbs.

I recently installed a #10 plate off ebay, and installed the little elbow with it as well. The turbo is a newly rebuilt stocker. Also my stock turbo before the rebuild was silent - no whistle but then it went bad you could wobble the shaft pretty good and it started eating the housing then whistled.

this new turbo is whistling too - with a tight shaft, what gives?

also my pyro heats up very fast, I can't hardly pass a car without it dipping into the red

truck is in the sig

 

The whistling might be a boost leak somewhere.. IF it hits a wall that typically means the wastegate is opening. Try pinching off the wastegate line for a spin and see what you get. With the #10 plate on my stock HX if I remember was a good 36 psi.

 

would it hurt to leave it pinched off?
I'll try that, hopefully it'll help a bit with the heat too.

Also the whistling isn't like a boost leak type whistle, the sound isn't right and its linked RPM, especially hear it at low boost just as it begins to spool. Like driving around town where I don't ever get on it - just on off throttle with little to no boost pressure I'll hear the turbo whine a little.

once I'm in the throttle I don't hear any thing other than that 4 inch exhaust

 

If I remember right mine was about 38 lbs when it had a #10 plate in it, just a thought does the new turbo have the silencer ring in it still? Of course that doesn't make sence with the low to no boost noise.

 

I have to ask this.

WHY put a stock rebuild turbo on a modified motor???
You have injectors, fuel plate and timing! It should have a better turbo that flows more air at a given boost.

your combo, depending on what you use the truck for, is a candidate for an HX-40/16wg

 

Make sure you don't have a boost leak. Search and you should be able to find info on making a cop out of plumbing parts to pressurize the system and check for leaks. If your boost elbow (the 'little elbow) has a set screw in the center of it, screw it in a bit at a time while taking her our for a full throttle runs. I'd start off with getting it around 36lbs. Once you get it at that point, see how quickly it gets overly hot. If you don't tow, you may be OK like it is if you watch the EGTs when playing.

 

its only just been modified, cut me some slack. The stocker got put back on there because mine was dead and about to come apart, it was chewing into the housing and the shop had a spare housing he gave me free so I had a turbo shop in Spokane WA slap in new internals to get me by.

I am not really after higher RPM horsepower. I want fuel economy and low end grunt - quick spool up and all around drivablilty and towing mostly lighter loads with the occasional heavy load.

I'd think a bigger turbo might get me out of my desired torque range?

 

Why go for retro charm such as the HX40 when they are way better candidates out there for upgrade. HE351 comes to mind. Spools quicker, flows more, easy to come by. Or there are are a host of S300 variants out there that can be had for around $1k.

 

^

that is just a bit more than I want to tackle right now lol

 

It was a boost leak, at 27 lbs the lower boot would "popoff" or blow out a pretty impressive leak, at lower pressure it didn't leak so much so never found it until the whole system got pressurized. Kinda weird.

Also got a pretty good leak at the intake manifold but that'll be fixed this weekend.

 

Great to hear that you found the issue. If it keeps happening, 3M super weatherstip adhesive will help hold it on place - just keep in mind that you'll have a real hard time getting them off in the future if needed.

 

I still think the waste gate is opening, auctually I think that even more now as the bigger part of the boost leaks are sealed up its even more pronounced. Needle swings hard to 27 lbs then stops sudden.

I'll plug that wastegate hose and try it


also I need an air filter BAD, the stocker is a big restriction

 

What makes you say that, I doubt it is as much of a restriction as you think.

 

even with a new filter it pulls the filter minder almost to the red mark

you take the boot off the air filter and let it suck unfiltered air it runs a whole lot better, not that I'd drive it around like that but it was a test of sorts.

so I dunno, sounds to me like I could gain with something like an AFE stage II huh?

Also my pyro gets hot quicker than I'd like, so it might help a small amount there too

 

I'm not sure about the air filter, mine runs about 40# of boost and it didn't make a bit of difference when I went to the afe setup, other than being a little louder, I've never really trusted the filter minder