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Where's the boost??

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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 02:30 PM
  #1  
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Bandaid dude
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Where's the boost??

OK after searching here I'm lost.

I just got into a late 99' 7.3. It has a Bank's 6 gun stacked with a level 3 Banks chip. New BD turbo with wheel and WG, BD turbo back exhaust, Bank's Trans Commander, and Bank's CAI..I would think this should be developing no less than 25 psi of boost if not more..The max I get is 15 psi.
I've adjusted the WG..nothing..dis connected the WG nothing..tighten all IC hoses..nothing...looked at exhaust cross over..tight, no soot. still 15 PSI..It runs great, pulls strong..not a hint of black smoke so I know I'm not getting the boost I should be.

Where should I look next?? If I had the cash..I would dump the Banks and get hooked up with DP but that's not in the cards yet..This set up should produce..So, "Where's the boost"??

Thanks in advance
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 03:37 PM
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Originally Posted by RallyMedik
not a hint of black smoke so I know I'm not getting the boost I should be.
Sounds like it's getting all the air it needs. Running good with no black smoke

Originally Posted by RallyMedik
Where should I look next?? If I had the cash..I would dump the Banks and get hooked up with DP but that's not in the cards yet..This set up should produce..So, "Where's the boost"??


Thanks in advance
Albeit your boost number is a tad low, I certainly encourage you to not be like the rest of the minions here thinking that higher boost is going to make more power for you. Higher boost with a stock turbo is highly counter-productive, but with kids these days driving diesel trucks, they want their boost gauge to move a lot. It's like a Monster Tach in a CRX Honda........

Changing tuning IS NOT going to increase your boost substantially regardless of who you decide to use for tuning. Banks products run well and if you like the way the truck runs and drives, why spend needlessly on something that may or may not be better? If you just want smoke and boost, then I cannot (and will not) help you here. Tuning will not fix a mechanical problem.

If you do a search for "low boost" or just "boost", you will find COUNTLESS threads on the subject (and most of them you find will be identical to yours). Some good information (and TONS of not-so-good information) can be found if you just search a little bit.
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 06:24 PM
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I hear ya on the boost level..I'm just trying to figure why I have low boost..and from what I have read..the BD turbo I have is not stock..I have instant power, no lag at all. I'm wondering if I just have a bad sensor sending bad info to the Boost gauge (The boost gauge is incorporated into the 6 gun tuner so it is not a mechanical gauge).
I just want to get it right, to where I can dial it down and have the waste gate working properly which to me seems like its not even seeing the boost to work correctly.
Trust me, I have read and read on here and other sites, and just can't find what's causing this issue.

Thanks for the read
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 07:16 PM
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Originally Posted by RallyMedik
I hear ya on the boost level..I'm just trying to figure why I have low boost..and from what I have read..the BD turbo I have is not stock..I have instant power, no lag at all. I'm wondering if I just have a bad sensor sending bad info to the Boost gauge (The boost gauge is incorporated into the 6 gun tuner so it is not a mechanical gauge).
I just want to get it right, to where I can dial it down and have the waste gate working properly which to me seems like its not even seeing the boost to work correctly.
Trust me, I have read and read on here and other sites, and just can't find what's causing this issue.

Thanks for the read
AHA! Ooo! Ooo! Pick me! I think I know this one! I have a boost gauge on the turbo and I've been doing AE readings of the on-board boost sensor. There is a huge difference between what's really going on with the turbo and what my DP Tuner allows the PCM to see. If the PCM saw what was really going on, I have been told the PCM would defuel the engine. The tuner has to translate the boost input to a lower number to prevent this from happening.

OR... I could be full of prune juice and your sensor is having issues, like you suspect.
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 07:20 PM
  #5  
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So how are other guys getting readings from there map sensor able to see higher numbers?? If I'm fooling the PCM am I also fooling my wastegate?? It make's sense but doesn't..why would Banks make a tuner that doesn't give you accurate boost readings (it has a built in gauge)??
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 07:30 PM
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I'm fairly certain that the 6-gun doesn't get it's boost data from the PCM though. My intuition tells me that it's similar to the older Edge Attitude display that has a separate inline wiring harness that plugs into the MAP sensor and the factory harness wiring.

The only TRUE way to get a real boost reading is with a mechanical or electronic analog gauge that is plumbed directly into the positive pressure side of the intake tract.
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 07:33 PM
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Originally Posted by RallyMedik
So how are other guys getting readings from there map sensor able to see higher numbers?? If I'm fooling the PCM am I also fooling my wastegate?? It make's sense but doesn't..why would Banks make a tuner that doesn't give you accurate boost readings (it has a built in gauge)??

Before you spend a bundle, get another gauge, and verify that your boost pressure gauge is telling you the truth, or not.
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 07:34 PM
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After a couple minutes of Google digging:
Page 8...

Yep, inline harness connectors.
http://assets.bankspower.com/manuals...454-v8-web.pdf
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 07:56 PM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by cleatus12r
After a couple minutes of Google digging:
Page 8...

Yep, inline harness connectors.
http://assets.bankspower.com/manuals...454-v8-web.pdf
You are correct..Mt boost reading comes from my MAP sensor. I am trying to rule other stuff out before I replace it as it's not a cheap part. Is there a way to test a MAP sensor??
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 08:19 PM
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Well, the nice thing about the 99-03 trucks is that the MAP sensor is a variable resistance sensor (unlike the pre-99 Ford vehicles that use a frequency-based sensor output) so if you have "mad skillz" in operating a DVOM (set to the volts DC scale), you should be able to test output based on pressure (how you wish to pressurize the system/sensor is up to you).

Remember, the pressure values are absolute:

11 = 1.1 volts
14.7 = 1.5 v
20 = 2.2 v
25 = 2.8 v
30 = 3.6 v
35 = 4.3 v
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 08:29 PM
  #11  
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Mad skills..Yea right HA!

This is my next approach

1) Pressurize system and check for leaks..The thing is CLEAN no visual leaks noted..but who knows.
2) Check adjustment of Wastegate (anyone know how to do this?)
3) Find someone with same truck and swap Map sensor
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 08:40 PM
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You could put a tee fitting in the MAP line and use a mechanical air pressure gauge to see the true boost pressure.
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted by PaysonPSD
You could put a tee fitting in the MAP line and use a mechanical air pressure gauge to see the true boost pressure.
Good thought, echoes what I said earlier
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 08:48 PM
  #14  
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It not that hard or expensive to tee in a cheap hardware store pressure guage for testing/comparison purposes.
 
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Old Mar 25, 2012 | 08:49 PM
  #15  
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Bandaid dude
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Originally Posted by PaysonPSD
You could put a tee fitting in the MAP line and use a mechanical air pressure gauge to see the true boost pressure.
I like that idea!!

I wasn't thinking like that earlier..I was thinking of grabbing boost from somewhere else. Make's more sense to T into it!

We will move that to 1st on list. Thanks!!
 
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