Re: Fresh Charger and Fresh Paint! (firstorbit84)
update y'all... so after having this thing not on the car for over a month since i got it back from BBM, the G-lader is finally back on! w00t! here's some better pics of the newly waxed fresh paint, and one of the newly installed charger:
i did run into some minor hiccups such as one NGK spark plug arriving cracked and no store in town carrying them, so I had to wait another two days to get a new one. then the old serpentine belt was about a half inch too short because there was a 68mm pulley on there, and I didn't know the PO used a different belt as well. all problems aside it seems to be running pretty well except for the boost levels...
i'm following BBM's instructions not to rev it past 4k RPMs or give it full throttle or boost for the first 500miles, but I'm not getting hardly any readings at all (maybe 1-2 psi) with partial throttle up to 4000rpm in 2nd gear.
my last charger was ported and polished and had a 68mm pulley running 15+psi of boost at WOT in 3rd and 4th, so that thing would really haul a$$, but this one is stock housing with a stock 78mm pulley... this thing just doesn't feel that fast.
am I expecting too much of the stock charger?? at what speed/rpms/throttle position is it supposed to start making real boost? does the charger make less boost during the break-in period? are my other mods affecting it (268/260 cam, stage4 chip, boost return delete, rsr outlet, CAI, eurosport tubes, BBM fuel rail)?? I know I have about a 1/2-1/4 of the throttle to go and about 2000-2500 rpms to go, plus i haven't been on the highway yet, so I haven't even seen above 4k rpms in 3rd or 4th gear or anything full throttle, but shouldn't I be reading something?
i can hear the thing working and i can hear the isv wooshing like it should when I start to get on it a little, but it seems to build boost so slow, especially compared to the old charger, and not being able to go above 4k doesn't help cause I really want to feel the surge again.
maybe my gauge is incorret? i checked the lines from the engine bay to the gauge for leaks, but I guess I'll have to do a full vacuum system leak test, and check the gauge's number's against the in-dash numbers.