Forced Induction Superchargers | Turbochargers | Intercoolers

Newbies with boost...

Old Dec 9, 2005 | 04:32 PM
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Default Newbies with boost...

Ok, I havent gotten my car back yet, but I figured there are others out there that will be first time FI f body owners.

Seasoned guys, give me a list of things to look out for while owning the car.

wideband readings(what do they mean and what should I keep on eye out for)
maintainence(plugs, turbo, piping, etc...)
noises(wierd noises or common noises to expect)
smoke(what type is acceptable if any, and what is not)

Just a general list of things to watch out for to promote longevity in the motor and turbo/supercharger setup.

Maybe if we get some good info we can keep it as a sticky?
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Old Dec 9, 2005 | 05:54 PM
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Stick to 11.5-12:1 afr at WOT.
No maintainence.
You will hear turbo whine on accel and a burst of air on decel.
No smoke

Last edited by nitrorocket; Dec 9, 2005 at 09:31 PM.
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Old Dec 9, 2005 | 09:03 PM
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Taken seriously, this could be a badass thread.
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 12:03 PM
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Originally Posted by bboyferal
Taken seriously, this could be a badass thread.
thats what im trying to get. Id prefer to get as much possible for first time FI people so they know what to expect and have something to fall back on.
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 12:28 PM
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I'm building my first turbo ls1 also and I'm trying to troubleshoot any problems that may arise before they actually do in my head...I think that looking at peoples' similar setups will give others a good idea of where to start and how to overcome these problems and to know what a properly tuned turbo should act like...One question that I have for the experienced turbo guys is what is the norm as far as engine management?? I mean do most of you run the stock pcm with a 2\3bar or is it really necessary to run a stand alone unit?? I mean just stuff like this would help us "newbies" to FI...
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 12:54 PM
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Plugs every 10,000 miles or so.

Make sure you run good fuel.

Oil changes every 3,000 miles.

Mark
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 12:55 PM
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Originally Posted by 98turbls1
I'm building my first turbo ls1 also and I'm trying to troubleshoot any problems that may arise before they actually do in my head...I think that looking at peoples' similar setups will give others a good idea of where to start and how to overcome these problems and to know what a properly tuned turbo should act like...One question that I have for the experienced turbo guys is what is the norm as far as engine management?? I mean do most of you run the stock pcm with a 2\3bar or is it really necessary to run a stand alone unit?? I mean just stuff like this would help us "newbies" to FI...
well on my setup, im running a 3 bar SD tune on the stock pcm with out a stand alone setup.
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 12:56 PM
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Originally Posted by mdhmi
Plugs every 10,000 miles or so.

Make sure you run good fuel.

Oil changes every 3,000 miles.

Mark
what type of plugs should we use? is it different for every setup? is the gapping different for every setup?
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 01:16 PM
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Originally Posted by 2000 Tran Zam
well on my setup, im running a 3 bar SD tune on the stock pcm with out a stand alone setup.
Does this enable you to run multiple boost settings w/o retuning?
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 02:06 PM
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From what I have read about the 3 bar tune you do a dyno tune up to max boost that you want...Let's say it's 18psi...so you tune to that and it creates tables for the max boost and everything under it...Correct me if I'm wrong but that's what I got from it
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 02:49 PM
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3 BAR is just a measurment of pressure. 3 bar is equal to almost 30 psi of boost. A stock MAP sensor will read 1 bar, up to 0 psi of pressure. 2 bar will read up to 14.7 PSI of pressure. If you ever plan on going above 14.7 psi, use a 3 bar sensor. After you get the car properly tuned to your max psi, everything below that boost level will be correct also. The only way to get multiple max boost levels for any reason is to use an adjustable Boost controller.

I have a pretty extreme setup using stock pcm, 3 bar map, speed density, and injector driver with 96 lb injectors.
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 03:04 PM
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i would check oil levels weekly. clean air filters monthly. After beating on car for a while before you shut it off, let it idle down for about 2-3 minutes so oil doesn't get coked up in the turbo.

most of all, respect the power cause it can own you very easily.
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 03:20 PM
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All I gotta say is be careful giving the car a lot of throttle around turns. Hitting boost while doing a turn onto a street can lead to disaster/getting VERY sideways......


If you run the car hard, and are then going to park it immediately and get out/turn it off, give it a minute or so to cool off unless you have a turbo timer.....This also isn't always necessary with ball bearing turbos.

Edit: Just saw what SOM said and agree. Let it cool otherwise turbo replacement will come sooner than later.
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 03:22 PM
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Originally Posted by KraZy
Does this enable you to run multiple boost settings w/o retuning?
You tune at the highest PSI setting that you are going to run...And then if you want to turn it down from that setting you can and you won't need to worry about retuning/your AFR getting crazy.
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 04:55 PM
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How do you go about knowing what your max boost would be?

Please correct me, but from reading 12142432 threads I have concluded...

LS1 cars with stock internals probably will want stop boost somewhere 7-8 PSI range?
LS1 cars with Forged pistons, rods, would want to stop/ be cautious at 13-15 PSI?
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 05:22 PM
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forged LS1 engines can hande just about anything you throw at them as long as you're not having any detonation.

stock LS1 engines can handle alot more than most people thing, but for safety purposes it is best to keep it under 10 psi, most say 7-8.
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by LSONE
forged LS1 engines can hande just about anything you throw at them as long as you're not having any detonation.

stock LS1 engines can handle alot more than most people thing, but for safety purposes it is best to keep it under 10 psi, most say 7-8.
What would be pushing the limits of an LS1 engine with forged pistons/rods as far as boost goes? In other words, at what boost level is starting to be pushing your luck with a forged setup?
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 05:39 PM
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Well it all depends on alot of things such as your build...You have to actually look at the quality of the products that you are putting into your engine...Obviously your tune is one of the most crucial things that can take an okay engine to high boost and destroy a $50k engine due to things being out of whack...You can probably push atleast 20-25psi but if you're making 700-800rwhp @15-17psi anyways then why would you honestly want to push it that high....Most drivetrain products start pushing there limits around 1000fwhp anyways...There's another thread on here asking about clutches for guys pushing 800-900rwhp and staying in tact...It's just there's a limit on how much that you can get out of your drivetrain without throwing major money at it...I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can run a lot of boost but if you can't get it to the pavement then it's just in vein right??
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by RaRe99SS
What would be pushing the limits of an LS1 engine with forged pistons/rods as far as boost goes? In other words, at what boost level is starting to be pushing your luck with a forged setup?
with top of the line components the sky is the limit. there are plenty of guys running 1000+ hp with no problems. the key is having a setup that works well together.
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Old Dec 10, 2005 | 06:36 PM
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Makes sense guys. Thanks for the good info!
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