TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun May 15, 2005 9:29 pm

I picked up a baja with a small IHI turbo on it. It's a home made set-up, but it seems to run good. The turbo sits on a tri mill exhaust, then blows into a metal air box sitting on top of a Weber carb. Since I have no idea of what the boost is, I decided to add a boost gauge. I tapped into the air box and ran the tubing through the heater channel (no heater) to the gauge up front. I get no reading on the guage. Before redoing my fittings, etc., I thought that mayby some experts on this forum could let me know if I hooked it up correctly by going to the airbox. The only other way that I can see doing it is to tap into the line from the turbo to the wastegate actuator. Would that work? Thanks.
Bruce

Mon May 16, 2005 7:42 am

boost guages normally work off manifold vacuum. when the engine is idling or at cruise they will read a negative number, under boost they rise so to properly install it it must be tapped into a vacuum port or line. If the wastegate is vacuum opperated, that line should work ok. also make sure your electrical connections are all good.

Mon May 16, 2005 10:39 pm

Thanks for the info. I'll check all my connections, etc. as soon as I get a chance. My gauge doesn't have vacuum, only boost 0 - 30, so that might be why I didn't notice anything.
Bruce

Tue May 17, 2005 7:47 am

Ya, if your guage only reads positive and you were trying to get it to read at idle it might be kind of hard, turbos normally don't boost much standing still. did you try driving it? It may only be set to boost like 5 psi so it may have to be driven in order to get any reading on the guage.