Loosing boost after taking off intercooler?

[Sierra117]

Over the weekend while trying to install my HKS SSQV, we took off the intercooler to get better access to the stock by-pass valve. Put it back on, and Saturday night, my car was noticably slower. Did a quick run, and noticed I was only holding around 9 pounds. Ok, boost leak, duh.

Sunday, tightend up the hoses, did a quick run, only boosting around 10pounds, spiking to 11 occasionally. Got back home, disconnected the battery, took off the intercooler to mess with the HKS some more, and when I put the intercooler back on, I made sure all the hoses were on nice and tight, with plenty of hose over the inlet/outlets.

Did a quick run on my way to work this morning, held 15 pounds like a normally do. Everything is gravy again. Except I go out to lunch, do another run, and spike to fifteen pounds, hold 13, drop of to 11-10 in the upper RPM range.

Has anyone expierenced this after taking off the stock TMIC? I'm gonna try to tighten the hoses when I get back home, but I don't think that is it...

When taking off the TMIC, has anyone noticed a drop in boost pressure?

[SuperStretch18]

Don't you think the BOV is the more likely candidate? Try putting the stocker back on and see if she goes back to normal...

[Sierra117]

Don't you think the BOV is the more likely candidate? Try putting the stocker back on and see if she goes back to normal...

The stocker is on. I'm still trying to get that damned snap ring on the HKS.

[mrlilguy157]

stocker stuck open some how?

i wish i was home to help.

[aaronc7]

iono man, I've taken mine on and off a lot lately. I'm actually get boost spikes in 3rd and 4th now...never did before. Totally opposite problem as you but I've been scratching my head too.

[ericrapp]

I'm thinking its at the valve, sounds like you covered piping leak potential already. Reinstall Oem. Just a thought. goodluck

[aaronc7]

My car is back to normal now, wtf lol.

[Sierra117]

I'm thinking its at the valve, sounds like you covered piping leak potential already. Reinstall Oem. Just a thought. goodluck

The OEM is still on it, so your saying take it off, shake it, and stick it back on?

[hectik1]

Sounds like your BOV. HKS have been well known to leak.

[Sierra117]

Sounds like your BOV. HKS have been well known to leak.

Ok. Its been said three times now...

THE STOCK BPV IS ON THE CAR

Now then. Knowing that the stocker is on the car...where do you all think my boost leak is coming from?

[Rotus8]

Maybe the other end (away from the TMIC) of one of the hoses is loose, or knocked off it's spigot when you messed with it.

[BayAreaMS3]

I had the same problem. I found out it was my turbo inlet tube. It was so damn loose my max in 1st 2nd was 7-8psi and in 3rd though 6th was 10-12psi. Everything is all good now after making all the tubes tighter.

[Sierra117]

I had the same problem. I found out it was my turbo inlet tube. It was so damn loose my max in 1st 2nd was 7-8psi and in 3rd though 6th was 10-12psi. Everything is all good now after making all the tubes tighter.

Is that the rear tube coming off the intercooler? And was it just loose around the intercooler, or somewhere else down the line?

[ronniekarn]

No its where your intake connects to leading to your turbo. Maybe you knocked it loose while taking off the intercooler. Good luck with the snap ring, thing drove me crazy cus the snap ring pliers I had were garbage.

[sleeper3]

I'm confused why you needed to take the intercooler off to do the valve. HKS must be way different from stock. anyway, it would have to be a pretty big boost leak to create those types of problems. sometimes i just take everything back apart and put it together again and it works... poke around and see what you find.

[ronniekarn]

You don't need to take the intercooler off because I never did. Like I said just need a good pair of snap ring pliers and its super easy.

[SLS MS3]

I bet it's the HKS, try putting the stocker back on. (poke)

Haha, j/k man. I thought you said it was back to normal already? Give me a call later or PM me on DFW and I can meet you up to find out what the problem is.

[Sierra117]

I bet it's the HKS, try putting the stocker back on. (poke)

Haha, j/k man. I thought you said it was back to normal already? Give me a call later or PM me on DFW and I can meet you up to find out what the problem is.

It was fine yesterday morning, but its back to ass again. I'll shoot ya a PM here in a few, I'm heading out to lunch with some coworkers.

[ericrapp]

The OEM is still on it, so your saying take it off, shake it, and stick it back on?

This is weird Im sorry Sierra117 I when I posted I thought I was the first person to respond. I might be losing it over here. NO, I thought you had the hks on and had had a malfunction with it maybe . My bad

[Sierra117]

This is weird Im sorry Sierra117 I when I posted I thought I was the first person to respond. I might be losing it over here. NO, I thought you had the hks on and had had a malfunction with it maybe . My bad


Its cool...after looking at it, my post was poorly worded.

[tru-boost]

maybe you damaged you IC while it was off ? did it bang or rub against something ? if one of those tubes gets hit it can crack or puncture causing a leak in the IC itself.

[detsilverms3]

The OEM is still on it, so your saying take it off, shake it, and stick it back on?

you need to do the old nintendo fix. just blow on it a few times and pop it back in. lol.

[Sierra117]

This is what I posted on another forum, seeing if this will help any of you all out see anything I am missing:

1. Saturday night, work on trying to get the HKS SSQV installed with Brandon and Sumo. No go. Decide to call it quits and go meet up with some friends. On the way to meet up, I notice the car feels slower by a good margin. Hop on the tollway, 4th gear at 60 up to 115 when I let off. Spiked quickly to 11 pounds of boost, held about 9 pounds the rest of the time. Obviously a boost leak, no biggy, probably a hose didn't get tightend.

2. Driving home from my friend's place, Saturday night, notice something interesting. Very clear fluttering sound, on the stock BPV. Ok, definate issue there. Maybe more than a boost leak. Get home, park it, and decide to handle it in the morning (it was about 330am at this time).

3. Sunday, make a quick run to Autozone to get snap ring pliers and some other tools, get back home get to work. Intercooler comes off, play around with HKS some more, still cant get her on. Reset ECU at this time as well. Intercooler goes back on, re-attach and tighten everything, take her out for a spin. Boost is still spiking to eleven, holding 9-10 pounds. But flutter is gone. Ok.

4. Monday morning on the way into work. Everything is gravy again. Spiking 17 pounds, holding 15. Wahoo. I fixed it.

5. Monday around noon, need to run to get gas and lunch. Uh oh. Spiking 14 pounds, holding 12.

6. Test it out Monday after work, still the same. Remains in this condition all through Tuesday.

7. Today at lunch, go out for another set of pulls. First two sets of pulls, spike 16, hold 14. Ok, so its not 15 pounds, but maybe its just the ECU getting recalibrated or some such issue. Do one more pull, and its back to no more than 12 pounds. I procede to do a good bunch of pulls down the Dub, and this is what I've determined:

-From 4th gear, 60mph up to ~115-120, spikes to 13 pounds, holds 12 pounds, tappers off to 11
-From 4th gear, 40mph up to ~115, spikes to 15, holds 13, tappers off to 11
-From a dead stop, never higher than 13, pretty much holds 12 pounds
-At idle, vaccum is between -20pounds and -14pounds, staying mostly in the -17 range

So I'm thinking its not the ECU, its gotta be a leak somewhere. I checked the two boost tubes, and both of them seemed nice and tight and secure. It has been suggested that the inlet tube from the intake to the turbo may be loose. Checked it out, seems fine and tight to me. So I'm thinking the stock BPV may be stuck open, I'm wrong about the inlet tube, or one of the boost tubes was damaged when taking off and putting the intercooler back on. Any other suggestions/tests I could do to check for a leak?

[Rotus8]

Is it possible you lost the gasket for the stock BPV? I lost mine and didn't notice it but the car felt slow. It can fall out quite easily, I never saw it. I made a temporary gasket out of an O-ring and ordered 2 replacements. The gasket is a little floppy thing that goes in a groove in the bottom of the BPV flange.

[Sierra117]

Nope, the O-ring is still there.

[ericrapp]

Nope, the O-ring is still there.

This isn't good, what else can it be?

[07speed3]

Is it possible you lost the gasket for the stock BPV? I lost mine and didn't notice it but the car felt slow. It can fall out quite easily, I never saw it. I made a temporary gasket out of an O-ring and ordered 2 replacements. The gasket is a little floppy thing that goes in a groove in the bottom of the BPV flange.

wow i didnt even see a gasket on the stocker, i thought it was a little strange to not have one. i would say get your HKS together and put it on and see if you still have a leak. that would atleast eliminate one possible problem.

[Sierra117]

I am almost 99.9% certain that it is indeed the valve. This morning it was back to fluttering after trying to work with it some more yesterday. That means, in my rudementry knowledge of forced induction cars, that it is either lacking enough vaccum to open the valve, or the valve itself is in someway just not opening enough, or staying open and leaking air. I would work harder to get the HKS working, but I'm getting the hook up on the Synchronic Synapse, and will be selling the HKS.

[flyrevs]

sounds like the hks is leakin, I had a super high pitch cat like sound after I installed my fmic, make sure the clamps are ALL tight (bang)

[Captain KRM P5]

we had this exact same problem doing a downpipe install. the turboxs valve the customer had became stuck open upon reinstall and the car would never exceed 9psi. he put the stock valve back on and problem solved.

[Sierra117]

Last time...

THE STOCK VALVE IS ON

I think I may have solved the problem, I'll check out my solution in the morning and go from there.

[Captain KRM P5]

Last time...

THE STOCK VALVE IS ON

I think I may have solved the problem, I'll check out my solution in the morning and go from there.

i read that, i am just relating what happened to us

[Haltech]

Your stock valve is done bro... get a Forge and call it done.

[Sierra117]

Your stock valve is done bro... get a Forge and call it done.

I am getting a new valve, just not a Forge. Until then, I'm just trying to figure out how my stock valve could go from 100% fine to not holding more than 10 pounds in one day...I think I may have part of it figured out, it looks like the vacuum line is all crinkled up. Gonna reroute it and see how it goes.

But your right, or at least I'm positive you are. The clamps on the intercooler hoses are all solid tight, and I checked over the hoses, no cracks or anything. It has to be the valve.

[SLS MS3]

Just to put the solution out there in case anyone has a similar issue....

Stock valve was indeed the problem. We put mine on his car and he's back to stock boost levels. Put his on my car, I'm not getting as much boost anymore.

[Sierra117]

With your stock valve, did you drop off bost real fast past 5000rpm? And I'm holding 14.8 pounds for the most part? So I still think I'm loosing a bit, or is the stock boost not 15 pounds?

[SLS MS3]

With your stock valve, did you drop off bost real fast past 5000rpm? And I'm holding 14.8 pounds for the most part? So I still think I'm loosing a bit, or is the stock boost not 15 pounds?

Yes, back when I was stock I did. Boost drops alot at the top end, unfortunately that's normal behavior.

[Sierra117]

Alright. As soon as I get the O-Ring from forge, I'll pop yours off and get it back to you.

[synapse]

Check your vac lines, when I was testing on the dyno, the boost line to the stock BPV came loose and boost was at 0 psi on the entire run. So stock BPV is quite sensitive.