Wastegate stuck open or dead - is BOV enough?

[RichMason]

I just put a 1.6 td in my Vanagon.  The only way to get any boost is to remove the wastegate lines.  With the wastegate removed, you can sense the boost pressure to keep it low enough to avoid opening the BOV (which does work) and I drive the van gently.  DO I need to fix the wastegate or can I rely on the BOV to protect the engine?


Rich Mason
Chapel Hill, NC
2003 Gold TDI
85 Westy 1.6td

[Dr. Diesel]

do you mean the turbo produces zero boost when the wastegate line is connected? What boost does it make when you disconnect?

[jtanguay]

thats pretty weird... your wastegate must be pretty messed up if the only way to get boost is to remove the line.   That would mean that the wastegate spring is somehow dead, or stuck open somehow???  

maybe someone changed your wastegate spring with one from a pen  :lol: time to operate!

I have some pics of the wastegate (from a service manual) if you wish me to email them I will do so.

[racer_x]

I just put a 1.6 td in my Vanagon.  The only way to get any boost is to remove the wastegate lines.  With the wastegate removed, you can sense the boost pressure to keep it low enough to avoid opening the BOV (which does work) and I drive the van gently.  DO I need to fix the wastegate or can I rely on the BOV to protect the engine?


Rich Mason
Chapel Hill, NC
2003 Gold TDI
85 Westy 1.6td

I'd try to fix the wastegate. Sounds like the spring is extremely weak in it. Or something else is wrong. But it could be something really cheap/easy to fix. Either that or it's just begging for a boost control valve for the wastegate control line.

The pressure relief valve is a secondary safety system. I wouldn't want to rely on it as the only control of boost. It also tends to dump a lot of boost when it trips, over correcting rather than maintaining a predictable level of boost.

[jtanguay]

definitely recommend getting a psi gauge,  and a manual boost controller.  It will take a bit of time to get the boost controller setup properly but once you get it right, you can make your wastegate open at 10 psi like normal

[vwmike]

I just put a 1.6 td in my Vanagon.  The only way to get any boost is to remove the wastegate lines.  With the wastegate removed, you can sense the boost pressure to keep it low enough to avoid opening the BOV (which does work) and I drive the van gently.  DO I need to fix the wastegate or can I rely on the BOV to protect the engine?


Rich Mason
Chapel Hill, NC
2003 Gold TDI
85 Westy 1.6td

I'd try to fix the wastegate. Sounds like the spring is extremely weak in it. Or something else is wrong. But it could be something really cheap/easy to fix. Either that or it's just begging for a boost control valve for the wastegate control line.

The pressure relief valve is a secondary safety system. I wouldn't want to rely on it as the only control of boost. It also tends to dump a lot of boost when it trips, over correcting rather than maintaining a predictable level of boost.

Not to mention relying on the pop valve for boost control means you're drastically overspinning the turbo when it opens. I don't think your turbo would last long in a situation like that.