Ok... So yeah, I titled the thread with both your names.... SO WHAT!!!

I figured you would both get in here and give your 2 bits, get into a debate and then I would be able to figure this out.... hehe....

Ok so I am running the Vortech with a 3.12 and SQ blower. I noticed actually that my intake pipe that goes from the blower the bypass valve actually rubbed the crank and I had a score in it... I took that pipe out and added a silicon hose over that area and tightened it up as I thought this is where I was loosing boost at... it did not change the boost pressure however.

I routinely hit 7 - 7.5 lbs in the summer and 9 - 10 in the colder months... Well recently I have only been hitting 5.4 at the max boost... I have not had it dyno'd since Nov where I hit 410 at 9.5psi...

The screw on the bypass valve... could this have anything to do with it? do I screw it in or out to increase boost pressure?

I need to get to dynocomp I guess at some point to see some plots and what I am hitting soon...

I just reinstalled my tune and am going to see if maybe the SS box might have unlearned it while I had the car in for repairs and they had the battery disconnected for awhile....

So what do you two Cortech Guru's think? And anyone else for that matter...

 

hmm I dunno, it's really hard to trouble shoot boost leaks over the internet without being in front of the car.

Sometimes boost leaks are hard to hear, but the leak can still be happening even with the silicon hose over the hole. How big is that hole anyway?

You might have someone try to listen for a leak while you slowly rev the car in neutral, but chances are if you're not hearing a high pitched leak, it's one of those quiet ones that you just really can't hear very well anyway and you're just going to have to double check every clamp at each point.

The other thing might be the bypass valve might need to be readjusted. I think it typically is supposed to have about 6 threads showing.

 

I think you can omit your ECU or the SS box as being the problem . Of coarse Im going to say to check your belt tention [ needs to be pretty dam tight ] and then all your IC pipe connections . Highly unlikely would be the BOV but you cant rule it out totally . Unless some one is there to trouble shoot the system , its hard to just say for certain what it is .

 

thanks guys.... yeah I re-installed my tune and got to 5.7psi..... I am going to re-check all of the fittings this weekend. I checked the SSV already and did not notice any issues there. When you have less threads VS more threads showing on the bypass vlave does that increase the PSI before blowoff? or is it the other way around which would be counterintuitive imo...

The intake pipe actually got about a 1.5" long cut in it where it was hitting the crank pulley after I got hit a month or so ago. I put a pepboys special silicone fitting over it and tightened it up real nice so I ruled that out.

Will check all the fittings... then I guess check the intercooler for any holes at all.

 

More threads showing on the adj. bolt mean the Bov will close later...if you have 6 or 7 threads showing your ok . Another thing to check is the vacuum lines running to the BOV . It may have a small leak and not allowing enough psi to the BOV to keep it closed and it is leaking

 

Yeah, I actually followed it from the SSV to the BOV checking for kinks. I think I am going to take those lines off, if checking the couplings does not check out, and do the "bath tub check" by submerging the lines plugging an end and blowing in the other looking for bubbles.

If that doesn't do it then I will have to check it out on the dyno to see if I can track it down.

 

You mentioned that the car was hit ? Thats how come the IC pipe was rubbing . Check to see if may be your IC it self is cracked on the end tanks or the core isnt punctured .

 

Any noises out of the norm? Did you do anything to the car prior to noticing the loss of boost? Have you logged any a/f?

 

no none... I listened today and heard a "fshfffffffffp" right when I hit the throttle for just a split second... I am not sure if it was there before as I did not listen to all the little things as I was today... and other than that just the typical vortech idle rattle. belts are all nice and tight so I think I can rule out slippage. I am going to add the pulley up top next to the blower with the stock belt set up to get more belt on the 3.12 pulley... I am also going to get a 2.87 in the future when I get new injectors / a return system and walbro.

Which injectors are the best? I have heard not such great things about RC... I was thinking maybe APS? ... and for the 2.87 I would think 440's should be ok since that should get me to right around 430 - 445 whp... and thats ALL I am going to push my stock block...

I am about to start disecting all my intercooler pipes here in a cpl hours once it starts to cool off a bit... It's about 112 out right now...

What should I look for on the intercooler itself as far as a leak? just like hairline cracks or something?...

Oh, btw... what other intercoolers can we run with the Vortech if that is the case, without having to mod the pipes to much.

Thanks.

 

440 injectors work for 440ish whp with a turbo, but they won't be enough for the vortech at that power level because there's more parasitic loss

 

You never did say how bad the wreck was that caused the IC pipe to rub . But yes look for cracks in the welds on the end tanks and punctures in the core . Dropping the IC is pretty easy to check both sides

 

have you tried tightening the belt? sounds simple but it fixed my boost problems.

 

Ok.....

Just finished taking the pipes off and checking them out... I dropped the IC and all the welds look good, no punctures that I could see.... Just the typical rocks in the fins in the front.

Where the pipe was rubbing looks OK, I had my son put his hand on the rubbed area and he did not feel or hear any air off the pipe...

Now the threads on my blow off valve was showing 8, I tightened it down to show 6...

When at idle should air be "free flowing" from the blowoff valve? When at idle there is a steady stream of air flowing thru there... I thought that only when a certain psi was achieved did it bleed off extra air... ?

Thanks for the feedback

 

My belt feels tight and good... I have had this NAPA belt on for a year and 30K+ miles... I have another belt for back-up in my car for emergencies but I do not think I need to change it out really... No cracks or alot of wear on the current one.

 

no a wastegate like turbo kits use is what will bleed off extra air to maintain a psi.

The vortech's bypass valve is just there to prevent the pressure from backing up into the blower and damaging the blower when the engine/throttle isn't opened up enough to digest all the air that the vortech is constantly generating since the belts are always turning the blower, even at idle

 

OK... so in engrish, it's normal to feel air flow out even at idle?

Also, tightning from 8 to 6 threads... will that hold more PSI and bleed off extra later?

 

oh yeah, the air is always venting out at idle. You can hear it inside the car if you listen for it

it's only when you get on the throttle hard that the bypass valve starts to seal up since the engine is able to digest the full amount of air.

 

Tightening down the adjustment bolt only makes the BOV close sooner . Yes ..air should be coming out at idle . BOV closes when you step on the gas and vacuum drops . It opens back up after you let off the gas and vacuum starts to build again .

Put that new belt on and tighten your belt up a bunch more than you have it now and I bet you get the boost back

 

Ok cool....thanks...

How about the screw set? You have any idea on this?

Also, tightning from 8 to 6 threads... will that hold more PSI and bleed off extra later???


TY

 

re -read what I posted . Tightening it down only makes it close sooner . The Vortech bypass BOV is good to 18psi

That why earlier I asked you to check the vacuum line running to the BOV . If it was leaking psi [ the vacuum line ] ...the BOV may leak