Hey guys, I've searched my *** off and am still at a lose. Hopefully someone can give me some pointers.

Setup: b16 with 18g greddy turbo using an HKS external wastegate w/ 9.6psi spring. No boost gauge. Using v-afc and 450's

Ok so I took the car out after the install and it ran fine but only made 6.5#'s. I drove it like htis a few times and eventually the boost made its way down to ~5.4#'s. I made a home made MBC and installed that but it didnt affect the boost at all so I took the wastegate hose off and did a run like that. Same tihng, 5.4psi.

Is there anything this could be besides an exhaust leak? It doesnt sound like it's leaking exhaust but when I put my hand near the exhaust manifold I can feel air hitting my hand. I know I'm pretty much answering my question here but how can I find where hte leak is comig from? Can i spray something on the manifold or how do you tell if its coming from the gasket?

Any help is appreciated, I'm really hoping its an easy fix and I don't have to take the manifold off to get welded or squared off.

 

first off, never take off the wastegate vaccum hose off. This means you would have no boost signal thus the wastegate never would have opened thus you would over boost thus <FONT COLOR="red">boom</FONT>!!!

Next yeah you can pretty much hear an exhaust leak...just take some soapy water and sprinkle it on the manifold when the car is cold, but the engine is just starting to run...where ever you see bubbles form is the leak. I would guess it's prolly the exhaust gasket or if the flange to the turbo and turbo itself are not straight it could leak there too....look for noise more..it could also be a leak in the intercooler piping so checak there as well.
but for god sakes put that hose back on the wastegate

 

I was farely confident that thewastegate wasnt the problem and that hose or no hose it would be hte same. In heinsight I guess it was kinda risky but I had hte old man watching to see if it was gonna boost more then .38 so it was alright.

I'll try the soapy water thing in a bit when the car cools down.

Thanks for your help