tsi_turbopwr

Of all the Manual Boost Controller's i've seen.. Joe P. MBC is one of the better ones, best one in price. It's not a bleeder type like most MBC's, it has a dual ball design that wont over boost or leak boost to the atmosphere. Anyway you can get Joe P. MBC at boostcontroller.com for only $50 that comes with a tubing kit and all the necessary parts needed to install. Ofcourse you have to have a boost guage upon installation. i dont have one yet but im definitely getting one as my next mod. As it should rocket me from low - mid 13's set @ 15psi

GSRwBOOST

someone can correct me if i'm wrong.. but manual boost controllers are only good up to a certain level of boost.. and an electronic bc would hold the boost better and control spikes better than a manual one...

dbman96

OK, you're wrong... a manual boost controller isn't really limited except by the spring built in the check valve; there may be a maximum pressure it can be set to, but if you're creative you can replace the valve with one intended for higher pressures and it will work just fine. Electronic boost controllers are great gadgets but they also cost around 6x as much as this MBC, and about 30x as much as the one I was using earlier, which was a bit of a bitch to set but once it was set it worked great.

SIK IN DA HED

manual boost controllers are not reliable, from what i heard.

pagong

but hearing and actual using are two different things. i think its better if somebody have actually used both types of boost controlllers and give an unbiased opinion about it, rather than "i heard this... i heard that".

C-speed

Check here for an MBC (ball and spring type) for under $4:

http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto/mbc/mbc.html

I have personally used BOTH electronic and manual. Manual is by far the most inexpensive and reliable method to control boost. We used the one listed about on our Integra and it never spiked. We ran mid 12's with that MBC at 14psi.

Just because it doesn't take 'batteries' or have some microchip in it doesn't mean that it can't perform or outperform technology.

dbman96

Listen to G3teg - this is actually an excellent boost controller. It takes some tweaking to get the spring cut down to the right length for what you need, but hell, for $4 it's bulletproof.

SIK IN DA HED

yah... BUT hearin that from people who have tried is a VALID opinion.

electronic and manual both have its good and bad sides to it. but i rather have one that doesnt require turning a **** and constantly testing to make sure its the desired psi. unlike a boost controller... its controlled most of the time at a desired psi. what happens when that little manual device breaks apart? ball pops out... spring pops out... or so be it. can you say "BANG!" at 15+ psi on a stock motor?

i may be alittle biased because of what i hear. but tell me this... why do people ask questions on this board? to get opinions from people rite? if you have a different one... then say it. if youre replying out of your ***.. then thats a different story.

by the way, my friend has tried that cspeed method and he took it off because sometimes... he would boost 9lbs when he only set it at 7. enuff said.

C-speed

First of all, the ball and/or spring isn't going to 'pop out'. Hardly physically possible if put together properly.

Your friend, you said he tried our MBC and it boost 9psi when its set at 7psi? Well it sound more like its set at 9 psi then, wouldn't that make logical sense?

When put together correctly, it works flawlessly. We've used several EBC's and as far as getting them tuned in and running correctly for whatever desired PSI, you'd need to be a rocket scientist to get it working 100% compared to an MBC (relatively speaking of course). Any idiot can use an MBC, but thats not the point. The point is that the MBC is just as, if not more reliable than an EBC.

Along the same lines as Dlplayboy.. what if the EBC burns out? or your fried the processor in it? What if the stepper motor breaks??? Same logic - both irrelavent.

dbman96

I'd have to say that based on my experience with automotive electronics and mechanical components, the electronic component is far more likely to fail at an inopportune time than a single spring and ball bearing is to escape through a solid brass fitting. EBCs make sense if you're seriously racing and are very excited about being able to set different boost limits for launch and each gear or something.

EBC also gives you the dreaded "scramble" function which gives you the ability to drive every day at a safe level of boost but at the touch of a button have a level of boost you decided wasn't safe for everyday driving but you can press the little red button so you blow your motor while trying to impresse the blonde in the Corvette next to you. Much less potential for tomfoolery if you have to pop your hood to crank up the boost.

For that matter can anyone give me one good reason that people WANT to turn the boost down for daily driving? Is it all that hard to apply a little less pressure to the throttle?

Rob03Pro5

I have to agree with this. I know this guy Geoff in Miami (http://www.boosthead.com). He's been rebuilding turbo's and building custom kits for a long time now. He swears by MBC's and his reason is like that of the quote. Electronics have a higher chance of failing than mechanical parts. This is from a guy who's been through over 30 years of turbo'd experience. Just my .02. I would try to build the c-speed MBC for my own app, and if I happen to mess that up (I'm not really handy) I would probably get the Joe MBC.

C-speed

For that matter can anyone give me one good reason that people WANT to turn the boost down for daily driving? Is it all that hard to apply a little less pressure to the throttle?


HAHAHAH good point. I've always wondered that myself.




[Modified by G3-TEG, 8:15 PM 8/26/2001]

SIK IN DA HED

well... as long as i would like to provide a good argument... its just not worth it. i do agree with what youre saying... but even i am entitled to my own opinion.

however, i can agree that electronic boost controllers are just as unreliable... BUT i think they perform alot better than a manual controller can. hmmm... the wonder of digital technology.

as for the $4 boost controller... my friend set it at 7... but on his boost guage... sometimes he boost more. i guess it would adjust itself to 9. sometimes 8... then stay at 7. its SET at 7. but for some reason... i guess it decides to boost more on its own. if it was really set at 9... tell me why it goes back down to 7? hmmm something to think about. maybe he couldve tweaked it alittle more... but who knows how reliable its goin to be. but anyways... no sense tryin to debate about this... i think enuff is said.

in all aspects of this subject... a boost controller is recommended!

pagong

hey bro take it easy man... i was just pointing it out to other people who are just starting out with a turbo project. i didnt mean to bash on your opinion or anything like that. so cool down your jets and drink a few

Speed PHreak

Hey on a side note. These EBC with the "scramble" function or dual boost setting can be just as easily had by building 2 MBC from under $10. Common sence right? You make one set for XXlbs daily driven, and set the other for XXlbs at the track. I mean simply swapping the MBCs would take what, 2 minutes?

Food for thought.......

C-speed

Speed Phreak: In a sense you are right, however your method technically isn't the same as the scamble boost function that an EBC has, since the EBC can do it instantaneously (on the fly) where the MBC you have to stop the car, pop the hood and swap the MBC out. Not very effective when you see a Mustang on the freeway that wants to race

Speed PHreak

Well, yeah.......why risk blowing up your car on a putang tho?

The Punisher

Just to add my two cents, Turbo XS has a two stage MBC. You set one stage to a daily drive pasi, and the second stage to a race psi. There is a switch that is installed in the engine compartment. It is instantous, and you don't have to pop the hood. You can see it at http://www.turboxs.com/ hit the products button at the bottom, and you will see it. I have found it is a little pricey though. I think Summit sells it for $229, but don't quote me on that.

gsr*lude

dbman96

If you sourced a solenoid valve, you could probably do that yourself for a total of like $25-30 using a pair of two of the $4 MBCs.