No Boost After Installing GFB DV+

[XanRules]

Howdy everyone, I'm stumped. (Hi stumped, I'm dad!)

This past weekend I tore the car apart and installed a GFB DV+, a Tune+ Turbosmart Wastegate, and a Whoosh Turbo Elbow. I figured since these parts are all stacked on to each other I'd just do them all at once. After flashing a new tune for the wastegate, the car stopped making boost over 12psi. My AFRs are fine, idle is smooth, no misfiring, car is not pulling timing, etc etc. Just not making boost.

I sent data logs to my tuner (Adam at Tune+) and he agreed that it was either the wastegate actuator causing problems or a boost leak.

After a few days of dicking around with it, I took it to Cobb Surgeline here in Portland. They did a smoke test to look and confirmed that there were no boost/vac leaks and that everything was torqued down and plugged in correctly. They determined that the problem was either the wastegate or the DV+, but more likely the DV+ because the wastegate flapper was moving freely when pressurized (I don't know how they do this, but they said they sent 16 pounds of pressure through it and it opened, which means even if it were faulty it would be making at least 16psi, mechanical pressure).

So, we are leaning towards the DV being the problem. This weekend I'm going to flash my old tune and put my factory wastegate back on to rule that out as the problem (if the car makes boost then I've got a bad wastegate!), but I'm thinking it's the DV. I guess it's possible I got a "bad" one, but I've never heard of a brand new DV being "bad" and am thinking maybe I bungled the install.

My question is, is there a way I could have installed the DV in that it would not function correctly, causing a loss of boost, but also not leak?

Thanks!

 

[TyphoonFiST]

I'm gonna say DV also here. There hasn't been alot of reported Bad Wastegate actuators* if it was me I'd revert back to the BPV and see what happens before I took off the Actuator...just thinking of easiest things to start off with First.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

 

[XanRules]

I'm gonna say DV also here. There hasn't been alot of reported Bad Wastegate actuators* if it was me I'd revert back to the BPV and see what happens before I took off the Actuator...just thinking of easiest things to start off with First.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

I think you responded to my Reddit thread, too. The difference for me is that I have big dumb gorilla arms and access to minimal tools. Despite this, I can get to the wastegate actuator in about 30 minutes in my driveway - the DV requires a jack or lift and hours of cussing and cursing. I also don't have a stock DV to swap back on as I broke the plastic ring installing the DV+, but I do have a stock wastegate actuator. Either one should suffice for process of elimination, I think!

 

[slopoke]

I think you responded to my Reddit thread, too. The difference for me is that I have big dumb gorilla arms and access to minimal tools. Despite this, I can get to the wastegate actuator in about 30 minutes in my driveway - the DV requires a jack or lift and hours of cussing and cursing. I also don't have a stock DV to swap back on as I broke the plastic ring installing the DV+, but I do have a stock wastegate actuator. Either one should suffice for process of elimination, I think!

I'm confused here. You state that you can't re-install the stock diverter valve due to you broke a plastic ring, but in your original post, you don't list an aftermarket diverter valve. What are you using as a diverter valve?

 

[PunkST]

^ the gfb dv+. It uses the solenoid from the stock dv and replaces the lower half with a brass piston instead of the rubber diaphragm.



It could be that the piston foe the dv is stuck. Dis you remember to lube it prior to install?

 

[HoloCoCos]

I never messed with a FiST but I had a GFB DV+ installed in my Peugeot 208 THP and I can give some advices:

• Clean the metal piston;
• Oil it with some motor oil;
• Make sure there is no play on the piston inside the metal case;
• Make sure you installed the 3 screws on the right place (i.e.: it is not "turned")

The GFB DV+ was extremely reliable on the THP motor, however the THP wastegate is a pain in the * to configure (find the right screw position). Do you have high pressure and low pressure pump in FiST motor? This problem you described, in a THP motor, could be related to a high pressure pump failing.

 

[slopoke]

^ the gfb dv+. It uses the solenoid from the stock dv and replaces the lower half with a brass piston instead of the rubber diaphragm.



It could be that the piston foe the dv is stuck. Dis you remember to lube it prior to install?

I forgot that the OEM diverter valve has to be modified to work with the GFB.

 

[XanRules]

^ the gfb dv+. It uses the solenoid from the stock dv and replaces the lower half with a brass piston instead of the rubber diaphragm.



It could be that the piston foe the dv is stuck. Dis you remember to lube it prior to install?

I did, but it's possible I didn't do so enough. I had someone on Reddit tell me they had the exact same problem from lubricating it TOO much. I'm going to disassemble and relubricate it and see if this solves the problem as I have now narrowed it down to being the DV+ by reattaching the stock WGA, flashing my old tune, and getting no changes. I also have a new DV+ coming from Ron that I'll keep on standby.

 

[XanRules]

Howdy everyone. After some discussion with the fine folks at GFB I've acknowledged the possibility that I may have accidentally reused the stock "plunger" spring rather than the GFB one and then tossed the GFB one by mistake. This could, conceivably, hold at about 12psi. GFB is sending me a new spring, but it will likely not get here before the new valve I bought from Ron. If I did mess up the spring installation I guess I'll have a perfectly good DV+ for sale in the near future. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[PunkST]

Yup. That would definitely do it

 

[XanRules]

Yup. That would definitely do it

I can't think of anything else I would have done wrong, but "accidentally used the wrong spring and then somehow accidentally thrown the correct spring in the trash even though I saved literally everything else" sounds like a mistake I would make.

 

[HoloCoCos]

Howdy everyone. After some discussion with the fine folks at GFB I've acknowledged the possibility that I may have accidentally reused the stock "plunger" spring rather than the GFB one and then tossed the GFB one by mistake. This could, conceivably, hold at about 12psi. GFB is sending me a new spring, but it will likely not get here before the new valve I bought from Ron. If I did mess up the spring installation I guess I'll have a perfectly good DV+ for sale in the near future. I'll keep everyone posted.

I bought a firmer spring for my GFB+, but I sold the car before installing... but the standard GFB+ spring is good enough in my opinion.