The wastegate solenoid, I assume actuates the wastegate when the ECU decides to do so.

A) Should I bother getting the stock actuator, or jump ahead to an aftermarket boost controller?

B) Can I drive without the controller/actuator. I'll expect the CEL to be triggered ... any other side-effects?

Thanks.

if your going to run the stock ecu get the silenoid

the stock ecu+boost controller is not a good idea ...
if you want to raise boost get a reflash

Originally posted by Jaxx
if your going to run the stock ecu get the silenoid

the stock ecu+boost controller is not a good idea ...
if you want to raise boost get a reflash

I agree with the solenoid advice, but am not sure I agree with the boost controller/reflash advice. Only because if it is an older JDM swap getting a reflash can be fairly hard. My EJ20G is going to run on a '94 WRX ECU. I intend on adding an MBC to give it an extra psi or 2 over stock. Nothing extreme since the turbo and the injectors can't deliver much past that. But $50 for a Hallman vs. $400 for a Cobb reflash, on my swap the Hallman wins. Now if I had a USDM swap it would be a different story. ShooterRS, what have you got?

Oh,
And question B depends on what swap you have. A USDM EJ20 w/TD04 runs 8psi when just running the spring. Other engines with different turbos have different spring tensions. Aside from that, I am not sure if your car will slip into limp mode or not without that solenoid...

after my swap I had my car running without the solenoid and it ran fine, other than only 8 psi of boost...
Take it easy, Micah

there's the answer to the limp mode question...:D

yeah i should have qualified my statement the above responce was for a usdm ej205 swap

I'm swapping in an EJ205. Thanks for all the advice.

I ran my WRX swap with just an MBC for over a year. I just now put the stock wastegate actuator back in because I got a Cobb AccessPort. There is nothing wrong with running an MBC on the stock ECU. Just get a boost gauge and pay attention not to run over 8psi unless you're at full throttle. After a while you get used to how the boost comes on and it's easy to avoid part throttle full boost.

except that it will drop to the conservitive map and run less advance and more fuel ==>less performance

12.62 @ 104 with MBC at 15 psi, uppipe, downpipe, and K&N.

With the uppipe, downpipe, and K&N but stock wastegate solenoid the best I could do was 13.29 at 100

You could be right that I was on a less aggressive fuel/timing map with the MBC in place, but it certainly didn't = less performance.

Originally posted by Eby
12.62 @ 104 with MBC at 15 psi, uppipe, downpipe, and K&N.

With the uppipe, downpipe, and K&N but stock wastegate solenoid the best I could do was 13.29 at 100

You could be right that I was on a less aggressive fuel/timing map with the MBC in place, but it certainly didn't = less performance.

:eek: ...1.2 psi made all that difference:D

5 psi at redline would