Thread: Adding More Boost Z7 Kit

Totally new to the forced induction game and need some advice on what to do. Have an 01 GT with a recently installed ZZP crate engine and Triple Edge HD tranny with a ST1 Cam, 130# Springs, #42 Injectors, Powder Coated Rods, SLP cat back and a Z7 Precision Turbo Kit with FMIC. Car is running well and really can't complain about the power, dyno states 280 HP at the wheels, but bitten by the bug and want more. Running off waste gate spring which is giving me 9 lbs of boost. I think this setup is capable of making more power safely, it's my daily driver, so looking at options of what to do. If I want to jump up to lets say 12 lbs of boost, what's the best way to do that? Replace the WG spring? I have a manual boost controller but just don't get how and where to install it?

I also understand the concept more air, more fuel, more power. Should I also move up to #60 injectors and/or a L36 High Velocity Throttle Body? Considered Northstar TB but heard they are sort of tricky with their response and road manors. If I jump to large injectors and TB, is my fuel economy really going to suffer or will those improvements only really benefit the WOT overall output and not effect the MPG's? Running stock in-tank fuel pump with no issues now, will I need to upgrade that with bigger injectors & TB?

Meth a good or bad option?

I totally understand no matter what I end up doing it will need to be tuned once again.

Like I stated, this is my daily driver and like the current road manors it has now, the wife drives the car and want to keep it easy to drive, if you know what I mean.

Any input and advice is appreciated.

Yes, it has been tuned on a Dyno, thought it would be closer to 330 HP as well, but can't complain, it is pretty quick. Have the boost controller but I just don't understand how to hook it up? Also, when it is hooked up, how the hell do you know how much boost has been added or decreased? Hate to turn it up and, bang, 30 lbs!

Careful with just turning up the boost. If you're tuned for 9psi the car might not react well to seeing 12. You can try it, but scan for knock and make sure you're AFR stays safe.
The Boost controller should plug into a vac source and then into the top of your WG. Make sure you read the instructions thoroughly. I've seen people install boost controllers and then all of a sudden they're running double the boost they were before, could blow it up.

Meth is a great idea... You won't need 60s unless you're aiming for over 400whp and you can leave everything else stock.

When you start making a lot of power you might want to look into bigger injectors/pump or if you decide to run e85.
Good luck!

IIRC, run a vac line to the bc, follow the arrows, then from the bc to the bottom nipple on the wg. The upper nipple needs to be vented to the atmosphere

Most boost controllers should be adding pressure to the top port to emulate more spring pressure. Its the most consistant way to add boost.

Meth is a great idea... You won't need 60s unless you're aiming for over 400whp and you can leave everything else stock.

Meth is a horrid idea. A good intercooler is cheaper, easier, and 10000x more reliable. 60# injectors will take 93 octane to well over 500whp. 42# will work fine up to about 450whp

Considered Northstar TB but heard they are sort of tricky with their response and road manors. If I jump to large injectors and TB, is my fuel economy really going to suffer or will those improvements only really benefit the WOT overall output and not effect the MPG's?

Nothing is going to decrease fuel economy other than possibly a giant cam... even then its mostly because people are dumb. I run a stock throttle body to well over 700hp.... it works fine.

Running stock in-tank fuel pump with no issues now,

That you know of. I imagine the only thing holding you back from even 300whp is a fuel pump. Go OVERKILL on a fuel setup and you can easily go up to 16/17psi of boost without making a single other change.... I put down 440whp with excatly your setup on a ST2 cam years ago. I was able to turn it up after a giant IC was added to about 19psi and put down 505whp.

Originally Posted by darkhorizon

Most boost controllers should be adding pressure to the top port to emulate more spring pressure. Its the most consistant way to add boost.



Meth is a horrid idea. A good intercooler is cheaper, easier, and 10000x more reliable. 60# injectors will take 93 octane to well over 500whp. 42# will work fine up to about 450whp



Nothing is going to decrease fuel economy other than possibly a giant cam... even then its mostly because people are dumb. I run a stock throttle body to well over 700hp.... it works fine.



That you know of. I imagine the only thing holding you back from even 300whp is a fuel pump. Go OVERKILL on a fuel setup and you can easily go up to 16/17psi of boost without making a single other change.... I put down 440whp with excatly your setup on a ST2 cam years ago. I was able to turn it up after a giant IC was added to about 19psi and put down 505whp.

You have a poor attitude and some of your info is bias/wrong. OP I would take what darkhorizon says with a grain of salt.
I'm interested to hear your results when you start upping the boost! 9psi is barely working things!

Originally Posted by darkhorizon

Most boost controllers should be adding pressure to the top port to emulate more spring pressure. Its the most consistant way to add boost.



Meth is a horrid idea. A good intercooler is cheaper, easier, and 10000x more reliable. 60# injectors will take 93 octane to well over 500whp. 42# will work fine up to about 450whp



Nothing is going to decrease fuel economy other than possibly a giant cam... even then its mostly because people are dumb. I run a stock throttle body to well over 700hp.... it works fine.



That you know of. I imagine the only thing holding you back from even 300whp is a fuel pump. Go OVERKILL on a fuel setup and you can easily go up to 16/17psi of boost without making a single other change.... I put down 440whp with excatly your setup on a ST2 cam years ago. I was able to turn it up after a giant IC was added to about 19psi and put down 505whp.

A manual boost controller does not add pressure to the top port of the wastegate. I suppose you could be talking about an electronic boost controller but I doubt that's what the OP has.

Originally Posted by Josh Ehlert

A manual boost controller does not add pressure to the top port of the wastegate. I suppose you could be talking about an electronic boost controller but I doubt that's what the OP has.

A Manual boost controller does add pressure to the top of the wastegate. That's how it works. Darkhorizon is right about a lot of what he says. He has an awesome 3800 turbo engine. Get a boost controller and turn it up to 12 pounds the engine will handle it just fine I've ran 12 pounds at the track with my Z3 kit and had no problems

Originally Posted by Wsmccoy

A Manual boost controller does add pressure to the top of the wastegate. That's how it works. Darkhorizon is right about a lot of what he says. He has an awesome 3800 turbo engine. Get a boost controller and turn it up to 12 pounds the engine will handle it just fine I've ran 12 pounds at the track with my Z3 kit and had no problems

I guess people hook them up differently. Not saying yours is wrong, but I have never hooked up the top port of a wastegate on the last 4 cars I've put turbo kits on, and I've never had a problem. I was always told unless you have an electronic boost controller you leave the top port to atmosphere.

Originally Posted by Josh Ehlert

I guess people hook them up differently. Not saying yours is wrong, but I have never hooked up the top port of a wastegate on the last 4 cars I've put turbo kits on, and I've never had a problem. I was always told unless you have an electronic boost controller you leave the top port to atmosphere.

Not trying to get off subject but How did you hook up yours? Was it by limiting the pressure that the wastegate reads? I've always hooked up my boost controllers using a vacuum hose on the bottom port and the vacuum hose coming off the boost controller to the top port

I appreciate all the input, seems to be a lot of different opinions. I have the manual boost controller mounted in the engine bay, it is just how to hook it up properly. What confuses me is if the WG has a 9 lb spring in it currently, how can the manual boost controller override it? Do I pull the spring out? That almost scares me to type that! Having a ?# spring makes sense to me that is as much boost that will be supplied/output? Am I just over thinking this?

Someone else indicated, when they looked at my car, that a reference vacuum tube needs to be supplied to the turbo itself? There is some type of coupling on it, I just don't know enough about forced induction and don't want to just start running vacuum lines randomly. Too much invested to blow it up guessing.

DO NOT remove the spring!!! To turn up the boost just adjust the boost controller and check your boost gauge. Make small adjustments at a time and see where your at. And as stated before watch you AFR that is the most important thing. No you don't need a vacuum going to the turbo.

Not trying to be rude but you should read a lot more about turbo's before you take a step like adding more boost

Don't worry, I've got thick skin, no offense taken. Done a lot of reading on it, thought I understood how the BC works, but the more I looked at it, the more unsure I got. I'm sure I am over thinking it, but I see here opinions vary. I have gotten a lot of good info here so I tried here first, it sounds/looks as if it is a rather simple install, but I get different responses from people. Since there seem to be quite a few Z7 kits out there, thought I would get some first hand knowledge on this particular ZZP setup. Thanks for the response.

Originally Posted by Wsmccoy

Not trying to get off subject but How did you hook up yours? Was it by limiting the pressure that the wastegate reads? I've always hooked up my boost controllers using a vacuum hose on the bottom port and the vacuum hose coming off the boost controller to the top port

I ran a vacuum line from the intake mani to the boost controller and the second port of the boost controller went to the bottom port of the wastegate and left the top port open.

What about this hook up?