Need help adjusting ATR external wastgate!

[lewisstraughn]

I have an ATR external wastegate and a stock engine. I have the 3" downpipe and cat delete and catback exhaust. I also have the ultimate chip with stock injectors. When setting the boost control on the waste gate where is the best setting to start with? Do you start with it turned all the way in (Clockwise) or all the way out (Counter-clockwise) to get the lowest setting? Thanks, for your replies to get me started.

 

[Guest]

hey Lewis;

To answer your initial question, clockwise tightens the spring giving more boost, counter clockwise loosens spring pressure giving less boost.

However, I suggest you remove the upper screw down type fitting (in the ATR wategate) and insert a barb fitting, then run the top fitting to your boost controller, with the bottom fitting going to the turbine housing fitting, all via the hose of your chosing.

Secondly, in the ATR directions (if Shirley bothered to send them :wink:
it mentions "hogging out the wategate hole to match the wastegate outlet pipe and blending in the internal passages". <------ This is extrememly important!!!! If you don't smooth out the outlet pipe and wastegate hole, boost control will be by your foot! The exhaust will take the least resistant flow, and the ATR wastegate piping isn't the easiest to follow when new. As an example, my Sy has the wastegate pipe hogged out to where I'm into the actually gouging inside of the pipe, and then a 1.5" wastegate hole blended into the turbine housing. On my first install, I didn't hog it out much and had NO boost control. I had to remove it all and start over again.

I hope something here helps, and congrats on the mods......

 

[lewisstraughn]

Hi Roland,

Thanks for helping me out.

You were right, there were no instructions with any of the stuff ATR sent me. I guess I need to give Shirley a call and get the instructions for hogging out the wategate hole.

The boost contol knob has a plastic "Y" in it. Do I remove this and run only one hose to the control knob?

Thanks Again,

 

[Guest]

I'll e-mail you some pics of what mine looks like..... I haven't yet fiqured out how to do it here

Use the gasket as a guide....... hog out the downpipe portion of the wastegate piping, make the gasket match, then use the gasket on the turbine housing and scribe your line. Then let the fun begin........ it's time consuming to say the least.

Connection wise, I have no idea which controller your using. However, instead of running your "hose" to the bottom fitting......... install it on the top fitting (replacing the existing top fitting with a barb fitting as mentioned earlier). Now connect the bottom barb to a T on the compressor housing. So you end up with boost controller line to the top of the ATR, and a compressor housing line to the bottom. Doing so should give you snappy and immediate boost control functions.

I'll forward pics soon...

 

[smeagol]

I believe there is an adjustment screw as well as a blocked off port. You want to leave the adjustment screw there - that is for base boost adjustment. You want to use the blocked off port, in a dual port configuration. See the page that Ian & Adam did up on sytyarchives for an external, for plumbing and such.

Also, just porting the wastegate may not help much. Do some searching, and I think it is Limit Engineering that will fix that wastegate up. There is more than just porting that is needed to fix it, and they can fix it up good for like $50.

 

[Guest]

I know others have complained of the ATR wastegate not working properly, but mine is untouched and works fine "if" you do the porting. Others results may vary. Perhaps if you have the wastegate re-worked, you won't need to do the porting? I personally doubt that, but must admit I haven't tried it.

On mine I replaced the screw down fitting for a barbed fitting (there is no other blocked off port on my wastegate)....... all adjustment boost wise is done from the HKS evc for the dual port configuration. Once again, others results may vary.

I'm not arguing with Brian, just telling ya what I did and that it works for me. A local with a TR had the same lack of boost control issues with his ATR system until he "hogged" 'em out also....... since, boost control is solid and immediate. Perhaps we are just lucky ......... ?

 

[smeagol]

I hear ya Roland. I have heard mixed reviews... some have TONS of problems. Others have none. I do know that ATR has done some revisions to that wastegate, and that the new one is supposed to be gooder ... i can't say for certain.

Also, when it is reworked, they port it. So for $50, it is a damn good deal, and some good preventative work.

 

[Guest]

Altho my wastegate is at Mike's being mated to a new downpipe, I reviewed some pics and came to the following (DOH)

There ARE two fittings on the top of the ATR wastegate as BG mentions.... an adjuster and a copper colored plug. I left the adjuster in place, and put my barb fitting in the place of the copper plug. Altho I've never used the adjuster, it IS still there.

A minds a terrible thing to waste...... gotta get some pills for this "CRS". Sorry if I mislead or confused folks...... I think I'm getting to the age where it's easy to do It wasn't intentional, honest. Thanks Lewis for re-clarifying that point with me!

 

[jwaller]

hey roland nice intake...I love it....did you notice anything when you plumbed in the rear water passages?....

also this new port attachment for the ATR WG..are you talking about putting a vacumme sourse to the port that haas a vent looking thing in it?.....I guess this makes the WG quicker reacting?

 

[Guest]

hey John..... The only thing I remember about plumbing the rear passages was that the drivers side is very close to the intake plenum..... I had to offset that hole slightly, and use straight fittings. 45 or 90* wouldn't screw in.

As for the wastegate plumbing......... I have an older HKS evc boost controller. I removed the brass fitting on the TOP of the wastegate next to the adjusting screw and this is where my line goes over to the HKS controller. I then have the LOWER fitting on the wastegate plumbed directly into the port of the TE63 compressor housing. It does keep the wastegate shut until it's needed, and then it responds quicker.......... on my Sy, boost is immediate and rock solid. One of the local GN-TR folks shared the idea with me long ago and it works well.

<--------- well, when I had a MOTOR it was...... rebuild #3 in
progress

 

[jwaller]

I was wondering if you saw any performance or water temp differances after doing the plumbing on the rear water passages. any differance in plugs or egt's anything at all?

 

[Guest]

I can't really say John........ I'm not ducking out on your question, it's just that I did sooooooooooooooooo many upgrades during the last build (including CAS rad, dual Spals, bigger turbo, heads, cam, FAST, injectors, etc...... )

I'm NOT changing it though.......... if nothing else it flows the water a little more evenly and hopefully eliminates any air pockets. My water temps while 60 mph cruzn on a flat and level were like 142*........... surprisingly low (well, they were to me). The EGT's were high (don't 'member xactly what, but up on the gauge) and I was running lean (14's afr) and lotsa timing. At that time, I was running the rear passages open (meaning NOT thru the thermostat). The only drawback was that I don't drive the Sy cold until the fans come on, and with the backs bypassing the stat it took a while to get up to temp. This time I'm trying it thru the stat, just to get up to operating temps a lil quicker.

I have a 140 stat in there, but fans set to come on at 160*.

 

[spooldup]

when i got my gate this is what i was told by atr to do. Adjust the screw at the top to a base of 12lbs. Then fine tune it in with the bleeder. Also that Y fitting has a restricter in it. You need to take the hose that comes off the Y crooked part and put it on the gate. The other one goes to the turbo.

 

[jwaller]

thanks for the info. and again nice work it looks great. I might do that mod one day if I really feel like I need more punishment.