te-44 flutter at 10 psi

[turbo dave]

just installed a te44 turbo, 36 lb injectors, turbotweak chip, maf translator, k&n filter, and a gbodyparts 3" downpipe. the car runs great but when I get up around 10 psi of boost the turbo starts fluttering like crazy. I use a turbosmart boost valve and it worked fine before with the stock parts. I even disconnected the line to the wastegate- still same problem. there is good tension on the wastegate arm. It seems like the waste gate is opening and closing rapidly or something. just wondering if anyone has had this problem. I'm thinking I should re-check the puck alignment in the down pipe. any other ideas?? I did do a search on flutter but did not come up with much. thanks.

[GNVYUS 1]

Search under compressor surge, a lot of guys have it around 8-12 psi while trying to hold that boost steady while driving.

The late Bruce Plecan found that by installing a Tornado into your inlet pipe it will cure the problem. I tried it on my Talon ( because my GN finds ways to stay off the road ) and it sure does work.

[Steve Wood]

Stock intercooler?

[turbo dave]

I have a stock intercooler with the dutt neck installed. It doesnt seem to matter if I accelerate lightly or hard- as soon as boost reaches aprox 10 psi it starts fluttering and the boost gauge jumps like crazy. I am planning on pulling off the down pipe again to check puck alignment- maybe not seating fully??

[corsair231]

Easy fix. Turn the boost up to 20 and don't stop at 10 .

Seriously, I think this may be caused by running on the edge of the compressor map. With the larger compressor you are starting to get to the point where it is wanting to cram more air into the engine but the wastegate lets barely enough by to keep the boost from climbing. Basically keeping the speed slow enough to let the compressed air slip back out by the blades and causing the flutter. If the wastegate puck will cover it you may try porting the wastegate hole some to help keep the wheel speed down. It helped on mine. I still have a little flutter at partial boost but the range that I had it in is much smaller and starts at a higher psi.

[Steve Wood]

Does not sound like compressor surge if it occurs during hard acceleration.

[blupuick]

I just got done dealing with this same problem for over a year. The only cure that I found was going to a bigger turbo that does not have the 44mm wheel in the compresser side. I changed everything boost related on the car before I did the turbo and now the problem is fixed and I have a car with some power again. If you still have another turbo laying around swap it on and see what happens. I could run a stocker at 26psi and my new CPT66 has been to 24psi but my PT51 (44mm wheel) wouldn't go above 12psi and a TE44 I borrowed wouldn't go above 17psi. Good luck.

[Steve Wood]

I have a TE44 on one of my cars now...and have been using them since they were introduced...never had a problem. I have seen a couple of cases of surge on large volume intercoolers...but not at hard throttle.

It has been the standard upgrade turbo, along with the 49s for at least 15 years. I have also used the 51 without problems. I don't think it is the wheel that is the problem

[turbo dave]

I think I found my main problem. I removed my new gbodyparts 3" downpipe and inspected the puck alignment. It lines up o.k. with the hole. I put a straight edge across the flange to verify that the puck sits flat-it does. the problem is that I installed the downpipe with the supplied gasket. when I put a straight edge accross with the gasket on the flange the puck is at an angle and won't sit flat. It seems they designed the pipes(or at least mine) o.k without a gasket but if the gasket they send with it is used the puck wont seal. I re-installed the d.p. without a gasket. feels good now. exhaust is quieter now. It almost sounded like I had a small header leak before- was probably exhaust leaking past the unsealed wastegate puck. I am still having some issues with boost control, but the constant flutter at 10 psi is gone. I just have to play with the waste gate now to get everything adjusted properly. Do they make a proper waste gate to work with the te44, or do you just have to modify the original. I modified my old one to work but the alignment still isn't very good. Thanks for every ones help on this issue.

[Steve Wood]

Assuming you are talking about the actuator, they make a little bracket that adapts the actuator to fit the bolt spacing on the TE compressor housing. Otherwise, you have to use just one of the holes, or modify your actuator...puts the actuator at an angle, but, it still works.

I think I gave my spare away. The adaptor should not cost more than a couple of bucks. Check with Limit or someone else that sells turbos if you want to mess with it.

That is interesting on the gasket...I have never used one. I just put a thin smear of high temp rtv on the housing and bolt it down.