Can anyone tell me step by step how to make one of those spring loaded turbo actuators? How much can I raise the boost with one of these? Or how I can trick the computer into giving me more boost?

Put your truck in your sig so we know what year and F or S engine.

It's pretty simlple. Take the vac actuator off, knock off the vac cannister and weld a piece of threaded rod (1/2" iirc) to the wg arm and possibly a large washer on the base for the rod to pass through. The spring passes over the threaded rod but is stopped by the washer and then you put a nut you can tighten over the end of the threaded rod. To increase the boost you tighten it against the spring. You can expect 15+ psi from a working gm turbo set-up.

Can you post pics of yours QM?

Thanks

How tight of a spring do you want to use?

IMO, the time spent building your own spring turbo controller would out way buying a turbo-master, the best bang for the buck item that has ever been made for the 6.5 diesel with a 15min install. That's just me though, it was the first mod I bought for my truck and when I added the chip to it my truck moved into a whole new leage of performance.

mine only took me 15 min to make though and cost me 23 cents for a nylon nut found spring in garage no idea what it is off piece of a long bolt 5 min weld and grind voila 15 lbs spike backed it off to give me 12 lbs wot runs 8-10 on hiway

the proper way to control boost is not by using exhaust pressure as a reference, after all, inlet pressure is what you are looking to control. The whole, using the wastegate door as a blow off in the exhast system just blows my mind.

I agree in principle but the 6.5L has issues with backpressure and letting it determine boost as a reciprical of throttle input isn't all bad.

What do you recommend then grape?

he's saying boost pressure should regulate the wg not exhaust pressure.

BTW, is it possible to get a pressure controlled external wg, grape? Cost?

I thought he was reffering to no wastegate, just a properly sized turbo?

Here's a boost controller I made today for a '94. I found the threaded rod on the ground the other day and the washer and wing nut were in my hardware drawer, the spring cost me $.50
Steps:
1 remove vac actuator assembly from turbo
2 cut off actuator
3 cut wg arm
4 weld threaded rod to wg arm
5 install
Good for all the boost a gm-x will make.

IMO, the time spent building your own spring turbo controller would out way buying a turbo-master, the best bang for the buck item that has ever been made for the 6.5 diesel with a 15min install. That's just me though, it was the first mod I bought for my truck and when I added the chip to it my truck moved into a whole new leage of performance.
I fully agree and it was a great way to get in the door with Bill Heath. Every time I call him, he knows exactly who I am. Amazing customer serviceman and will stand behind his product and help you out no matter what!

my boost controller is the the shiny thing that is attatched under the exhaust housing inlet.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3231

looks like a gas regulator

It is an exhaust regulator. Boost pressure goes to high this regulator starts to open. Dumps the exhaust before it gets to the turbo. Very accurate and reliable.

So to me it looks like it uses EBP to regulate boost? Is that correct? I've been thinking of something similiar for my 00, i'm tapped for pyro on the manifold both on the top and bottom side now, was going to run a EBP gauge to see what the pressures are when kicking out 20 PSI.

heath's deal uses exhaust pressure to blow the wastegate open. Mine uses a spring set to a certain psi of inlet pressure i want the exhaust valve to dump. Under the spring is a diaphram which is sealed to an inlet pressure source, (boost line). On top of the diaphram where the spring is, you can regulate boost pressure on top of the diaphram to raise the boost pressure all from inside the truck. say your spring is set to 9psi, the gate will open at 9psi. Dial 1 pound on top through the little regulator in the truck and you have 10 psi.

Or, preset your wastegate to a certain level and put a small bleeder valve in line going from intake to the wastegate. Dial the boost that way (limiting the boost pressure passing)
Also a tiny hole in the wastegate side of the tee helps, as an abrupt opening and closing of wastegate affects the turbo's speed negatively (it needs to spool up again), everything needs to be smoooth :)