Dump valve spring

[Jamesrowe]

Hey all,

I've got a mk1 LCR which is over boosting, peaking just above 22psi and settling around 18psi (which i've been told is high). When i bought the car, the person i bought it off said it was completly standard apart from a dump valve.

A couple of weeks ago i got a liquid gauge and checked the boost pressure and BHP, which is reading 243bhp, so i'm guessing it's got some sort of chip. A good friend informed me to have a look at the boost pipes and then test the dump valve, a forge 006 i think.

Then yesterday on my way home from work the turbo stopped working, and the liquid gauge brought up 2 trouple codes, which were boost related. I erased them and the turbo started to work again.

I've just checked all boost pipes, which are fine from what i can see, and just took the DV apart and done the the test and with my finger over the nipple ontop the DV and the spring doesn't stay where it is. I took the DV apart and it's got a blue spring, is this too strong? Would i benefit getting a 007 DV?

Sorry for the essay, just want to get it sorted.

Thanks in advance,

James

 

[leon cupra r]

Hi mate, I would say a blue spring may be slightly too stiff for that sort of power, but wouldn't have thought it would throw error codes like you mentioned.

Some people have removed DV and plugged both the holes up (definately not recommended - very bad for your turbo) to create 'turbo chatter' or 'wastegate chatter' 'compressor stall', which ever you may know it by, and this is obviously a few steps further than just running a stiff spring....

When you say 'the spring doesnt stay where it was' when you did the pressure test on the DV, did it drop entirely (closing the gap completely between the two ports) or just halfway, as I think it is normal to drop a little (mine certainly does this and it's only a couple of months old), as long as it doesnt completely shut.

If the DV fails completely, I would have thought that it will be this causing the error codes... more likely to be this than due to running the stiffer spring anyway.

Did you manage to remember or note down the error codes? people have more than likely seen them before and will be able to guide you to where the problem lies!

Ben

 

[adam cupra 20vt]

What DV do you have a blue spring in?

Some of the cheapy valves have all different sorts of funky colour springs but they don't really mean much from what I've seen

If its a forge I'd say blue is to strong, I'm running same boost on a yellow spring in a 007p

 

[Jamesrowe]

hey mate, the dump valve closed completly when it was compressed and the nipple closed over. The dump valve looks quite old as well and also damaged on the outside, but not on the inside.

I didn't jot them down, which i should of done, but i think it was 16825 and 17963 (or something similar).

the dump valve is a forge one, but not a 007. It's kept compressed by 6 allen key bolts.

 

[leon cupra r]

Surely results of running a spring thats too strong would only be a bit of chatter on part boost though? wouldnt have thought it would cause lots of issues, apart from reducing turbo life in the long run.....?

 

[leon cupra r]

hey mate, the dump valve closed completly when it was compressed and the nipple closed over. The dump valve looks quite old as well and also damaged on the outside, but not on the inside.

I didn't jot them down, which i should of done, but i think it was 16825 and 17963 (or something similar).

I'd replace/service it then, sounds like it's failing completely!

Last time I saw, Awesome GTi had the cheapest prices on 007p if you were looking at one of those!

 

[Jamesrowe]

The only time i get chatter, and when it's boosting high, is when i put my foot down in 5th and 6th gear. It was only yesterday that the turbo stopped working and i checked the codes, even though it didn't put the engine management light on.

 

[adam cupra 20vt]

the dump valve is a forge one, but not a 007. It's kept compressed by 6 allen key bolts.

Is it a recirculating type?

 

[Jamesrowe]

yes i think so, it's got three pipes coming from it and looks like the 007 apart from these allen key bolts. But it sounds like it's failing so i think i need another one, hopefully this is the cause of the problem. Would a yellow spring reduce boost pressure?

 

[adam cupra 20vt]

To be honest I don't know what the springs mean in the older valves.....blue could be standard.

Sounds like its not working tho.

007p is good valve, order it with yellow spring for that kind of boost tho.

I think 007p springs go green, yellow then blue softest is green.

 

[Jamesrowe]

ok mate cheers, i'll order one up and hopefully it fixes the problem.

I think it's a strong spring, as i pushed the valve up with a pen it nearlly broke the pen. lol

 

[leon cupra r]

Yeah adams right, they do a red spring as well, cant remember if red is stiffer or weaker than blue, but definately green then yellow at the weaker end, and yellow should be fine for your car. Hope you get it sorted mate!