It's not necessarily a must if you're ok with running a set amount over wastegate pressure. HKS makes a great unit, but AEM and Turbosmart make good stuff too.

I didn't think I need one till I realize 400 whp at 6 PSI was too easy. Response was "meh" till I added the Pro RX for starters. I wouldn't mind getting one installed before the next tune with the rest of the upgrades to make it worthwhile.

The EBC I used in my eclipse was a GFB G-Force 2 and before that I used GFB's manual boost controller.

Some of the other guys I know who use MBCs say you can make one in your garage for around $10, plus its a ball and spring design so it should perform just as well as name brand boost controllers.

Well I went with the Blitz SPC Spec R ( Twin Solenoid ). Seems to be a decent price and user friendly. I jumped backed and fourth between the HKS EVC 6, HKS EVC S, and the Blitz.

Well it seems the used sbc controller I bought on ebay is faulty and almost cost me my motor.. Will never buy used again..

Newb question here . . . . I'm trolling all of the forced induction forums trying to do the research for my own TT build . . . If you don't have a boost controller, the boost pressure is set by the wastegates? So, no matter what, your boost will remain at a consistent pressure, regardless of gear, RPM, etc? Also, do most boost controllers monitor the pressure as well, or is it a good idea to have a stand alone boost gauge as well as an EBC?

Always have a standalone boost gauge. Don't rely on the boost controller for that.

Without a boost controller, the boost level is set roughly by the wastegate(s) spring(s). This is a fine way to do it if you are going to stay at lower boost levels and don't want to ramp boost hard, but it's not really ideal. A boost controller will give you finer control and the ability to ramp boost harder by preventing the wastegates from cracking gradually as the boost pressure rises.

Also, a turbo car is rarely at the same boost pressure. The boost pressure is driven by things like RPM and load (which changes with gear selection) and is constantly moving around. The only situations where you will see fairly consistent boost is while cruising where you are making very little boost and under WOT when the boost controller is regulating the max boost.

Electronic boost controllers do measure pressure, otherwise they would not be able to do their job. I guess you could say that manual boost controllers also respond to pressure in a manner of speaking, but there is no kind of digital output. Not all electronic boost controllers are meant to be used as gauges. Some, like the AEM TruBoost fill both roles nicely. The HKS EVC like I am using is too bulky in my opinion to be exposed and used like a regular gauge. As such, you should definitely get a standalone gauge unless going with a special application like the AEM.

Yeah, this is definitely not the place to cut cost in a TT build.

I see . . so if i'm understanding you correctly, the boost pressure will fluctuate, but the wastegates (with a boost controller) will regulate the max boost pressure so as not to exceed a certain psi worth of boost? One more question (and I promise this is my last at least for this thread so as not to take it completely off topic): what is the correlation between the wastegates and the BOV? Is the BOV regulated also or is this purely a mechanical function based on the BOV installed? Thanks again . . and sorry for the slightly off topic questions . . .

Its all relative to the situation you are driving in, like let's say its super cold at night, you will probably make 8psi when you usually will make 6psi on wastegate springs on a hot day.

The point of a BOV is to release excess pressure when you get off the throttle, its also used to release excess boost pressure underload so your motor doesn't blow up(this is used more in OEM applications than aftermarket ones)

I got my hks evc 5 for sale.

End shameless plug.

Carry on...

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Thanks for the help guys . . . much appreciated!

Ditto. If you can cough up the cash for a turbo kit, $100 for a quality manual boost controller like the Hallman Pro RX works wonders and can save you a lot of headaches. Not only are you able to set a higher boost threshold, the MBC keeps the wastegates closed longer so you end up with much better throttle response.

After farting around with the costly HKS-EVC-S controller, I could not get the boost I needed (+14lbs). The instructins are written in Chinglish, and come to find out you can only double the installed WG spring pressure. Mine is 7lbs.

In less than five mins the guys installed a Hallman manual controller, went for a spin and adjusted it up; and a month of fussing and queries went away. 17lbs = HOT toddy.

We set it ONCE and that's when it went 11.1 and that's where it is now.

My HKS is now a very expensive boost gauge. LOL!

Coop

I guess we could add the EcuTEK software into the fray, considering it costs as much as a cable and tune for our cars. Hopefully it's a well functioning system!