Turbosmart e-Boost2 And Dual-Port Blow-Off Valve - Modified Magazine

Key Features

• Up to six levels of boost available for different street/track setups
• Boost on demand: Press a button for an instant increase in boost
• Gear-based mapping: Set a different boost level for each gear
• Adjustable boost levels: Program boost against time or rpm
• Auxiliary output: fully programmable—controls water spray, methanol, or nitrous Overboost shutdown: Provides added protection for your engine

Test Mule

’93 JDM Mazda RX-7 R1

Engine
13B-REW twin-turbocharged two-rotor

Relevant Mods
Ken-Spec V-mount intercooler; GReddy compressor elbow; HKS intake, downpipe, and HFC; RE Amemiya Dolphin Tail exhaust; Apexi PowerFC Commander; AEM UEGO; HKS turbo timer; Fighter’s Garage fast-reacting IAT

Description

Keep your friends close and your frenemies closer, or so the saying (sort of) goes. Project RX-8 has run in a few CSCS Time Attack events recently, and the Modified RWD (the class we run the 8 in) champion just so happens to be Ken Wagan and this RHD JDM RX-7 (some of you will remember it from our Mar. ’12 cover). Impressively, Ken and his FD won the class with the stock sequential twin turbos, but for 2013, we’re going to help him make some serious jam with a single-turbo conversion.

Before ditching the stock twins, however, we thought we’d turn up the boost with Turbosmart’s latest and greatest electronic boost controller, the e-Boost2. This second-generation unit is an incredibly sophisticated yet user-friendly all-in-one solution to boost management, not to mention it also functions as a programmable display that shows you boost in KPA, bar, or PSI and is available in a number of color combos and sizes. The e-Boost2 can also control water, methanol, or nitrous injection systems; record and display RPM; manage shift/warning lights; and comes complete with a solenoid, mounting bracket, and all the necessary fittings and hoses for a quick and easy installation.

We also decided to install Turbosmart’s dual-port blow-off valve, which is actually four blow-off valves in one. In the standard dual-port configuration, the ports are staged, so the recirculated side vents first and then the trumpeted side vents to atmosphere. If you prefer to vent entirely to atmosphere, you can run in either Supersonic mode, with a single trumpet in place and with the second port blocked off with the supplied plug, or for a little added aural awesomeness you can run in Megasonic mode with trumpets on both ports. Finally, for that super stealthy look and sound, you can block off the atmospheric port and run it strictly as a recirculating unit. Spring tension is very easily adjusted as well, simply by turning the anodized knob.

Results

Installing the e-Boost2 was very simple, thanks in part to the clear and detailed instructions provided by Turbosmart. All that is required is to send power to the unit via the supplied 5-amp fused red wire and to ground the black wire. We also wired up the yellow wire to the rpm signal at the ECU using the ECU diagram section of the instructions, and we connected the two wires from the supplied boost solenoid.

Since the power is not running water/meth yet (that’ll likely come with the single-turbo conversion), there was no need to use the auxiliary wire, and we didn’t wire up the two external set point switches, either (which could be used to switch to a high boost setting, for example).

To weld the aluminum blow-off valve to one of the intercooler charge pipes, we headed to Weir-Tech, a local shop that does top-notch custom fabrication, has one of the biggest selections of exhaust manifold flanges on the market, and builds high-quality bolt-on intake and exhaust systems for the Hyundai Genesis coupe.

For cars with a MAF setup, the dual-port or fully recirculated setups work best, but in this case we opted for the Supersonic setup because this MAP-based FD is going to live its life at wide-open throttle.

With the installation complete, our plan was to take the RX-7 to a dyno and dial in some extra boost pressure with the e-Boost2, as well as fine-tune the gate pressure and sensitivity. The e-Boost2’s ability to adjust wastegate pressure is a particularly attractive feature, since fine-tuning in this area will increase the responsiveness of the turbocharger. Tuning wastegate sensitivity with the e-Boost2 is also a great feature, as it allows the user to dial out any oscillations in the boost curve.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to the dyno to fully explore the tuning potential of the e-Boost2 because an engine problem that developed at the racetrack just prior to this installation hasn’t been sorted out yet. So we’re not going to get a chance to max out the stock turbos, as there’s a fresh engine build and a single-turbo conversion coming this winter. The good news is that we’re not only going to document how the e-Boost2 and dual-port BOV perform on this new setup, but we’re also going to document the single-turbo conversion itself and the engine build, too.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a boost controller that’s also a gauge for both boost and rpm and is capable of controlling water, methanol, or nitrous injection, we highly recommend you take a close look at the e-Boost2. This feature-rich unit is not only incredibly powerful and easy-to-use (completely controlled with the three buttons on its face), it’s also very simple to install, and Turbosmart’s excellent two-part installation and tuning videos on YouTube make the process downright enjoyable and educational.

Turbosmart’s e-Boost2 kit comes complete with a gauge-size boost controller and all the hardware and instructions needed for a quick and easy installation.

The Turbosmart 38mm dual-port blow-off valve is beautifully crafted from billet aluminum, and with the two ports being configurable in four different ways, it’s the right BOV for any application.

The detailed diagrams made it dead easy to wire the supplied boost solenoid to the e-Boost2, and we particularly liked the dummy-proof plug-in wiring system on the back of the unit, making it impossible for us to plug the harness into the wrong spot.

With the e-Boost2 fired up, it’s easy to set up the display to show boost in PSI, KPA, or Bar (we opted for PSI), as well as adjust boost pressure, wastegate pressure, and wastegate sensitivity. For an excellent tutorial, check out Turbosmart’s YouTube videos.