Confused Boost leak

Hi so im pretty new to the forums so im just wondering as to what else i can check and such about boost leak. I have a 2007 mazdaspeed 6 tuned by drama. Before i installed my 3.5 inch intake and corksport fmic i was running 24psi but after install erik from drama said that he upped my wastegate duty to 45% and so but couldnt give me what my peak boost is at. Apparently i should be well about 14psi. I did smoke test and boost leak test and found out my bov and ebcs were leaking so i replaced those. Hose from the intake manifold that goes to OCC was also ripped so i replaced that as well. My boost leak test was at 25psi but somehow still goes down by the tiniest bit but i was thinking its because it leaks out from the vvt solenoid gasket. Yes i pinched the line rhat goes from intake to valve cover. Pressure tested the wastegate and it moves smooth and goes back. Im honestly confused at whats going on and drama is basically giving me shit for not boost leak testing the car before we started tuning... I need help what else to check i brought it to a shop just waiting for the car to come back. Thanks

 

Obligatory don't use dramatune he doesn't know what he's doing and this is likely a tune issue.

Are you saying that you boost leak tested an there was a small leak still at 25 psi? How fast was the pressure dropping?

 

it drops very slightly actually. we think its just leaking from the vvt gasket.

 

If it goes down then you're still leaking, totally possible to leak there, did you soap test it while doing it? That'll show you were you're leaking, soapy water in a spray bottle all connections and hoses should be able to see it then. If you think it's leaking from the vvt solenoid gasket then replace the gasket...also you'll need a fresh VC gasket and don't forget the RTV may even need some new gaskets for the VC bolts with the age of your car it's completely reasonable that the gaskets are starting to go.

You should absolutely boost leak test before tuning, that being said 45% wdc is still what spring pressure (probably 14-15 psi) and probably barely actuating the waste gate. What turbo are you running. That being said knowing drama I can also see him trying to shift the blame

 

I did the boost leak test and soapy water everywhere to check. im going to change the vvt solenoid gasket but that wont affect boost. Also im running a cst4 turbo

 

So you're getting 14 psi of boost? If that's the case you're not getting more boost and off spring pressure until your turner turns up wdc.

Ltft at idle and cruise with AC off is what?

Post a wot log please

 

LTFT at idle is -7.59 or -5.4 something liek that. i'll make new logs when i get my car back from the shop

so the shop i brought it took out the cap on the wastegate and it peak up at 22.51 psi on boost so im almost sure its the tune itself and wgdc needs to be brought up more

 

have you checked the preload on the wastegate arm?

 

yea so the shop i brought my car couldnt find anything either so they tested it and removed the cap on the bottom of the wastegate and it ran 22.51 psi

 

That's not the preload that's the spring pressure of the wastegate actuator.

If the nut on the threaded rod is too loose it can keep the wastegate from operating correctly and building boost

 

yea the shop checked it and it wasnt loose. they did a test and remove the cap and it build 22.5 so im almost certain i just need more wgdc

 

That's not what I said 22.5 is the spring pressure. If you are not building that then the wastegate is likely not closing all the way and keeping the turbo from spooling correctly. Not being loose is. It enough there needs to be enough preload on it to keep the wastegate closed once there starts to be some backpressure in the exhaust

 

oh okay well the shop checked the if arm was loose. i havent touch the wastgate arm anyways. i didnt loosen it or anything as i thought the tuner would atleast tell me

 

It could have come loose from the manufacturer

 

yea like i said the shop checked everything if its loose... and its not

 

But did they check the preload

 

i just had another tuner tune my car and now i gotta adjust my preload

 

If dramatune knew what he was doing he would have suggested exactly that

 

yea which he didnt. curious as to how to adjust your wastegate. i tried turning it but the nut wont break loose. also do i remove the nut close to the flap or the wastegate?

 

There should be two jammed against each other break one loose then tighten them both