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The EWG FAQ (External Wastegate)

312K views 371 replies 125 participants last post by  Noximus  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
UPDATE:
Thanks to 06SpecC for finding this video, it's very informative.

YouTube - Wastegates - GCG Turbo's


What is a wastegate?

A wastegate is a valve that diverts exhaust gases away from the turbine wheel in a turbocharged engine system. Diversion of exhaust gases causes the turbine to lose speed, which in turn reduces the rotating speed of the compressor. The primary function of the wastegate is to stabilize boost pressure in turbocharger systems, to protect the engine and the turbocharger. The wastegate is controlled by a wastegate actuator in which the actuator is controlled by pressure coming from the intake manifold.

What is an external wastegate?

An external wastegate is a separate self-contained mechanism used to divert exhaust gas before it can enter the turbo. An external wastegate requires a specially constructed up-pipe with a dedicated runner going to the wastegate. External wastegates are commonly used for regulating boost levels more precisely than internal wastegates in high power applications.

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Why is an EWG better than an IWG?

External wastegates can be much larger since there is no constraint of integrating the valve or spring into the turbocharger and turbine housing. Therefore an external wastegate can more accurately control the amount of exhaust that enters the turbo, hence controlling boost pressure more effectively.

What does an EWG sound like?

The clip in the following thread from IWSTI member TurboQueef provides an excellent example of the sound of a 38mm Tial EWG dumping to atmosphere.
http://www.iwsti.com/forums/video-collection/100237-hd-sd-video-ultimate-racing-gated-up-pipe.html

Oh $#!& that clip sounded pretty loud! Is there a way to make it quieter?

Yes, the dump tube from the EWG can be routed back into the exhaust system, eliminating much of the noise. However, the consensus among many people is that this will cause you to lose some power due to the turbulence and increased backpressure of the gas from the EWG running into the gas coming from the turbo.

What are the benefits of an EWG?

First and foremost the purpose of an EWG is to control boost more accurately. Say goodbye to the days of your turbo creeping out of control in the winter.

However, in certain applications the addition of an EWG can help to "free up" power not only by controlling boost, but by reducing the exhaust pressure in the turbo. For an explanation of this, see Clark Turner's writeup on EWGs and tuning.

NASIOC - View Single Post - External wastegates and tuning.

*Disclaimer: You must be tuned for the EWG to reap the benefits. Any time you make a mechanical change to your setup that will affect the way boost is controlled you should have a tuner tune/retune your car. Also, if you decide to install the EWG yourself, make sure you reconnect all of the vacuum lines correctly. Not doing so could lead to overboosting or other problems which you don't want to have on the dyno. Not every turbo setup will see the same results as described in Clark's thread above.

Who makes EWG kits for my STi?

Ultimate Racing
TurboXS
P&L (Modified TurboXS)
Element Tuning

The most common brand of EWGs run is TiaL, as well as a few people running TurboSmart. The two most common sizes are 38mm and 44mm. One benefit to a 44mm setup is that the EWG uses V-band clamps that will guarantee no exhaust gas leakage. There are several reports of the paper gaskets that come with the Tial 38mm EWG blowing. However, many people have installed "Fire Ring" gaskets on 38mm EWGs without anny issues.

What do I need to do to run an EWG on my IWG turbo?

The IWG will have to be sealed shut. There are two options available:
1) Welding - you can weld the actual wastegate door shut or you can weld the wastegate arm to the turbo.
2) Bracket - you can use some type of bracket/bolt/clamp to hold the wastegate arm in place, for example this custom bracket from IWSTI member jasv11:


Discussion of Tial Wastegates and Springs

http://www.iwsti.com/forums/2979700-post484.html
 
#329 ·
Yes! EWG's are not for the faint of heart, or incognito cars. You will be heard, and from far away. I like it though. If you aren't always on the throttle you'll be okay. Or you can have it rerouted back to the exhaust.
 
#331 ·
Yes! EWG's are not for the faint of heart, or incognito cars. You will be heard, and from far away. I like it though. If you aren't always on the throttle you'll be okay. Or you can have it rerouted back to the exhaust.
Yeah driving around town below 4,000 rpms the EWG won't open at all. It is only when you floor it and hit your target boost, that is when all hell breaks lose :lol:
 
#334 ·
If you're running E85 I think 1100cc would be the best bet. I know E85 requires ridiculous injector room.
 
#338 ·
I figured that's what it would be. E85 seems to be very demanding as far as injector size.
 
#357 ·
thought Id add something to this thread...

the grimmspeed uppipe/38mm mvs package with dump tube doesnt work with the invidia catted dp. the dump tube doesnt clear the invidia cat. I found this out the hard way after installing everything and not having the dumptube fit!

I am going to do something similar to the member that used the 1.5"piping for a supertrapp muffler on his dumptube and fabricate a tube extension and rotate the mvs orientation a bit and run the dumptube near the firewall and dump it away from the cv joint and axle so i dont have to worry about heating issues on the cv joint rubber. will post pics....its either that or a cattles dp that Id rather not spend the cash on.
 
#359 ·
So, any opinions on a size EWG I should do? I'm thinking the grimmspeed up pipe, but have heard bad things about having a uppipe with a flex section.

Stock Turbo, LiteSpeed UEL Headers, Invidia Catless Bellmouth DP, Grimmspeed EBCS, and KS Tech 65mm intake or AEM CAI. Are injectors a good idea at this time? :D Thanks!
 
#360 ·
from what i read:

high boost: 38mm - less exhaust gases being blown off
low boost: 48mm - more exhaust bases being blown off. a larger hole would be needed.

thats a bit more than what i have and i did injectors and a fuel pump just to be safe :tup:
 
#362 ·
For the stock turbo, use a 38mm EWG. That's what I was using and loved it. Hell.. I used the 38 for my 35r and had no issues..boost just came on fast.

As for injectors? Anytime you decide on an EWG, injectors will be very very helpful. You won't take advantage of the EWG without them. You'll run out of injector, and your boost will taper off a lot resulting in not as much power as you can get it.
 
#367 ·
not if it is a big cat like the invidia one. The GS kit wants you to route the opening of the EWG toward the tranny and the dump tube goes from there and makes a left turn and exits just over the CV Boot of the pass axle. for a high catted DP, you must rotate the EWg port so that it faces up toward where the firewall and hood meet on the pass side, the get someone to cut the GS dump tube in half (its thick stainless steel) and weld on and fab a new section of tube that routes it down the firewall and out near where the DP turns to go under the car. I will take pics of mine (Doug at Topspeed fabbed it for like $200 while I waited) when the rain here stops
 
#372 ·
Bumping an old thread to add more info in regards to the EWG and Supertrapp mufflers to ease the search for others in the future.

I bought the Supertrapp (SUP-344-1705) muffler. The smallest size is 1.75". I bought it to use on my 09 STI for a 38mm EWG dump tube. The issue is that this is the smallest version available. It's the perfect size for a 44mm dump tube. To make it work with a 38mm you will need a pipe adapter reducer of 1.875in ID to 1.5in ID for a perfect fit or a 1.5in ID to 1.5in ID if you want to crimp/weld down the flared end on the SuperTrapp. Hope this helps someone else ordering for this purpose.