Stage 1 benefits?

[TheCrimson]

Right so I have watched the videos on how to "stage 1 tune" the DT (increasing fuel and adjusting turbo) and it looks pretty straight forward.... but no-one seems to really write any kind of review on the pro's and cons of it...?

So, what I want to know is are there any problems people have run into from doing it?
Are the power gains from doing it really noticeable and worth the effort?
Does it kill the fuel economy under normal driving, or does it remain roughly the same?
The videos i've seen say to not boost over 18psi... is this accurate? And my boost guage is showing approx 17psi already but the car isnt that fast...? So I'm thinking either innacurate cheap guage or maybe someone has fiddled with the turbo and not the fuel? As there isnt really any smoke when you gun it...?

As I am using the car daily I don't want it to blow up so not looking for massive gains or whatever, just enough to get me past slow moving traffic....

[cwspellowe]

What turbo are you on? I'm on a T2 and it's boosting at 18psi or so, in fact the gauge said just shy of 20psi when the boost hose popped off on the motorway. As far as I was aware, pump and turbo were unmolested apart from me fitting Dan's LDA pin. I've no smoke at all either on or off boost.

Fuel economy even the boys on big turbos and pumps can get near enough 50mpg, it's all down to your driving style. Mine sits at 70mph at only 4psi or so, but put your foot down and your mpg will drop.

[Jonny81191]

It actually has the potential to improve MPG, as the engine has more available power, so when you're driving "normally", the engine is using a lower percentage of the available power, and is therefore more efficient.

/Toms306

[cwspellowe]

why is there no smoke when on boost?

how do you turn up the fuel?

why is there smoke on boost?

why is there blue smoke on boost?

breaking: diablo dturbo

/eddoe

[TheCrimson]

Yea i've heard about the improved mpg theory, I had a 406 hdi that I had mapped and that didnt touch the economy either way under normal driving.

Usually I barely touch the turbo when driving anyway, I like to get as far as I can on a tank, but I want to have the available backup power should I ever need it... (ie when a granny is in my way lol)

Not sure what turbo it is, but looking at the videos they both seem equally as easy to do. I guess you were asking as one maybe boosts harder?

Is it an easy enough job on the drive with axle stands?

Also, it wasnt very clear on the video, but when you take the cap off to adjust the main fuelling in the pump, it says to adjust the allen key bolt 20 - 40 degrees, do I literally just tighten it that much, or am I loosening it off and moving something else 40 degrees?

*dumb question mode*

---

why is there no smoke when on boost?

how do you turn up the fuel?

why is there smoke on boost?

why is there blue smoke on boost?

breaking: diablo dturbo

/eddoe

Is this topics to search?

[cwspellowe]

Ahh so it's a Lucas you're on? Sounds like the turbo's been fiddled with if it's hitting 18psi but the fuelling hasn't. Just turn the allen screw, simple as that.

Reason I ask about turbos is my T2 on a Bosch boosts at 18psi easily and it doesn't look like it's been fiddled with at all. No signs of the lock nut having been slackened. Other turbos will boost lower at peak but spool up quicker.

Easy enough to get to with the front end up in the air though, just fiddly to adjust.

---

And no, not topics to search, just trolling an adenoidal member on here

[TheCrimson]

Yea mines a lucas, when you watch the video you think that looks well easy, but then you look at the front of the pump where the cap is and think great that doesnt look as easy as I was hoping to get at lol.

Is it worth doing the boost fuel bit, on the outside of the pump, too?

[4WayDiablo]

Giving it a tune basically pits it to what it should be

They had to detune them as they were more powerful than the 1.I and rivaling the xsi
So detuned to fit in :-)

[TheCrimson]

Also, is the "power" benefit of doing the adjustment worth it? Is it noticeable gains?

edit: never driven an xsi so cant compare haha

[cwspellowe]

Yep, more noticeable for the torque anyway, that "kick in the back" feeling when accelerating.

[TheCrimson]

sweet thanks! I will probably have a crack at this friday after work so I have the weekend to beg for a car if it all goes tits up!

[Dan!]

Where are you located mate?

[Stephen]

I managed to adjust my turbo yesterday by my self and my mechanical knowledge is pretty shit! Just read the guides and it's easy enough if you have the right tools!
Take the wheel off too for easier access!

[TheCrimson]

Where are you located mate?

near Melksham in Wiltshire!

[4WayDiablo]

Well 90bhp to around 130 is definitely noticeable! :-)

[TheCrimson]

Does that little adjustment on the pump really put it up that much?

[Jenkosowls]

136bhp on a k14 running 25psi
Bosch pump
modified LDA pin
adjusted Spring setting
Shimmed solid gov

not bad for couple of mechanical adjustments

[4WayDiablo]

Your probably looking at realistically 120
But yeah hell of a difference

[Ruan]

Remember, using the turbo makes the engine more efficient, you'll usually find that you'll get better efficiency by making ok progress than labouring the engine at low rpms... Rpms do not kill economy on diesels, much as you're told otherwise...

[zx_volcane]

Remember, using the turbo makes the engine more efficient, you'll usually find that you'll get better efficiency by making ok progress than labouring the engine at low rpms... Rpms do not kill economy on diesels, much as you're told otherwise...

I've found max fuel screw affects my economy on long motorway runs, to the point that if its too far it goes through diesel like its leaking.

This has been the same on all cars I;ve had with a bosch. I run on bio diesel, but have switched back to dino with no discernable difference in mpg.

I track my mpg and consistently get around 40-44mpg if its been tweaked a bit (ie no smoke on boost), otherwise standard gets about 50+ on runs.

I'd be tempted to say that its down to driving style once you've got more power, but given on runs you just sit there at a steady pace I'm not so sure.

Surely if you increase injection duration per cycle, then on a mech pump you are chucking in more fuel per rpm regardless of wherever you're using it or not, so if you're not on boost you're just throwing it away.

Ground LDA pin makes sense as you can wind down the max fuel and still get an extra hit on boost, and not all the time.

I'd love to get 50+ on runs, but in reality just don't see it -although I'd welcome suggestions as to how to achieve it.

[TheCrimson]

Thanks for the info guys.

What about long term problems? Pumps wearing out prematurely etc?
And how about MOT? I know the dervs arent tested for emissions, but will they pass on smoke? or has it got to be wound back every year?

[Jonny81191]

Just look at it as "fixing" the car.

They were designed to run stage 1 power, then detuned as they were quicker than the petrol equivalent.

You're just putting it back to how it should have been.

[4WayDiablo]

Yeah kinda think depending on how strong the tune is it may need a detune for mot

Only other thing is the clutch if its old it may slip *slightly* mines running a lot more then just a stage one and very rarely slips

[TheCrimson]

Do I turn the screw inside the pump clockwise or anti-clockwise? lol

[Jonny81191]

Ask Sambarker.....

Or Gurj.

[cwspellowe]

Or me

[TheCrimson]

lmao, it was a joke initially... but now i'm not so sure..... o.0

All joking aside... its clockwise... right...?

[Jenkosowls]

Clockwise before you nip it up drop it back a tad as often when you nip it it will increase it as it tightens

[TheCrimson]

you mean the outside one or the one inside the pump?

[Ruan]

Surely if you increase injection duration per cycle, then on a mech pump you are chucking in more fuel per rpm regardless of wherever you're using it or not, so if you're not on boost you're just throwing it away.

It just doesn't work like that, you're thinking petrol... If you inject MORE fuel, the achieved power goes up, that's how diesels work, you cannot inject more fuel and it not produce more power without smoking...

So if what you said was the case, you'd end up doing 100mph because you turned up the max fuel screw... If it's smoking, then yes, you're wasting fuel...

My car at 175hp, still returns 55mpg on a run, if you're moving on down the motorway, sort of 80-85, it might drop to 50mpg, that's with a f*cked head gasket and bent connecting rods...