Electronic Wastegate Actuator Question

[Nitroturtle]

Last weekend, I managed to snap a stud while doing a downpipe install. I actually had the downpipe removed without any issues, but had already purchased some rampage studs to install while it was apart. The top stud closest to the engine refused to come out and I ended up snapping it. After much cursing, I hastily removed the turbine housing and eventually took it to a machine shop to have it drilled and retapped.

Last night, I attempted to reinstall the housing and I'm having some problems. Once I had the housing reattached with the v-band, I realized the arm for the wastegate actuator was positioned 2-3mm too short to mount on the wastegate arm on the housing. I also realized, that this positioning is adjustable by threading the metal shroud over the actuator in and out relative to the position of the retaining nut. I can reassemble everything once this is adjusted, but I'm concerned as to why the positioning changed and also concerned that it may now be out of alignment as far as the ECU is concerned.

I'm wondering if I somehow don't have the turbine housing properly seated, though I haven't had much luck trying to gain any spacing there. I've also looked at a local stock CTR and it appears to have the same spacing between the flanges (1-2mm) so I feel somewhat confident that it's assembled correctly.

I haven't been able to find any posts discussing this, except one from a couple years ago that never offered any solution. I also see nothing in the service manual and since the entire turbo assembly is sold as a single unit from Honda I'm thinking the whole assembly is considered unservicable.

I'm really hoping someone more knowledgeable than myself has some insight into this whole process, or direct experience with splitting the turbo and then reassembling.

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[Nitroturtle]

Bump.. Anyone?

 

[fatherpain]

Sorry to read you are having problems with this Mike. Sounds pretty stressful. Was no fun when I messed up my rear brake brake caliper and my car was out of action for several weeks.

Can you please post pics of what you are referring to?

I can forward it to my nephew the Honda service tech and see if he has any input.

 

[Nitroturtle]

Yeah I've been stressed about it all week and have yet to mess with it since Tuesday. Haven't had much luck finding any info online. I'm assuming it's because not many people are brave (stupid) enough to pull things apart this far without experience.

Here's a picture to help explain. The yellow line is the arm for the wastegate and it only rotates counter-clockwise from the position in the picture. The blue section is the v-band clamp I removed, before removing the entire turbine housing from the engine (the part with the wastegate arm attached). I also removed the clip and arm connected to the wastegate arm. When I tried to reassemble, that arm would no longer reach and was about 2-3mm too short. There is a nut hidden in the picture (lighter red area) that tightens against the silver housing (dark red) near the wastegate actuator (green). Both of the pieces in red screw onto a threaded rod coming out of the actuator and they clamp together to hold that end of the wastegate arm. I was able to thread them both out and re-adjust so the arm reaches, but after doing so I began to question why it changed in the first place. The section joined with the v-band clamp is the only thing controlling that spacing, so I began to wonder if maybe I didn't have it seated properly. I have had it apart and back together 3 times, and still have had no luck returning to it's original position.

Tomorrow I'm going to give it one last shot, and it's going back together regardless. I'm concerned I've thrown off the calibration of that arm, or that I don't have the turbo halves seated correctly, but I guess I'll find out once I try driving the car. I really didn't expect to have any issues putting this back together, but when things didn't line up I began to question the adjustability and calibration aspect of things. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, and hopefully everything will be fine once it's back together.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Yeah I've been stressed about it all week and have yet to mess with it since Tuesday. Haven't had much luck finding any info online. I'm assuming it's because not many people are brave (stupid) enough to pull things apart this far without experience.

Here's a picture to help explain. The yellow line is the arm for the wastegate and it only rotates counter-clockwise from the position in the picture. The blue section is the v-band clamp I removed, before removing the entire turbine housing from the engine (the part with the wastegate arm attached). I also removed the clip and arm connected to the wastegate arm. When I tried to reassemble, that arm would no longer reach and was about 2-3mm too short. There is a nut hidden in the picture (lighter red area) that tightens against the silver housing (dark red) near the wastegate actuator (green). Both of the pieces in red screw onto a threaded rod coming out of the actuator and they clamp together to hold that end of the wastegate arm. I was able to thread them both out and re-adjust so the arm reaches, but after doing so I began to question why it changed in the first place. The section joined with the v-band clamp is the only thing controlling that spacing, so I began to wonder if maybe I didn't have it seated properly. I have had it apart and back together 3 times, and still have had no luck returning to it's original position.

Tomorrow I'm going to give it one last shot, and it's going back together regardless. I'm concerned I've thrown off the calibration of that arm, or that I don't have the turbo halves seated correctly, but I guess I'll find out once I try driving the car. I really didn't expect to have any issues putting this back together, but when things didn't line up I began to question the adjustability and calibration aspect of things. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, and hopefully everything will be fine once it's back together.

I had one stud snap when trying to swap it to the ti studs, too. I just drilled it out and ran a tap through it in place. There was plenty of room.
If you could get the v-band clamp on, the flanges are seated correctly. I can’t say for sure, but the actuator likely retracted without any resistance over a little time. I’d get the car running and then re-adjust the linkage back to where it was after it modulates/returns to where it was.

 

[airickmatthews]

Yeah I've been stressed about it all week and have yet to mess with it since Tuesday. Haven't had much luck finding any info online. I'm assuming it's because not many people are brave (stupid) enough to pull things apart this far without experience.

Here's a picture to help explain. The yellow line is the arm for the wastegate and it only rotates counter-clockwise from the position in the picture. The blue section is the v-band clamp I removed, before removing the entire turbine housing from the engine (the part with the wastegate arm attached). I also removed the clip and arm connected to the wastegate arm. When I tried to reassemble, that arm would no longer reach and was about 2-3mm too short. There is a nut hidden in the picture (lighter red area) that tightens against the silver housing (dark red) near the wastegate actuator (green). Both of the pieces in red screw onto a threaded rod coming out of the actuator and they clamp together to hold that end of the wastegate arm. I was able to thread them both out and re-adjust so the arm reaches, but after doing so I began to question why it changed in the first place. The section joined with the v-band clamp is the only thing controlling that spacing, so I began to wonder if maybe I didn't have it seated properly. I have had it apart and back together 3 times, and still have had no luck returning to it's original position.

Tomorrow I'm going to give it one last shot, and it's going back together regardless. I'm concerned I've thrown off the calibration of that arm, or that I don't have the turbo halves seated correctly, but I guess I'll find out once I try driving the car. I really didn't expect to have any issues putting this back together, but when things didn't line up I began to question the adjustability and calibration aspect of things. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, and hopefully everything will be fine once it's back together.

Any update on this???

 

[AdamD19DFK8]

That sucks man. I got my stock downpipe off with no issue and put on my dp from my 19. Everything went back together fine. I didn't have my defouler at the time so in hindsight I should have waited instead of taking it off twice. Somehow one of the nuts got messed up (I had put them all on by hand before using any tools) it took so much force for this one to turn like it was cross-threaded when I know it wasn't. After about a half hour of slowly getting it to turn out I just said fuck it since I figured the stud was going to snap once the nut got closer to the end any way and just broke it off. The same thing happened on my 19, but with that I had enough stud left to put another nut on. I've just been running with 3 bolts for awhile, (had done the same on my 19). I figure I'm just going to replace the turbo anyway so no point in taking it apart right now.

 

[Nitroturtle]

Any update on this???

After letting it sit a few days, I slowly tightened the nut on the end of the actuator arm and managed to get it to sit like it did originally. I have since had a custom e-tune done on the car and have had no issues at all. I don't know if I just got lucky and got it back to the correct position, or if it self calibrated, but I've had no issues with the EWG.

 

[kefi]

I think the ECU does a little recalibration of the wastegate actuator whenever it is flashed or is disconnected from the battery.

 

[seselectronics]

The only concern you should have is actuator arm open and close the waste gate properly, the actuator arm don't get stuck. Try to leaved the best aligned you can.
The actuator solenoid get self adjusted every time the ignition is ON, take in mind the actuator arm moves max 10mm. Whit the ignition off you can wait like 10 seconds and then you should able to move with your hands ( is not too soft due the gearing reduction inside actuator)
The most important is if you move all the way to the left it should fully close the waste gate, and all the way right it should move 10mm or more.

 

[Volksparts]

Yeah I've been stressed about it all week and have yet to mess with it since Tuesday. Haven't had much luck finding any info online. I'm assuming it's because not many people are brave (stupid) enough to pull things apart this far without experience.

Here's a picture to help explain. The yellow line is the arm for the wastegate and it only rotates counter-clockwise from the position in the picture. The blue section is the v-band clamp I removed, before removing the entire turbine housing from the engine (the part with the wastegate arm attached). I also removed the clip and arm connected to the wastegate arm. When I tried to reassemble, that arm would no longer reach and was about 2-3mm too short. There is a nut hidden in the picture (lighter red area) that tightens against the silver housing (dark red) near the wastegate actuator (green). Both of the pieces in red screw onto a threaded rod coming out of the actuator and they clamp together to hold that end of the wastegate arm. I was able to thread them both out and re-adjust so the arm reaches, but after doing so I began to question why it changed in the first place. The section joined with the v-band clamp is the only thing controlling that spacing, so I began to wonder if maybe I didn't have it seated properly. I have had it apart and back together 3 times, and still have had no luck returning to it's original position.

Tomorrow I'm going to give it one last shot, and it's going back together regardless. I'm concerned I've thrown off the calibration of that arm, or that I don't have the turbo halves seated correctly, but I guess I'll find out once I try driving the car. I really didn't expect to have any issues putting this back together, but when things didn't line up I began to question the adjustability and calibration aspect of things. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, and hopefully everything will be fine once it's back together.

I know this thread is old but if the arm retracted into the solenoid all you have to do is pull that arm to the right manually and it will then be able to re-attach to the hot side of the turbo arm.
Basically what alejandro said...

 

[civicx__77]

I know this thread is old but if the arm retracted into the solenoid all you have to do is pull that arm to the right manually and it will then be able to re-attach to the hot side of the turbo arm.
Basically what alejandro said...

Hi Friends , i have the same problem (My Civic is L15B7 Engine Non Si). Yesterday i took off the Turbo Inlet Pipe to clean the dirty oil , i also noticed that the wastegate actuato bolt was loose , so i tightened the bolt. After install all part I started the engine and drive near from my house and give the CEL P0046 ("Turbo/Super Charger Boost Control Solenoid Circuit Range/Performance").
i already got checked the vacuum lines , charge pipe , wires were plug in correctly... now i'm curious how to remove this CEL because my vehicle now feels less boost cause of Limp mode. Must i calibrate the electonic wastegate ?

 

[Volksparts]

Hi Friends , i have the same problem (My Civic is L15B7 Engine Non Si). Yesterday i took off the Turbo Inlet Pipe to clean the dirty oil , i also noticed that the wastegate actuato bolt was loose , so i tightened the bolt. After install all part I started the engine and drive near from my house and give the CEL P0046 ("Turbo/Super Charger Boost Control Solenoid Circuit Range/Performance").
i already got checked the vacuum lines , charge pipe , wires were plug in correctly... now i'm curious how to remove this CEL because my vehicle now feels less boost cause of Limp mode. Must i calibrate the electonic wastegate ?

You are correct that the car is in limp mode. Sounds to me that either a plug or a hose is still not connected. If you don't have an obd2 scanner to try clearing the code I would disconnect the battery for about 10 minutes and then try running the car after and seeing if the code comes back. Also does the arm with the bolt that you tightened still allow the arm to move? Maybe it's too tight or the arm is jammed now? I am just throwing out ideas.

 

[civicx__77]

You are correct that the car is in limp mode. Sounds to me that either a plug or a hose is still not connected. If you don't have an obd2 scanner to try clearing the code I would disconnect the battery for about 10 minutes and then try running the car after and seeing if the code comes back. Also does the arm with the bolt that you tightened still allow the arm to move? Maybe it's too tight or the arm is jammed now? I am just throwing out ideas.

The arm not jammed , still normal , i already checked that the arm bolt that i tightened has the length tolerance same as before. i hv done disconnect the battery however still cannot remove the CEL

 

[Volksparts]

The arm not jammed , still normal , i already checked that the arm bolt that i tightened has the length tolerance same as before. i hv done disconnect the battery however still cannot remove the CEL

And the plug is still connected under the black actuator solenoid?

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