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3 Port Boost Solenoids

PostPosted: Tue Jun 16, 2015 8:36 pm
by AJ RS
I have a Grimmspeed which I am hoping to use shortly when I find someone to tune my car. I have heard of tuners having their preferred brand and I'm curious as to what exactly dictates what a good 3 port is? Is it just what the tuner is familiar with or is it much more than that?
I have noticed a lot of people on here are using the pierburg or whatever it's called. And I was told that the Grimmspeed which I have just purchased is not great? However none of my research indicated this. I am hoping that it's just a matter of the tuner having a preferred product and that I still can use my Grimmspeed unit as I don't want to have to buy something else to do the same job. Any thoughts from the tuning rhelm?

Re: 3 Port Boost Solenoids

PostPosted: Tue Jun 16, 2015 9:37 pm
by THE SpecB
AJ RS wrote:I have a Grimmspeed which I am hoping to use shortly when I find someone to tune my car. I have heard of tuners having their preferred brand and I'm curious as to what exactly dictates what a good 3 port is? Is it just what the tuner is familiar with or is it much more than that?
I have noticed a lot of people on here are using the pierburg or whatever it's called. And I was told that the Grimmspeed which I have just purchased is not great? However none of my research indicated this. I am hoping that it's just a matter of the tuner having a preferred product and that I still can use my Grimmspeed unit as I don't want to have to buy something else to do the same job. Any thoughts from the tuning rhelm?



Alexi might repost in here what he quoted in your for sale thread.

I would like to know how do you know if over boosting and if your tuner is looking at your best interests?

How can the novice tell?

Re: 3 Port Boost Solenoids

PostPosted: Tue Jun 16, 2015 10:49 pm
by alexeiwoody
Ok, here's repost.

alexeiwoody wrote:Justin ran one on his lib without any issues; during the time the Pierburg Prodrive ebcs was all the hype and he didn't bother changing because there was no real evidence against them.

I bought the Pierburg off Justin, since he was keeping the GS - and after 1-1.5 years the Prodrive (made in Germany, lifetime warranty etc) stopped functioning for me. Also the plastic ends of it broke off inside the vac lines, when trying to remove it...not great!

Supposedly the Pierburg is superior to the MAC types like GS/cobb/blouch etc - but according to some, it doesn't take as much dirt/time to kill it (which is what probably happened to mine).

If you're wondering about performance benefits - some controllers simply require a bit more WGDC to hold the same boost...end result is the same. If you have a good tuner, even the stock controller will provide good boost control. If your tuner isn't careful - you're going to get boost spikes regardless.

IMO (and from what I've been told) all the MAC style 3 ports are the same (at least the MAC half is) and there's no real difference between them. GS/Cobb/Blouch (MAC types) vs the Pierburg would be the biggest difference in design/performance, but neither is clearly better.


Unfortunately just one of those forum rumours.

SpecB: how do you know if you're over boosting? If you hit boost cut - for example. Otherwise with a boost gauge or logging software.

How do you know if your tuner is safe...? That is something you'd need to learn to use logging/LV and look at tunes yourself. Without learning to do it yourself, you'd need to ask others who can to check for you....without that you just have to trust the tuner.

Even if you never tune your car - logging and LV are fantastic ways to look after and diagnose issues on your car.

Re: 3 Port Boost Solenoids

PostPosted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 7:48 am
by AJ RS
Im very interested in learning how to do my own logs on my car. I just need to clean up my old laptop I never use and make dedicated to the car.

Re: 3 Port Boost Solenoids

PostPosted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 11:15 am
by alexeiwoody
AJ RS wrote:Im very interested in learning how to do my own logs on my car. I just need to clean up my old laptop I never use and make dedicated to the car.


Jslayz just posted in the other FS thread, that his GS has been fine too. He's got a serious build too

RomRaider.com has all the info you need for logging/LV

Re: 3 Port Boost Solenoids

PostPosted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:17 pm
by AJ RS
I haven't read a bad thing about the GS solenoid so I will be using mine when I book in for a tune in the next few weeks. Sounds to me like its just a matter of personal preference for the tuner.
Not enough to satisfy me in selling a perfectly good part. Unless they can show me where and why its not performing. All good ;)