Am I kidding myself?

[AlanG]

Last week,I received my HLM stage 1 ecu. Once fitted,the difference was very apparent. Think I got the bhp bug after that and then got an mbc. After constant and cautious adjustment,my dash guage is nudging just off the white and the power is awesome.Engine is still silent and delivery smooth. Just wondering if anyone else has done this and how it goes long term. Also,could I have saved the expense of the ecu upgrade and just got the mbc?

[AndysR]

You wouldn't have been able to run the boost you are running currently without remapping/chipping the ecu as it would have hit overboost/boost cut at I believe around 10 psi? If your at the end of the white section your boost is probably somewhere near 14 psi...;)

[cameron]

I think TFFM ( Theflyingfridgemover) has only an MBC and his BHP is 261bhp which is higher than my 222bhp ( they couldnt run it properly :( ) HLM'D 850 T5.

And almost equal to Tomcats 264 or there abouts with the HLM Upgrade.

I think its personal preference really.

My boost guage goes a good 3 - 4mm of the end of the gauge though rather than ony just touching the end with just the HLM 304 upgrade.

An MBC probably costs a damn sight less than the ECU upgrade but its plug and play theres no adjusting this and that all the time till you get the desired effect, its an instant change as you well know :D

For £150 i would recommend it to anyone, + i have the 304 and not the 280 a lot of people advised me against the 304 as i have an auto but it copes very well indeed and goes like stink with no trans problems at all :B_thumb:

Its your own preference at the end of the day, i had a T5 a couple of years ago which had an MBC on it which i took off straight away as i dont really know how they work and so i removed it to stop me from playing with it all the time and causing damage.

If you havent got the money for the ecu upgrade then the mbc is the next way to go.

If you like how it drives then leave it, i dont think id bother with both though.

All the best mate.

[AlanG]

Thanks Andy,wasn't sure. Was good money well spent then. Happy with it the way it is. Don't think I'll be boosting it anymore than it is. It's tearing it's tyres in 2nd in the dry!!

[AlanG]

Thank you for your thoughts Cameron. Many people have said not to mix ecu upgrades and mbc's. By nature,I am just curious. Cannot believe the performance of my car now,it is astounding. From what I've been told guage wise,I could raise it further,but I am happy as it is. Still does 30mpg!!

[p fandango]

standard boost cut is normally around the 14-15psi mark

i used to run an MBC on a standard ECU & ran very close (even beating) some of the remap boys on the dragstrip

i was one of the people who advised you not to run the MBC & remap, & will say again just be careful because the ECU won't have the boost protection it used to & you could end up bending a con-rod if you turn it up too high

http://www.covcrew.co.uk/volvo-850-t5/archive/interior/interior5.jpg
don't try this at home, my stock ECU used to allow the MBC to boost to 20.8psi before the boost cut kicked in :kiss:

[callyuk]

starting to think mine allows this as well pedro as im now spiking at 1.3 bar and still no signs of the fuel cut kinda worrying so not playing with it anymore i promise

[t5 pete]

I would say dont ever fit a mbc unless you have a good boost gauge nstalled in psi/bar but would preffer psi so you can see how much boost is produced

[p fandango]

I would say dont ever fit a mbc unless you have a good boost gauge nstalled in psi/bar but would preffer psi so you can see how much boost is produced
oh defo, i had a digital gauge fitted in a spare DIN under the radio which was alot more accurate & how i can be exact & say what it was running to the 0.1psi

http://www.covcrew.co.uk/volvo-850-t5/archive/interior/interior6.jpg

[AlanG]

standard boost cut is normally around the 14-15psi mark

i used to run an MBC on a standard ECU & ran very close (even beating) some of the remap boys on the dragstrip

i was one of the people who advised you not to run the MBC & remap, & will say again just be careful because the ECU won't have the boost protection it used to & you could end up bending a con-rod if you turn it up too high

http://www.covcrew.co.uk/volvo-850-t5/archive/interior/interior5.jpg
don't try this at home, my stock ECU used to allow the MBC to boost to 20.8psi before the boost cut kicked in :kiss:

Got you buddy. Keeping the dash guage within limits, certainly not as high as you have pictured. Many thanks for the advice..

[cameron]

Ha Ha snap.

Thats exactly the same as my boost guage with just the HLM 304 :D

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo159/cameron793/Rica304turbo.png

[nathT5]

mine,s only got an MBC and runs 243 at the wheels.
i can safely only boost to the end of the white as it fuel cuts in 4th and 5th but not in others.
any ideas why???

[nathT5]

standard boost cut is normally around the 14-15psi mark

i used to run an MBC on a standard ECU & ran very close (even beating) some of the remap boys on the dragstrip

i was one of the people who advised you not to run the MBC & remap, & will say again just be careful because the ECU won't have the boost protection it used to & you could end up bending a con-rod if you turn it up too high

http://www.covcrew.co.uk/volvo-850-t5/archive/interior/interior5.jpg
don't try this at home, my stock ECU used to allow the MBC to boost to 20.8psi before the boost cut kicked in :kiss:

your petrol gauge looks the same as mine, 20mpg :rolleyes:

[p fandango]

mine,s only got an MBC and runs 243 at the wheels.
i can safely only boost to the end of the white as it fuel cuts in 4th and 5th but not in others.
any ideas why???
i'd say your MBC is set very very close to the limit & the extra load in 4th & 5th is just enough to set it over the limit, you might hit it in the lower gears on very close mornings

mine was set so close i had to run it on Optimax or it would hit the boost cut

[p fandango]

your petrol gauge looks the same as mine, 20mpg :rolleyes:
my lowest ever was 14.7mpg average on the trip computer, i'm a bit happier now the T-5 is just a weekend toy as the 5hitroen gets 30mpg around town & over 50mpg on a run :hilarious

[PaulZX]

lol I got name dropped.... :)

I'm starting to feel fortunate, only an MBC here running ~12psi, standard panel filter, with 261bhp to the wheels, running 95 ron, no pinking, no boost cut, no problems....

and as for ruuning the 1/4 mile faster than remapped cars, I've seen at least two remapped R's on here that have not broken into the 14's.... (I know, it's all down to the driver on the day lol)...

14.937s, just in case anyone wondered.... That's getting destroyed this year.....

[p fandango]

14.937s, just in case anyone wondered.... That's getting destroyed this year.....
14.557 here, MBC, 15g, stock ECU, decat & cone filter...........going for the 13's this year :bullwhip:

[nathT5]

i'd say your MBC is set very very close to the limit & the extra load in 4th & 5th is just enough to set it over the limit, you might hit it in the lower gears on very close mornings

mine was set so close i had to run it on Optimax or it would hit the boost cut

but at best the needle only touches the end, not 3mm past like others.
i should really get the pressure checked by an acurate gauge, maybe its more than its telling me.

[AndysR]

standard boost cut is normally around the 14-15psi mark

i used to run an MBC on a standard ECU & ran very close (even beating) some of the remap boys on the dragstrip

i was one of the people who advised you not to run the MBC & remap, & will say again just be careful because the ECU won't have the boost protection it used to & you could end up bending a con-rod if you turn it up too high

http://www.covcrew.co.uk/volvo-850-t5/archive/interior/interior5.jpg
don't try this at home, my stock ECU used to allow the MBC to boost to 20.8psi before the boost cut kicked in :kiss:

I don't know what I am more shocked about.... the fact that you can get your car to boost over 20 psi on the standard ecu or the fact you managed to take a shot of the dash at low speeds with full boost!!! :)

[AlanG]

What have I started?

[T5arrrgghh]

boost wars

[p fandango]

I don't know what I am more shocked about.... the fact that you can get your car to boost over 20 psi on the standard ecu or the fact you managed to take a shot of the dash at low speeds with full boost!!! :)
had the camera wedged in the gaps of the steering wheel set on high-speed multi shot, & still took several attempts to get a picture that wasn't blurred lol

[AlanG]

On checking the mbc,I've found that it is only a quarter turn from its maximum adjustment. Worried now but dash guage at the top of the white section,not beyond. Power is phenomenal,no detonation and running beatifully. Not sure what to think,any advice??

[t5 pete]

have you got a boost gauge fitted that reads in psi or bar if not i wuld turn you mbc down untill you get one i wouldnt rely on the standard boost gauge

[t5 pete]

forgot to ask aswell which one did you get the 280 or the 304 as the 304 goes of the white gauge anyway

[AlanG]

Hi Pete,it's the 280. My driving doesn't involve a lot of high revs and speaking to Hamish at length,I settled on the 280 for mid range torque. I know I really should have an accurate boost guage but don't want to spoil the car interior. If the 304 is going off the scale then that reassures me as mine is not.Sits bang on the top of the scale It's plenty fast enough as is.