About this episode
Blow off valves and wastegates are fairly simple in their operation, but correctly sizing and fitting them requires a lot of careful consideration if you want to get the most out of your turbocharged engine. This week, Gregg Jones of TiAL Sport — someone who’s been in the turbocharging game since the mid-eighties — is here to get us up to speed on these simple yet crucial components. Use TIAL50 to get $50 off HPA’s EFI Fundamentals course: https://hpcdmy.co/efifundb Gregg started his career in performance cars in the dark ages of turbo technology. It was the mid-eighties, and there weren’t a whole lot of good options around for the aftermarket boost industry — but working with rudimentary laggy turbos and cast-iron wastegates got Gregg thinking that he could create something much better — so he did. TiAL Sport was formed in 1993 and the company quickly blossomed as turbocharged European and Japanese imports began to filter into the mainstream. In this conversation, Gregg talks us through those early days, touching on how much room for improvement he saw and how his company was able to step up the game year after year. Gregg discusses how his products are designed, tested, and made — as well as where he sees the industry going in the future. We then move into the tech-focused section of the episode, where Gregg drops knowledge on all things turbocharging — especially when it comes to speccing, fitting, and getting the most out of blow off valves and external wastegates. There are some real nuggets of gold to be found in this conversation, and anyone who wants to better understand boosted engine applications is going to be better off for listening to it. Follow Gregg here: IG: @tialsport , @xonarotor FB: TiAL Sport WWW: tialsport.com , xonarotor.com Don’t forget, you can use TIAL50 to get $50 off HPA’s EFI Fundamentals course: https://hpcdmy.co/efifundb Timestamps: 0:00 UNTAPPED Potential? BOVs and Wastegates Decoded 3:14 How did you form an interest in the automotive industry? 8:10 Move to Florida and exposure to turbocharged vehicles 10:24 Early cast iron HKS wastegate 15:34 Why did it take so long for V bands to become the standard? 17:23 What materials did you move to instead of cast iron? 19:12 How have we overcome turbine back pressure? 21:39 What was the design process for these wastegates? 29:21 What are the challenges in designing a wastegate? 34:13 What is the actual benefit to a blow off valve? 40:52 Where’s the best place to put your blowoff valve? 48:13 How do blow off valves work with MAF sensors? 52:32 Do we need to tune the blow off valve for the application? 54:30 Do you have a size guide for blow off valves? 56:17 How do we choose the right wastegate? 1:01:46 What’s the best way to mount a wastegate? 1:04:36 Wastegate springs explained 1:11:56 Is there still room to improve wastegates and blow off valves? 1:16:05 How did you start working with Robert Young and Xona Rota? 1:21:59 What’s next for turbo technology?