Falcon Boost control setup and FAQ’s
We have conversations about boost control almost once a day with customers, but unfortunately there is a lot of miss information out there, even to our surprise, some competitors are happy to suggest unsafe or subpar setups.
Factory boost control
Factory boost control is the best option for a turbo falcon by far (being a ECU based boost control) we have a lot more parameters and inputs that can help add or remove boost depending on the situation. This usually results in us being able to give you a more powerful car, as with other boost controls you need to allow for a margin of error.
Benefits
RPM based boost control : we can add or remove boost over the full rev range so we can remove or add power in certain spots to keep your drivetrain alive or make the car more linear to promote traction.
Inlet temperature sensitive boost control : can add or remove boost depending on higher or lower inlet air temps, this is very helpful keeping an engine together as on an extremely hot day we can safely remove boost to keep an engine safe and on a cold day we can give you more.
Over boost : though it is not always used, we can use Fords over boost feature when the car has the pre designated conditions that it allows the car to increase its power, this is used in Turbo Sprint’s and GT-F model Falcons from factory
Boost by gear
Cons
Setup is more complicated and is recommended to a professional
Factory Turbo ECU required
Boost sensor and boost solenoid are required and need to be wired to Factory ECU
We can upgrade the factory boost control here at Maxx performance
Upgrades
Upgraded map sensors for higher boost levels
4 port Mac vale for larger range of boost control
External wastegate or upgraded actuator
Correct setup and information
The Factory solenoid is located just below the Fuse box on a BA-FGX Turbo Falcon and on the back of the blower on a Supercharged 5.0 FG-FGX falcon
Tip : They do fail and fill with oil and crud, it is good practice to clean them out and lubricate them.
How to plumb the factory solenoid to an aftermarket wastegate
4 port plumbing only use this if recommended by your tuner to do so
Maxx performance installed 4 port solenoid in factory location
4 port plumbing done by us here at Maxx performance
External boost controllers
There is a long list of external boost controllers, they serve there purpose in cars that cannot have factory boost control. They are a reactive system operating separate from factory management and in our view with our Turbo falcons are not the best choice, but sometimes necessary like in a NA+T with a factory ECU.
Benefits
Usually boost controllers have a high low boost settings
fairly easy to setup
unit usually displays boost pressure
Cons
Reactive system - so registers boost and controls it. These units usually have a rpm input but this is not easy to setup on our falcons and this means if we need to ramp the boost in or remove some power at a set rpm we are at the mercy of the boost controller
no temperature input so if your car has a smaller than desirable intercooler your boost will remain consistent with higher inlet air temperatures which is not good for engine
Zero ECU control
Boost Tee
The simple Boost Tee has been around for a long time and is very limiting and is not really ideal on a Falcon. We do not recommend using these.
Benefits
Cheap and easy to install
Easy to add boost via dial on top of units
Cons
Usually on cold days/nights you will see a higher boost level
No control of boost curve they have a tendency to tip over on the higher rev ranges
Will not remove boost on higher inlet air temps or heat soak situations
Zero ECU control