possible wastegate problem?
 

Ok so my 97 2500 has been having some issues this week, I've been pulling 14 hour days at work all this week so i haven't really been able to tear into it yet, I think I might know what it is, but before I go spend a lot of time and money I was hoping for some opinions.

The truck has been hit and miss all week in regards to power, sometime I'll barely hit the throttle and she will just sh!t and get, other times I'll have my foot buried in it on a level surface and it will take me 60 seconds to get up to 60mph. I can hear the turbo screaming, but it feels like i have 0 boost (unfortunately i don't have any guages in it to know for sure). I checked all the turbo's plumbing and the wastegate hoses and they all seem fine. I think the actual wastegate itself might be shot. any ideas before I drop $150 on a new wastegate?

test the actuator with compressed air. dont just throw parts at it. does it smoke like hell when it is running poorly?

Not getting a lot of smoke, a little at idle but that about it, I blew air into the wastegate actuator and it would start to close a little bit, but then all the air would start coming out the bottom of the actuator head making it open back up. The actuator itself is leaking like I thought.

sounds like cause for a nice shiny new wastegate :rocking:

badda bing!