No special tools needed for that job, I have done many with just a normal flat head screw driver. It is easier if you get a wide and fairly long flat head and cut a slot in the middle. A flat head with a magnetic tip is the best choice.

Pack brake makes a good kit have not had any issues with them and they set up nice.

 

It's a good idea to draw yourself a picture while you're doing it too, for orientation. I'm not explaining this right. Um.

 

Just wanted to say thanks for this thread. I have a stock 95 that I want to mildly tweak too.
Brian

 

 

I found some Pack Brake 3GSK springs on ebay. I'm going to order those today and install those first. Once I'm sure that installation was successful and it's still running good, I'll take the next step. I just emailed the guys at Power Driven Diesel some questions I have about their AFC Live setup. I'm looking at their AFC Live 2 and max travel kit. The installation instructions say to disconnect the wastegate but they also offer a boost elbow. I don't know if there's a possibility of over boosting once I have the AFC Live adjusted for proper EGT. I'd like to be able to have things balanced where I can trudge up a hill with my foot on the floor and have the pyro temps and boost within safe limits.

 

IMO I would never plug the wastegate

 

Agreed, there's just no reason to. Open the pump, you'll make the boost, even with a stock turbo.

 

94 and JBear. I agree, I think my stock turbo can make more boost than what the wastegate is allowing. Since I got my gauges, I was able to get the boost up to 21psi. It's a stock truck and this reading was on a flat road. I guess I screwed up with my question. If I get the AFC Live2 and disconnect the wastegate as suggested, is there a threat that I can over boost with a stock turbo when I'm working the truck? With the Live, I can dial in the pyrometer to safe limits and expect the boost to be in the safe range for a stock truck. If I dial in the AFC live to get boost up to an acceptable limit, will I be blowing the EGT? I know...I know...it's all about my foot. Boost and fuel make power and I don't want to spend money to dump the fuel only to be limited by the boost. I'm thinking the AFC Live and a boost elbow to limit pressures. What do you think>

 

Yes even with the afc live you can still overspin the stock turbo with the gate blocked off.

 

I think it's going to be a question of usage for you. Lots of people say not to spin the stock turbo more than 35psi. I ran mine for nearly 100K hitting 40psi regularly, and when I upgraded my turbo the original was still nice and tight. Since I was running my pump wide open, if it was going to make more boost it would have. I never blocked any waste gates or used a boost elbow. That all having been said, I wasn't driving around making 40psi all the time. I very seldom went over 30psi, actually. Just a few times a day, depending on what and where I was towing. If you are going to drive it like a bat out of hell 100% of the time, you may compromise it's life expectancy a bit; but if you're going to drive it like a normal person and only get into it now and then, they're surprisingly robust.