So, here's the scenario:

A few weeks ago coming back from the gym, I'm at WOT a little after I take off from the light. Car starts to jerk. WTF? I try it again watching the boost gauge (autometer) to see if I'm at my usual 12-14psi. 14psi comes on..15..16..20..25. Woah! I'm hitting fuel cut. So, I check my bleeder valve lines, 3" ABS intake couplings, etc. Everything looks hooked up alright. I'm guessing the wastegate isn't opening. So, I've been driving around feathering the gas (what a pain, no WOT driving at all) waiting for the weather to get nicer so I can check this out. I notice a hissing, sucking when I get into the higher rpms. Boost isn't coming on as it usually does either. It starts out slower than normal then quickly goes to those limits where my ugly friend fuel cut lives! Any ideas? Do these symptoms sound like a stuck wastegate? Regardless, I'll be getting to the bottom of it this weekend. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

Yeah, check the lines to the wastegate to make sure nothing popped off, got ripped/melted, etc.

I suppose it could be boost creep as well, but I don't know what would suddenly cause it if you didn't change anything.

Today, it started hestitating, then it stalled whenever I put it in neutral to coast or had the clutch in (depressed to the floor). Bov return tube is still on snug. I checked that first cause the symptoms were similar to when it would blow off my 3" abs intake. I still haven't had a chance to check the vacuum lines for pin holes or rips, but they are all hooked up. It's getting a little frustrating, but I'll get to the bottom of this.

You probably need new plug wires. This happened to me a few years ago. When the air gets humid/moist (spring fever!), and if there is a bad wire, the car will buck and stutter much like a boost leak when anything over zero manifold pressure is produced. My suggestion, first try a new (or borrowed) set of wires before any extra cash is spent.

I could see the plug wires causing the stalling and stuttering, but what about the boost overrunning? I guess a boost leak test and/or replacing the wastegate canister should cover that. I would tend to think that it's all caused by one root problem though. Thanks for the replies.

K&N/cut can top only/silencer removed
BCS sleeve removed
3" ABS intake pipe
2.5" turbo-back exhuast/no cat/Dynomax Ultraflo
Buschur turbo outlet elbow
Taylor 8mm wires/Accel platinum plugs
Fuel pump rewired
Bleeder valve - currently fully closed off

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the bleeder valve is fully closed, doesn't that take away from the pressure your waste gate sees?

I assumed that you checked your rod to the waste gate to see if it was still attached?

25 psi is alot of boost. What turbo is that on? Sounds like you could have over boosted and broke a turbo also.

Waldo,
They way I have my valve set up, it takes the signal away from the wastegate when you start to open it. I know what you're talking about. I use to run the valve in line with the hose from the wastegate to turbo outlet elbow, but I thought it would reduce spool up since it sits in the way of airflow as a partial blockage. The way I run it currently, the valve is tee'd off the line, so it's more of an actual "bleed" off, which I though may help with spool up.

Wastegate arm is still on the lever with the pin.

I run the stock 14B. I don't run 25psi regularly, just the average 11-15 with my mods and the valve. It wasn't at 25 for long, just as spikes when I didn't notice the boost at first. I hope I didn't damage my turbo! Wouldn't I be seeing lovely clouds of smoke out my exhaust if that were the case?

Waldo,
If the bleeder valve is closed the wastegate is seeing all the pressure from the turbo (since none is going to atmosphere) and it will open at 8psi. This is opposite from a ball and spring where the more you tighten the ball and spring the higher the boost will go.

Ashley, it sounds like you have an intake leek somewhere, this would explain the stalling and slow spool up. But not the high boost problem. Also, how could your 3" intake blow off? there is only vacuum in front of the turbo.

Sorry Vince. I thought that sounded a little confusing. What I meant is that the blow off valve return hose would come off of the intake pipe. The guy who made the 3" intake used a smaller diameter pipe than stock to attach the blow off return hose to. As a result, the return hose would blow off every once in a while until I double clamped it. When that would happen, the syptoms were similar (stuttering and stalling), but not reagrding the high boost.