Turbo problem

[nabilus13]

My 96 gst won't boost right. When I hit the gas to get boost the car shakes and shudders and bogs, and only boosts to about 4-5 psi, then goes back to shaking if I try to go past that. I've routed the vacuum lines back to stock, replaced the broken wastegate solenoid, replaced the bad turbo that had shaft play, and am now very frustrated. I pulled on my wastegate actuator rod to see if it would move, and it didn't.

My questions:

1. Should I be able to manaully open/close my wastegate by pulling on the actuator rod when the car is of?

2. If the wastegate is frozen, how can I fix it?

3. If it's not the wastegate, what else can I check?

P.S. I have all of the hose clamps on the IC piping as tight as I can.

[Jake]

1. The waste gate is pretty stiff, it takes a good amount of force to open it by hand.

2. If the waste gate is frozen, you will have to replace it, or you could try removing it and soaking it in rust buster or another type of rust inhibitor.

3. Its not the waste gate. If the waste gate was frozen shut, you would see A LOT more than 4-5psi... Mid to high 20s for sure.

I would try a boost leak test. Make a tester to clamp onto the turbo and pressurize the intercooler system. If there are no leaks, check timing, then If you have a stock exhaust, I would check the cat to see if its clogged up. I had the same thing happen on my car. Clogged cat and I couldnt get anything above 12psi with the waste gate welded shut.

[Dizmm]

I will have to guess boost leaks. Talk to Jesse at HLM about boost leak testers. He was making them for a while and selling them at a good price. I got one from him and it works great.

[Stash]

Replace the spark plugs lately?

[Dizmm]

Replace the spark plugs lately?

and also are they NGK BPR6 (or 7's)??