The Hallman MBC Pro came nicely packaged. They sufficiently protected the controller with two kinds of bubble wrap, but elected not to fill the empty space with paper or 100 gallons of styrofoam peanuts; I liked this. I guess Hallman is ahead of the "green" fad.
The instructions were very thorough and even included, at length and with diagrams, a section devoted to 1G and 2G DSMs. I felt this aspect really added to the value of this product. While the information contained in them is freely available all over this forum, if the vendor or a Mod prefers that it not be shared in this way, I will remove them.
The accessories included were a very nice touch. The mounting clamp is of very nice quality. The plastic T-fitting is not required for use on a 2G DSM, so it is actually a bonus for someone who might be simultaneously installing a boost gauge via the FPR hose (although the fitting's diameter is a bit large, it's nothing a little DSM attitude can't overcome). The brass barbed fitting is presumably 1/8"NPT and may have an application on a DSM as well, but is not needed for installation. I was a bit disappointed with the 3' of black hose, as I was expecting silicone, but it seems to be some kind of rubber. Who doesn't love more zipties and vacuum caps?
...and here's the money shot. The MBC was well protected in bubble wrap, inside a bubble wrap bag.
The MBC itself is quite hefty and solid. These are the attributes I would expect to handle such an important job. The knob rotates smoothly and requires a reasonable force to do so. It does not "click" as I was expecting, but in my experience with various adjusting devices that have detents, the setting you desire may be between those two clicks. When backed all the way out, the knob comes to a hard stop and will not come off. At this setting you can hear the ball and spring clacking around inside the MBC, but this is normal and allows your wastegate act as it would with no MBC.
The logos and such are LASER etched into the aluminum. Another workmanship thumbs-up. Who knows how much torque that will add........
The two barbs protruding from the unit appear to be turned from stock aluminum (weight savings!) and are sealed to the unit with O-rings. The barb perpendicular to the MBC is the wastegate barb. There is a very small hole drilled through the hex portion of the barb which should act as a vent for the wastegate. I was concerned that when air was blown through the wastegate air freely escaped from this hole and that it may cause a small boost leak. I suppose it technically does, but without this hole the wastegate could not close when boost pressure recedes: as the ball and spring close off the passage inside the MBC, pressurized air would be trapped between the wastegate diaphragm and the ball/spring. At below the set boost level this shouldn't occur (unless you have the MBC fully open), and during high boost I doubt the miniscule air loss would cause too much trouble.
There were a number of surface imperfections on the unit itself. They most likely occured after the machining process, probably when thrown into a bin with hundreds of other newly made MBC bodies. The imperfections survived the polishing and anodizing process, but removing them would have added to the cost of the unit. I'm glad that didn't happen because they in no way affect the performance of the device.
Hallman sells the more expensive version of this MBC called the Hallman MBC Pro RX which apparently allows finer control at low boost levels via a lighter ceramic ball and a lighter force spring. I asked Hallman if I could obtain the lighter spring from them, to which they replied that I could, for $10 shipped. Since I will be running at a steady 10 PSI and not above, I will elect to try this option and post my results.
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The instructions were very thorough and even included, at length and with diagrams, a section devoted to 1G and 2G DSMs. I felt this aspect really added to the value of this product. While the information contained in them is freely available all over this forum, if the vendor or a Mod prefers that it not be shared in this way, I will remove them.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
The accessories included were a very nice touch. The mounting clamp is of very nice quality. The plastic T-fitting is not required for use on a 2G DSM, so it is actually a bonus for someone who might be simultaneously installing a boost gauge via the FPR hose (although the fitting's diameter is a bit large, it's nothing a little DSM attitude can't overcome). The brass barbed fitting is presumably 1/8"NPT and may have an application on a DSM as well, but is not needed for installation. I was a bit disappointed with the 3' of black hose, as I was expecting silicone, but it seems to be some kind of rubber. Who doesn't love more zipties and vacuum caps?
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
...and here's the money shot. The MBC was well protected in bubble wrap, inside a bubble wrap bag.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
The MBC itself is quite hefty and solid. These are the attributes I would expect to handle such an important job. The knob rotates smoothly and requires a reasonable force to do so. It does not "click" as I was expecting, but in my experience with various adjusting devices that have detents, the setting you desire may be between those two clicks. When backed all the way out, the knob comes to a hard stop and will not come off. At this setting you can hear the ball and spring clacking around inside the MBC, but this is normal and allows your wastegate act as it would with no MBC.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
The logos and such are LASER etched into the aluminum. Another workmanship thumbs-up. Who knows how much torque that will add........
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
The two barbs protruding from the unit appear to be turned from stock aluminum (weight savings!) and are sealed to the unit with O-rings. The barb perpendicular to the MBC is the wastegate barb. There is a very small hole drilled through the hex portion of the barb which should act as a vent for the wastegate. I was concerned that when air was blown through the wastegate air freely escaped from this hole and that it may cause a small boost leak. I suppose it technically does, but without this hole the wastegate could not close when boost pressure recedes: as the ball and spring close off the passage inside the MBC, pressurized air would be trapped between the wastegate diaphragm and the ball/spring. At below the set boost level this shouldn't occur (unless you have the MBC fully open), and during high boost I doubt the miniscule air loss would cause too much trouble.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
There were a number of surface imperfections on the unit itself. They most likely occured after the machining process, probably when thrown into a bin with hundreds of other newly made MBC bodies. The imperfections survived the polishing and anodizing process, but removing them would have added to the cost of the unit. I'm glad that didn't happen because they in no way affect the performance of the device.
Hallman sells the more expensive version of this MBC called the Hallman MBC Pro RX which apparently allows finer control at low boost levels via a lighter ceramic ball and a lighter force spring. I asked Hallman if I could obtain the lighter spring from them, to which they replied that I could, for $10 shipped. Since I will be running at a steady 10 PSI and not above, I will elect to try this option and post my results.
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