• Severe loss of performance
  
• No boost
  
• Temperamental power
  
• Safe mode and engine check light
  
  If you get any of these, quickly check the wastegate arm is still attached.
  
  Where Am I Looking?
  
  If you look under the car up behind the exhaust you will just see the bottom of the turbo.
  You can see the position of the turbo in the picture below, off centre to the right.
  
  
  
  You will see the wastegate actuator with the hoses coming from it. From the other end
  is the wastegate actuator arm, follow it. It should connect to the wastegate lever.
  
  It is the lever that the clip is pushed on to to hold the arm in place.
  
  Fixing The Arm
  
  This is how a standard wastegate arm should be, attached with a clip to the wategate.
  The turbo pictured was only on the car for about 2 years and the clip was already corroded.
  
  
  
  Eventually the clip rusts, snaps or bends open and drops off the wastegate lever.
  The wastegate arm is now free to fall off the lever which it will do as soon as it can.
  
  
  
  The wastegate inside the turbo now just flaps about venting a lot of your boost.
  This obviously reduces performance. In Jord's case shown below, the arm has
  actually fallen and wedged the wastegate fully open. Almost all boost is lost.
  
  
  
  The original clip sits in a radial groove, this grove is about 5.3mm
  
  
  
  The clip had already become oversized to 5.5mm so it slipped off quite easily.
  
  
  
  On the left is the clip that was removed, on the right is the replacement clip.
  
  
  
  Push the wastegate arm in place and push the new clip onto the wastegate lever.
  You won't be able to do this with your fingers, it's best to use a pair of pliers.
  
  
  
  With this better design and grade of clip fitted there is no way the clip will fall off.
  Even though the clip is tight, it will not affect the operation of the wastegate and
  can be removed fairly easily with a clip remover or a flat blade screwdriver.
  
  What Is The Original And New Clip?
  
  These clips are sold under several names (sometimes wrongly):
  
  
• C clips
  
• Circlips
  
• E clips
  
• Swingvalve clip
  
• Snap ring
  
  
  
  The original on the left is a variation of a C clip and is designed for easy and quick release with no special tools. The problem is the metal is poor, doesn't handle the high temperatures and poor conditions very well. The thin sections on either side soon weaken and either snap or open.
  
  The new clip on the right is an E clip (called this because of its shape). Like the original,
  it is an interferance fit but unlike the original it is made of a better metal with a higher
  elasticity, coated for rust resistance and has thicker sections for greater strength.
  
  As said previously, the new E clip just pushes in place with a bit of force or pliers.
  
  What Size Clip Do I Need?
  
  It goes without saying that you need the correct size. Too small just won't go on or would
  become damaged during fitting and too large would just drop off or rattle about causing wear.
  
  What you need is a single 5mm E clip.
  
  Typing 5mm E Clip into Google will bring up a few vendors. This size is often used in RC models.

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