Boost only hitting 7psi, need help!
 

Hey guys!
I'm in need of some serious help. I own a 97 JDM WRX GF8 with some boost issues... I've owned it for about 7 months and it's always peaked boost at 7-8 psi.
I've smoke tested for boost leaks (had 2, which I fixed and didn't do anything), reset the ecu multiple times with different kinds of gas, hooked up an EBCS which let me hit a little higher boost with literally maxed out duty cycle (was hitting 8ish with 90% cycle), triple checked all of the turbo plumbing and ran the car without a line going to the wastegate and still nothing changed. Turbo was pulled couple months ago and everything was healthy. Really not sure where to go next. Is my turbo fried? it spools fine, just wont get past 7!
Mods are... completely catless exhaust (up pipe, down pipe, straight pipe), aem truboost controller, bee r rev limiter and some typical cone air filter.
Thanks!

Your car is most likely detting it's tits of due to:
"Mods are... completely catless exhaust (up pipe, down pipe, straight pipe), aem truboost controller, bee r rev limiter and some typical cone air filter."

The ECU will see this and put it into limp/safety and only run wastegate pressure of 7-8psi

My advice would be bin the boost controller,bin the bee limit r and remap the car to suit full decat,induction kit etc.
Did you fit a 3 port BCS as well?
and have you made sure the boost restrictor pill is still in the pipework?

Yeah I'm currently running a 3 port selenoid, which did nothing and I've tried with the pill and without.

also its a JDM on really poor octane fuel, with mods.

If it hasn't been specifically mapped for a 3-port boost solenoid, I'd suggest this will almost certainly be the problem. I know a '97 EUDM is a 2-port so assume a JDM WRX of the same age should be too. The wastegate duty cycle is quite different for a 2-port from a 3-port so it can't just be swapped. The boost map will need to adjusted to accommodate it, and being a '97 the standard ECU can't simply be flashed with a new map which is why I'm questioning it.

Unless it's been mapped, and assuming it should originally have had a 2-port (can anyone confirm this?) the first thing I'd do would be switch it back to a 2-port setup with the correctly sized restrictor pill in the correct place.

EDIT - just realised you're not using the OEM ECU for boost control. My comments may not be relevant then, although as a process of elimination, I'd still go back to the original boost plumbing and let the OEM ECU handle it, although your other mods probably won't place nicely with the OEM boost map.