I hear ya. I don't have $1600 laying around either right now. The WW & housing is a great upgrade, you'll like the way she sounds. As far as the wastegate is concerned, here is the purpose of the waste gate in the turbo:
The wastegate allows the exhaust to bypass the turbine blades. The wastegate senses the boost pressure. When the pressure gets to a certain point the wastegate bypasses some of the exhaust around the turbine blades, allowing the blades to slow down so not to overspin. I believe the wastegate in our stock turbos starts to open around 22 lbs or somewhere close to that and has a max boost of 27.
Why did they not use a bigger turbo so you don't have to worry about it?
A larger turbocharger can provide lots of boost at high engine speeds, but may have bad turbo lag at lower rpms because of how long it takes to accelerate its heavier turbine and compressor.
The wastegate allows the use of a smaller turbocharger to reduce lag at lower rpm's while preventing it from spinning too quickly at high engine speeds. It's kinda give & take. A larger turbo wouldn't need a wastegate but then it would lag at low rpm's.
The stock turbo on the 7.3L can handle up to @ 27 lbs. Above that can lead to trouble. But after adding a chip/programmer you have added more fuel and now you need more air. By getting rid of the wastegate you are not letting the boost leak out at higher power levels. It's safe - plenty of folks do it, you just need to watch the boost guage so you don't kill your turbo to early. With the combination of the WW and larger exhaust housing you won't have to worry.
Now the ball bearing turbo is a slightly different animal. It uses ball bearings instead of fluid bearings to support the turbine shaft. They allow the turbine shaft to spin with less friction than the fluid bearings used in most turbochargers. (I think the Garret BB is capable of 39 lbs of boost.) They also allow a slightly smaller or lighter shaft to be used. This helps the turbocharger accelerate more quickly, reducing turbo lag. Better design but cost more $
Hope I didn't confuse the subject.
Rich
P.S. be careful with that K&N filter. I have used them on my Harley's & other cars and they worked great. But for diesels many oil analysis' has shown (high silicone levels) they can tend not to seal properly and let larger dust particle through which will lead to damaging the fins on the turbo wheel. If your not sure, get an oil analysis done by blackstone-labs.com. For $20 they will show you how your engine is wearing on the inside.
