Hesistation (recirc/smic) suspected

[titotonto]

Well, I have been having lots of trouble revving my car up and today I checked spark plugs, fuel system, ECU codes and timing, all of which were fine but when I rev its seems like the motor is laboring all the way through, but at like 3k rpm its starts like wanting to go and bucking back and forth. I'm not making the kind of boost it used to, but I don't know if thats a consequence or its a cause, all I can say for sure is that by the smic I can hear a lot of noise and popping as I try to rev it in neutral. Anyway, I am trying to find what is causing this and I am 90% sure its the recirc valve.

I had somebody put the hand brake on and try accelerating, and I was trying to see if the wastegate was actuating---but what really caught my attention is that even when the car was at positive boost the recirc valve was still making noise-----I never saw the wastegate move, on the other hand I know it is not stuck shut because I can see some positive pressure. Anybody know anything about how the stock recirc valve works or anyway of testing, troubleshooting it let me know. One thing I should probably say is that the fitting that connects the recirc hose into the intake was welded shut when I got the clip, and since I was going with a stock recirc valve I drilled like ten holes into the welding (It was really thick), I don't know if this pressure the recirc valve has been seeing when I've been driving around may have contributed to the problem.

anyways, any help will be appreciated