is my turbo about to die?

[Goldeneye9mm]

i have a s14 sr20det and it's making a weird noise and i'm 80% sure it's coming from the turbo. it chatters under light boost like 2-5psi at lower speeds.it's not in the rods or valves i've checked. it boosts up fine drives fine no extra lag. and under harder driving (full throttle @ 13psi) the noise pretty much goes away. it's my new toy so i've been beating on it but i don't think i was doing any serious damage. i usually let it cool down for a few minutes after hard driving. so what do you think. btw it's my first turbo car so i really don't know.:-/

[cotbu]

compressor surge?
Compressor surge: You can think or surge as the point at which the compressor blades begin to “slip” in the air, losing their pumping ability, much like an aircraft wing loses its lift when it stalls. In a turbo, this happens in a series of bursts, as the blades slip, then bite, slip then bite. This sets up a pulsing wave in the turbo piping and explains why the sound has that characteristic “flutter”.
The interesting thing about compressor surge is that it occurs much more readily at low turbo shaft speeds. At these low shaft speeds, on road cars this is generally between 2000 and 3000 RPM, compressor surge is not much of a problem, as the loads generated by the surge are miniscule compared to what the turbo encounters at high boost. However, if surge occurs at high RPM and boost, it is possible to reduce the turbo life and/or damage the compressor
http://www.gofastbits.com/index.php?parentid=tech_info&option=tech_info

[Nismoknightska-t]

any smoke coming from your exhaust?

[95gstnj]

if it was your turbo, most likely the noise would be highest when you are in boost, and you'd probably have alot of smoke when you are in boost

[driftn_silvia]

if its a whistle in sound you might have a vacuum leak some where... but if its like a scrapping sound everytime you hit boost. you might have shaft play. so ur fins on the turbine are hitting the wall. check your turbo to see if you have shaft play by wiggling the fins.

[NiSmOKnIghTsRBS14]

turbo is way gone time for a UPGRADE

[GSXRJJordan]

Doesn't sound like the turbo, because at full throttle/boost the problem should not go away - maybe your exhaust is loud enough you're just not hearing it? Could be some other vibration also.

Checking for shaft play will tell you. Any amount is bad, but if you can actually see the shaft/blades move when you stick your fingers around in there, it's time for a new one.

[GabeS14]

This only happens while you are boosting right??
Not when you take your foot off the gas correct?(surge)

I had the same thing, before, it was the turbo elbow gasket!
make sure there is no blown gaskets around that area, from
turbo/turbo elbow, or from turbo elbow to downpipe!

i had my turb/turbo elbow gasket replaced and the fluttering stopped.
goodluck.

[Goldeneye9mm]

the gasket sounds like the most likley culprate. it's not surge. i' gonna go out and check for play in a few. but it alomst sounded like it was coming from under the dash like the area right infront of me. thats why i suspected the turbo. i have a new outlet dump pipe so it shouldn't be that. i'll post again after i check the shaft for play. also you can hear the turbo wind down after you shut the car off. it's not loud at all but you can hear it. is that normal?

[JDMwannaBE]

thats perfectly normal for a ball bearing turbo. thats the glory of them, they spin so easily that when you shut the engine down they still spin freely. mine does the same thing, if you go back to the muffler you'll hear it real well....lol.

[civilized_drifter]

have you checked for shaft play?

[Goldeneye9mm]

:wtc: just checked "my shaft" from the intake side. it feels like ther is more play on the exhaust side. it moves in like a pendalum motion from the nut. like the intake side is tight but the exhaust side moves. ether way there is some play. how hard are they to rebuild? and or who does it? and where could i get the parts to do so? or do any of you have a spair i could buy? lemme know.

[JDMwannaBE]

you'd be better off to replace it. by the time you spend the cash to rebuild you'd spend about the same. but i wouldnt run high boost on it until you can fix it.

[mayco_86]

I would just upgrade before that compressor wheel fly's off.

[unicoladron]

:wtc: just checked "my shaft" from the intake side. it feels like ther is more play on the exhaust side. it moves in like a pendalum motion from the nut. like the intake side is tight but the exhaust side moves. ether way there is some play. how hard are they to rebuild? and or who does it? and where could i get the parts to do so? or do any of you have a spair i could buy? lemme know.


there are t25 rebuild kits available in alot ofplaces DSMs had the same t25. you can search for "garrett t25 rebuild kit" or anything like that and i know for a fact egay has them. if you can use basic tools and read a blow-up diagram, you can rebuild it yourself.

[GabeS14]

or you could take it to a professional shop to get a PRO opinion, before you spend hundres of dolars.
a gasket could only cost you $30 bucks, if it was that instead!

[ichibans13.5]

if it sounds like a dentist drill the turbo is going - shaft play as said prior is also an easy way to tell - but that said garrett turbos last at least 80k - so if its the problem either replace it or drive it till u pour out white smoke out of your exhaust

[Goldeneye9mm]

well i can't afford a new one and it's a t28 on a s14 motor. would the t25 kit still work? like i said i'm a newb to the turbo world so over inform me if possible.

[civilized_drifter]

if you want to rebuild it there is a place in nashville that rebuilds turbos called turbo auto. they do great work.
(615) 383-6242

[Goldeneye9mm]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GT28RS-T25-T28-Ball-Bearing-SR20DET-CA18DET-Turbo_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33742QQihZ013QQit emZ230187295470QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
what do you think. i know it's a cheapy but i'm broke. please give honest opinions.

[driftn_silvia]

heck no...lol. imo i wouldnt buy generic product. i dont trust them. there couple of t28 around in the forum for sale for about the same price. check the F/S section.

[trogdor]

i have the same symptoms but at higher rpms too. im pretty sure it's my turbo inlet gasket because i can see that it's blown

[speed_racerx]

so... high pitch whistle like sound is bad? fu$#in A....

[Goldeneye9mm]

well i just had the gaskets replaced. and it's a chatter not a whistle. and i definatly have shaft play.

[Goldeneye9mm]

ok well all the kits i looked at don't include the dual ball bearings. or am i reading them wrong. like this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/COMPLETE-TURBO-REBUILD-KIT-GARRETT-T2-T25-T28-DSM_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33742QQihZ012QQitem Z220163786038QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

any more infor would help. i am a mechanic so i assume i could handle this. i just wanna make sure i do it right.

[Goldeneye9mm]

ok i'm re-opening this thread cause it's still making the noise and it's getting louder. ok it only happens when the car in FULLY warmed up and it sounds like sticking a pen in a plastic box fan only it changes consistant w/ the engine rpms. it WILL NOT make the noise sitting still. hence the fustration cause i cant reproduce it w/ the hood open in my garage or driveway. someone has had to had this problem before. i'm not asking for any miracles i just need to know what i should take apart first. any input is welcome. thanks

[serturbo]

What have you done to remedy the problem so far? Change turbo?

[Goldeneye9mm]

well i've checked the shaft for play and it has some but not a huge amount i noticed the other day the my test pipe gasket was leaking but thats not where i'm hearing the sound. i would love to replace the turbo but i'm so strapped right now i can hardly afford to keep food on the table. any gasket or parts donations are greatly appreciated :bow:

[S13Boosts]

ok well all the kits i looked at don't include the dual ball bearings. or am i reading them wrong. like this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/COMPLETE-TURBO-REBUILD-KIT-GARRETT-T2-T25-T28-DSM_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33742QQihZ012QQitem Z220163786038QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

any more infor would help. i am a mechanic so i assume i could handle this. i just wanna make sure i do it right.


first of all stop hyperlinking ebay links!:nono: & 2nd you can get a sr turbo way cheaper!!

[Goldeneye9mm]

well i have an s14 sr20 in an s14 so i need a ballbearing turbo. i don't want to down grade to a t25 or a wet bearing t28. but anyway, if you know where to get a t28 bb turbo cheaper than that please sen a lind or some info. thats the cheapest one i'vebeen able to find. thanks

[nicku]

I have a HKS GT2510 for sale. But you will have to either open up the wastegate since it was welded by the previous owner or you go with external wastegate setup.
I have seen people open up the welded wastegate, and you just have to flat the surface, thats it. the turbo is in a great condition. I can send you some pictures if you want. pm me

[GSXRJJordan]

If revving the car in neutral doesn't re-create the sound, then you probably do have a bad turbo (only makes the sound on spool up). Reading through originally it sounded like you had a leak somewhere, but any exhaust leak will be RPM-dependent in addition to being load-dependent; a turbo problem will show up much more promenantly when you're boosting.

Sounds like you've got to replace the turbo. Rebuild kits for BB turbos basically replace the whole turbo anyway (minus the housings, but who knows, your housings could be screwed too). Just lurk around till you can find another one for <$400.

So yeah, work on gettin that $400 in the mean time lol, or downgrade to a t25 for a bit.

[sr20detconv]

I just got my bb t28 rebuilt with new garrett components for 450$I think rebuilting it is still a good thing.350$ for a used one or 450$ for a brandnew one....

[burnsauto]

if you're strapped for cash, you can rebuild them yourself. i've done it...its not rocket science. just after you're done replacing the bushings in the center section..and you have the compressor wheel/turbine wheel/shaft back in place..send the complete center section out to get balanced.

you can take a scrawl, mark the positions on the wheel/locking nut, and just make sure they line up (ive done this..) but its better to get it balanced on a machine. turbo's spin at near super sonic speeds...lol

gpopshop.com <-thats a decent place to get rebuild kits. t25 and s14 t28's use the same dynamic seal rebuild kits. the kits come with two sizes of bearings, the t28's use the larger ones.

torque specs generally on the locking nut (on the compressor side) are ballparked (a snapped center shaft sucks, so dont overdo it.) general rule of thumb is to get the locking nut tight enough that it touches the compressor wheel, then after that tighten down 1/8th of a turn. it doesnt seem like much, but it holds it fine.


if you want...i have an OEM turbo rebuild kit i'd sell. just pm me if you're interested. (you cant get these kits in the US..)