Weird Turbo noise (with video)

[wannabe_drifter]

I just finished my sr20 swap and drove the car for an evening. At first it ran right, then started to make some noise as the turbo spooled up. The noise happens whenever I accelerate, slowly or WOT.

Turbo is "new" its actually a new cartridge put in custom housings by a turbo shop around here. Its a gt2860 cartridge and wheel, with an intake housing similar to that of a s15 turbo and the exhaust housing is pretty much the same a the gt2860.

I got a 0,03" restrictor at the turbo for the oil line and there is oil getting in the turbo. (verified today).

Here's the video, its in french but skip to around half of it and you'll hear the noise.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o308/two40/th_turbowhine.jpg (http://s123.photobucket.com/albums/o308/two40/?action=view&current=turbowhine.flv)

[steve shadows]

A GT2860 is basically just an S15 turbo.

Kind of a waste of money if you ask me. I would have just bought a Nissan OEM S15 turbo for 650 bucks and you would actually have a better turbo, or the same turbo basically

Are you sure that whiiiiiiiiiize noise is not your Clutch Fan?

I would check the turbo but it sounds like there may be some detonation in the video as well. You need to get a more retarded map into you ecu/ems immediately.

Pull the inlet off the turbo and spin the wheel. Also make sure the wheel is not hitting the walls of the compressor housing. Also look for oil in the inlet of the turbo. You shouldnt have any yet because it is so new.

Having GT Turbos re-worked is a very bad idea for the following reasons

- GT Turbos come from Garrett as CHRAs (bascially the turbo without the turbine or compressor housings) and cannot be rebuilt unless they are rebuilt with a brand new bearing pack from Garrett and at that point you would basically be buying a brand new turbo
- I have heard of shops that try to modify or adjust the Garrett GT turbos but it usually ends in failure or all they can play with is Custom housings especially because of the nature of the very precise clearances of the steel ball bearing center section

Just sounds like a loud clutch fan to me, but if it is not I would check for LARGE vacuum leaks in the intake system and also check the inlet of the turbo very carefully

[wannabe_drifter]

I got electric fans so not a fan clutch issue.

And for the detonation, I think that this was a noise from the inside of the car, not from the engine.

I removed the inlet today and checked if it hit the wall, I could not really feel it. It seemed normal, but then again I don't know if it would really be obvious if it hit the walls.
Also it kind of felt like there was already a bit more shaft play than it had at first, but no real way of knowing for sure.

And there was no oil whatsoever in the turbo.

What is really worrying me is the fact that the noise wasn't present at first then started later, and now seems to slowly grow louder.

I'm probably gonna get a boost leak test to verify if the piping is right, but at first sight every thing seemed good. Checked all couplers and vacuums today.

[S14_Kouki]

Sounds like turbo surge is your timing right??

[R33E8]

I don't know what a dying turbo sounds like but did you break in the turbo before driving around? I read this a few days ago..

TURBO BREAK-IN (http://www.boostplanet.com/new_page_2.htm)

Probably not the issue but it may be worth taking a look at.. I'm sure plenty of people have not done this with no problems at all.

[payne219]

my stock t25 made that sound for about a week. It sounded almost like a supercharger lol. I soon accepted the fact that my turbo was clapped out and that I was going to buy a new one so I decided to speed up the process by boosting the shit outta my car everywhere possible.

Ironically once I did that my turbo magically went back to normal...

[steve shadows]

...yep

I would be leaning towards you possibly using the wrong restrictor and the turbo being SOL...if that is indeed noise from the turbo. I heard that one other time and the turbo was totally SOL, the wheel had eaten into the walls of the compresor housing totally destroying it and thei "Wiiiiiz" noise was from the air basically whistling as it passed through the stalled compressor wheel which was no longer moving at all

Again I have never heard of a shop rebuilding a GT turbo. You just can't

The CHRA is sold as is from Garrett.

I would just buy a GT28R S15 turbo, the new ones should have the PROPER oil restrictor built into the turbo itself so there is no possible way to screw it up

[wannabe_drifter]

For the break-in, yeah I did just that.

I used a 0.03" restrictor which is supposed to be around whats needed for a 2860, what would you put on there ? But anyways I highly doubt a slight restrictor mistake would blow the turbo in about 2 hours of street driving.

[steve shadows]

The noise is very concerning though, you need to be absolutely certain that the compressor wheel is working well and the wheel has not hit the sides of the inside of the compressor housing, and that the wheel play is not more than 1/10th of an inch frnt to back or side to side

[S14_Kouki]

^ if the turbo wheel was stuck in place like you said then it would not make boost unlike OP is saying. Check your timing it sounds like your turbo is surging

[steve shadows]

^ if the turbo wheel was stuck in place like you said then it would not make boost unlike OP is saying. Check your timing it sounds like your turbo is surging


It's not about it being STUCK in place, it's about the wheel being messed up or the fins on the inducer being slightly off, which will cause a whistling effect which is not a typical characerized turbo noise per say

[wannabe_drifter]

So only way to make sure the wheel has not hit the walls would be to remove the intake and/or exhaust housings and check for damage...

I'll check that out !

[S14_Kouki]

^ yea sir I would check both sides of the turbo make sure the fins are good. Let us know what you find.

[AznDrftr.]

yep, mine did the same thing, come to find out, one of my fins were bent lol.