S15 Garrett Turbo rebuild question

[E_Jay_Twenty]

So i heard a tapping noise the past few days when the car was cold and it was building boost.
So today I'm driving and I hear the tapping in boost when the car is warmed up. I pulled off the greddy turbo inlet pipe to see my compressed wheel all chewed up. The housing also has small chips in it. I'm not sure if it's rebuildable as I remember hearing there were 2 diffirent types of turbos. Would it be a good idea to just get a new compressor wheel cause the turbo dosent have much shaft play and I don't burn any oil. Any suggestions on what to do?

[fliprayzin240sx]

Ball bearing turbos are not rebuildable...well not by mere mortals atleast. Garrett doesnt sell rebuilt kits for BB turbos, they just sell you a new CHRA.

[E_Jay_Twenty]

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee212/E_Jay_Twenty/90017741.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee212/E_Jay_Twenty/aa91eef3.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee212/E_Jay_Twenty/c183530b.jpg
Here's the pics!

[Edwin562]

something exploded in there. lol

[E_Jay_Twenty]

Idk what the hell it coulda been? Inlet hasn't been off and I've have the car for 1 week. Just started making the noise today

[crayzwhiteboy]

Check your intake for leaks or the inside of the filter for a broken metal piece. That happens when a small object gets sucked in since the turbo fins spin so fast it gets hit and pushed back but the air sucks it right back in. It's a ping pong effect till the object is small enough to slip through and get sent through your engine. Something got in through a hole or the inside of your filter broke and got sucked in. Maybe a bolt?

[jr_ss]

You've owned the car a week. There's a good chance the previous owner sold it to you like that. Buy a new turbo or a CHRA. I'd opt for a whole new turbo as I think the CHRAs themselves are close to a G.

[Karlitos]

Just wondering, what intake filter was on the car? Looks like it allowed debris to get in there and keep hitting the compressor till something else exploded.

[crayzwhiteboy]

If the shaft play isn't bad and your not burning there is no point spending money. The object fucked up the tip of the fins? That's it?
If your boosting fine and there are no problems ride out dont waste money to have something look pretty if you never see it anyway

[shiftdrift]

^^^^you're dumb. please never give advice again. apparently the wheel is torn up and it was weakened, so there is a chance it could break off more and send a piece into the engine. also, the blades are all fucked, so spool and performance is hurt also.

[E_Jay_Twenty]

My beat guess is the previous owner sold it to me that way. As he mentioned the previous car the motor was in had eBay parts in it. Now running a great intake and hard inlet pipe. Filter looks brand new. Also has a z32 air sensor with metal screens on either side. No way in hell I sucked anything up. Previous owner did. Back to driving the scoobaru for now. Tapping noise is an exhaust leak thats getting louder as I jt boat and nw loud at idle. I'm going to yank the turbo and replace some exhaust gaskets. F everything else looks good can I just buy a new compressor wheel? Looks like it pops right off

[crayzwhiteboy]

^^^^you're dumb. please never give advice again. apparently the wheel is torn up and it was weakened, so there is a chance it could break off more and send a piece into the engine. also, the blades are all fucked, so spool and performance is hurt also.

Its the back of the fins that do the work and provide spool and performance not the front. So your dumb.

And the compressor wheel isn't gonna fall off Lololol

Also nothing else is gonna break off cuz nothing did break in the first place (off the wheel) something got sucked in.

So performance same
Spool same
Boost same
Looks is the only thing different

If the integrity of the turbo is the same why waste money

[jr_ss]

Its the back of the fins that do the work and provide spool and performance not the front. So your dumb.

And the compressor wheel isn't gonna fall off Lololol

Also nothing else is gonna break off cuz nothing did break in the first place (off the wheel) something got sucked in.

So performance same
Spool same
Boost same
Looks is the only thing different

If the integrity of the turbo is the same why waste money

Spool is not going to be the same because the comp wheel dynamics have changed. Sure the turbine side plays a major role, but they work as a unit. The difference is going to be negligable and i highly doubt youd notice it. Either way, don't risk it. There's no reason to blow your motor if, by chance, a piece of the blade does come off.

No, you cannot just swap compressor wheels... They are not rebuildable. Buy a new CHRA or you'll be spending more down the road.

[shiftdrift]

Its the back of the fins that do the work and provide spool and performance not the front. So your dumb.

And the compressor wheel isn't gonna fall off Lololol

Also nothing else is gonna break off cuz nothing did break in the first place (off the wheel) something got sucked in.

So performance same
Spool same
Boost same
Looks is the only thing different

If the integrity of the turbo is the same why waste money
it's people like you that make me happy i don't take opinions from people who aren't reputable.

[crayzwhiteboy]

it's people like you that make me happy i don't take opinions from people who aren't reputable.

Then its a good thing your not the one getting my opinion the op is.
And your the one saying the wheel will come off Lololol get outta here with that nonsense.


Are you guys looking at the pictures? There is not that much damage done. Only scruffed up tips of the fins. Nothing is gonna break off. Nothing is gonna perform less.

Put the intake back on and update thread in 3 years saying nothing bad happened

[jr_ss]

Are you looking at the pictures? Those are not barely scraped, chipped, bent blades... They've chewed some shit up and it should be replaced. You may be comfortable running that, risking a catestrophic failure of it, but we aren't and possibly he isn't. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

[crayzwhiteboy]

Wow. What "catastrophic" failure could result?
Your right it chipped up something. That has already gone through and already done w.e. damage that's going to be done. There is no way the fucking wheel is gonna fall off cuz the tips arent sharp. Furthermore, there is no way the blades will break or fall off with less than a mm of a scruffed up tip.

Seriously you guys are making it seem like the op must get a new turbo or blow his motor.

The second set of fins aren't even touched....smh

You tell me Wtf catastrophe will occur? Nothing.

If it boosts and it doesn't have shaft play its a good working turbo there is no need for a new one or a new $1000 rebuild.

[4x4le]

fod. its bad. I would recomend washing out your piping, and rinsing out your intercooler in reverse flow. There is most likely shavings in there. Also look in your plenium, I found a set screw in my iacv once, it was from my tb, heavy things sometimes find their way down there and dont end up being sucked up. I know I would do some inspecting just for the piece of mind. 1 hour of work for piece of mind is worth it imo.


Its the back of the fins that do the work and provide spool and performance not the front. So your dumb.

And the compressor wheel isn't gonna fall off Lololol

Also nothing else is gonna break off cuz nothing did break in the first place (off the wheel) something got sucked in.

So performance same
Spool same
Boost same
Looks is the only thing different

If the integrity of the turbo is the same why waste money

You are high off your ass.
no way that thing has any balance anymore. Do you have any idea how fast 120000rpms is?

[jr_ss]

Apparently, they just slap turbos together and dont balance them in your eyes... That thing is FUBAR on the balance sheet. Sure, it may last alittle while, but it will be grenading itself, it's just a matter of time. If you think it's good, buy it from him and run it.

[Kingtal0n]

Wow, it looks like something went through that compressor. No you should not run it like that. Disconnect the wastegate to keep the compressor from spinning very fast- you do not want to take a chance of coming apart and doing more damage.

The primary goal now is damage control. I see metal flakes all over that inlet. You should remove the outlet pipe and inspect for metal debris, and clean as much of it as you can, and go along the intercooler plumbing as far as possible to remove as much as possible. Every tiny flake of metal posses a threat to your engine! Try to find a replacement turbocharger or at very least a new compressor- the problem is assembly can be tricky, those pieces are designed and balanced to a very fine point, it may be very difficult for an inexperienced owner to "reassemble" the compressor side of an S15 turbocharger, I do not know from personal experience so I cannot say for sure whats involved.

One thing I do know from experience however, that compressor nut is reverse thread, Turn clockwise to remove it.
Also, there is an S15 turbo for sale on ebay ^ ^

[crayzwhiteboy]

Apparently, they just slap turbos together and dont balance them in your eyes... That thing is FUBAR on the balance sheet. Sure, it may last alittle while, but it will be grenading itself, it's just a matter of time. If you think it's good, buy it from him and run it.

Exactly. First It's only the primary fins and not the secondary so its not a severe balance issue

What would happen on this turbo is balance would downgrade integrity of bearings till the turbo starts to smoke or create shaft play.

There is no grenade effect. That's suggesting something will go bad really quick without warning and ruin itself or more. The fucking wheel isn't coming off because the fins are like that...not gonna happen


All of you saying its fucked and telling the op to spend +/- $1000, tell him Wtf this catastrophic event is gonna be?


It's got plenty of life left and until it smokes he shouldn't worry at all

[4x4le]

you guys are smoking something. Anybody that thinks this thing is good to run needs to offer the guy $300 for it (which would be a great deal for a s15 turbo if its in good condition) and do what you want with it.

I know that post count is childish to poke at, and it isnt really like mine is up there anyways but the guys saying keep running it have very few. Im sure searching your guys posts would show how little you actually know.
Do you know how little material actually comes off a turbo when they balance one? Do you know how little weight it takes to get massive vibration at the speed turbos run? Do you realize that even though its the inducer, the further away it is from the bearing the more pronounced the vibration and the forces it has on the bearings? (think of a wrench with a short handle vs long handle).
If the inducer was of such little importance why would garret have even put it there?

Zilvia is slowly becoming a place for bad advice. What attracted me to this place originally was because of how smart the general populas was and now I face palm at some of the ignorance I see on a daily basis.

[cotbu]

use Garrett's chra program, bada bing new gt28r for about $300 <---- est.

[crayzwhiteboy]

Answer me this. What would happen if he keeps running this turbo.

First smoke. Second shaft play. And who knows how long before that starts it could be good for over 2 years depending.

Nothing is going to grenade.

Prove me wrong by stating what could happen

[4x4le]

imbalance can cause contact between the compressor housing and compressor. metal shavings can enter the engine. That sounds great huh?

How about this, people build these cars to go fast, not to have a pile of junk and estimate how long it will last if they continue using a damaged part.

Heck when I had broken ringlands in my first sr it probably would have lasted a long time, all I would have had to do was deal with the smoke and keep filling it with oil and dumping the catch can, heck I could have dumpped the catch can back into the engine, I was running a oil filter right?

[jr_ss]

Thank 4x4le for coming in here. I wish there weren't tons of ignorant kids on here, unfortunately that's not the case. Sure post count doesn't mean a damn thing to me
, especially with this kids retarded claim that it's ok to run this turbo. However, registered time plays a huge deciding factor of how "experienced" I think some one "may" be.

Bottom line, this turbo is not ok to run. It can grenade by hitting the compressor housing. Btw, shaft play has nothing to do with smoke or blowing oil. You can have bad seals and have no shaft play or vice versa.

[codyace]

Now now, before we jump down the throat of crazywhiteboy, I think everyone should step back and look at this situation from a broader perspective.

I'm not disagreeing with 4x4le, or jr_ss, or the others who say that the turbo would be better off being replaced (as it's obvious that turbo ate something decently sized); Certainly there is no doubt that replacing the turbo would would eliminate any chance for doing the job twice, or turbo failure. What I am saying however, is that I also agree wit what crazywhiteboy is trying to say

If the turbo spools fine or close to what it should, makes boost ok, doesn't make noise, and doesn't smoke...then *why* change it? From my first hand experience, I've seen plenty of truck turbos (normally dump truck/site truck) related that have looked equal if not worse to that...that have operated fine, and never given the operators any lick of trouble...in fact impeller damage is often spotted by accident.

In regard to the possible turbo failure and disaster happening...sure you could loose a wheel, or have it make contact with the housing...but truthfully speaking, any bit of aluminum that makes its way through the pipes, and through the intercooler, and into the engine...isn't going to cause ANY harm that would result in engine failure or anything of the sort. Any compressor shavings would instantly burn as soon as the intake charge lit in the cylinder, and it would essentially vaporize/blow out the exhaust anyway. That turbo wheel won't be grinding the housing to death either if the bearing fails...the wheel will eventually 'stall out' through contact to the housing and not do anything.

So before we all resort to the 'you're an idiot, that turbo is trash' I think everyone should sit back and recognize the point he's trying to make. I'll be honest, if the car was a stockish/run of the mill car that had no issues...I too would leave it go. If it was my car/powerful/track oriented...I'd change it for no other reason than for my sake of mind. There is a significant difference between hacking something, and recognizing that 'kludging it' isn't going to get any worse or cause any more damage.

[4x4le]

I find it hard to believe the exducer made it out unscaved though. We havent any pictures of it with the housing off.

sent from my rooted thunderbolt

[E_Jay_Twenty]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I expected to get ripped apart cause I'm new to the sr20. If anyone has Subaru questions feel free to pm me lol. use Garrett's chra program, bada bing new gt28r for about $300 <---- est.

So just call up Garrett and ask them about the program?

[4x4le]

Try these guys ATP TURBO - The Premiere Provider of Turbocharging Components (http://www.atpturbo.com/)
I believe z1 has it advertised on 2871r's too so they should be able to for your turbo, or you could try garrett too, I dont know if they deal directly with customers but Im sure they can point you in the right direction. I have a feeling atp might have what you need though and they are the most helpfull people you will ever talk to about turbos.

[E_Jay_Twenty]

Try these guys ATP TURBO - The Premiere Provider of Turbocharging Components (http://www.atpturbo.com/)
I believe z1 has it advertised on 2871r's too so they should be able to for your turbo, or you could try garrett too, I dont know if they deal directly with customers but Im sure they can point you in the right direction. I have a feeling atp might have what you need though and they are the most helpfull people you will ever talk to about turbos.

Awesome! Thanks I'll call them sometime this week. I have a friend who was a Garrett authorized dealer, not sure if he is anymore. But I'll talk to some people and figure my options out. I will just crank the boost down for now and try to find some winter tires for my subaru so I can tear the turbo out

[crayzwhiteboy]

I also agree wit what crazywhiteboy is trying to say

isn't going to cause ANY harm that would result in engine

thanks. I came to this site from another forum and its sad to find out I shouldn't say anything because I don't have a high post count.

And I was assuming zilvia was mature but i think I got called high off my ass like 5 times.

And to those that call me stupid... It's crazy look at my name.




To the op. I have had a turbo with messed up fins like yours maybe mine was a little worse but barely. I just cleaned out the little specs and continued on for about 8 months when I decided to upgrade. It stayed the same. No more shaft play. Perfect bearings. And i also have had a turbo t25 that had a broken fin and I didn't know till i upgraded to tge t28.

So I've ran two bad turbos and they both spooled perfect. And I daily drove them about 800 miles a week.

Sad to think this forum doesn't take posts from people that just signed up because if they are new they must be high

[4-20sx]

well yea this forum is full of.....no comment...

people come here for advice and help not to be bashed on...lol

[codyace]

I find it hard to believe the exducer made it out unscaved though. We havent any pictures of it with the housing off.

sent from my rooted thunderbolt

Oh without a doubt I too would suggest on tearing it down and inspecting it, but just speaking from experience, usually that turbo is spinning so damn fast that stuff tends to bounce off the fin edges and never make it too far in. And while truck turbo's are built much stronger/durably than the automotive counterparts (IMO), I still don't see pictured damage (assuming all else is well) causing much if any issue.

Try these guys ATP TURBO - The Premiere Provider of Turbocharging Components (http://www.atpturbo.com/)

ATP is a great company to work with from my experience. Quick shipping, quality stuff.

[codyace]

Sad to think this forum doesn't take posts from people that just signed up because if they are new they must be high

To the 'forum's' defense, the number of 'non morons' with newish sign on dates or low post counts is probably less than 1%...and with so much recent crazyness on here, it's hard to not assume new guys are 'guilty until proven guilty' ya know? And let it be known that this feeling isn't just here...it's at most if not all forums.

Either way, I think you gave solid advice...while it wasn't the normal answer it was sound IMO.

[inopsey]

when i replaced my chra i went with these guys Turbos Direct LLC – Authorized Garrett Distributor (http://www.turbosdirect.com/) because they were over $150 cheaper than atp for the same service.
Awesome! Thanks I'll call them sometime this week. I have a friend who was a Garrett authorized dealer, not sure if he is anymore. But I'll talk to some people and figure my options out. I will just crank the boost down for now and try to find some winter tires for my subaru so I can tear the turbo out

[evo9ben]

you can file down the fins so they are a little smoother and continue to run it. Even if the intake wheel broke it would get stuck in the intercooler.

[E_Jay_Twenty]

those "FLAKES" arent really flakes. Like I said im 99.9 % sure the previous owner had this happen on him. They are chips in the housing. Whatever he sucked in really bounced around for quite a while. My plan is to remove the turbo soon and inspect everything. I need to replace the exhaust manifold gasket anyway, I still hear a small leak coming from it. The only part that sucks is all the bolts/studs on the turbo and any exhaust pipe are spot welded on..otherwise It would have been off this past saturday

[ShadowMan]

They welded the bolts to the flanges? That sucks since they are already a pain in the ass. Good luck, hope it all works out.

[crayzwhiteboy]

It's common to find that since the turbo tends to vibrate and break loose the nuts. Thus creating a exhaust leak between the turbo and manifold. Nissan tended to this issue on the z making turbo locking plates which are only like 10 bucks but if your not specialized in them you wouldn't know so the common thing to do is put a nut on and spot weld it a little the the stud so it doesn't vibrate and back off.
It's a mechanics trick and is a bitch to work with after. Most likely you'll need new studs so buy them first before you take it off and wont be able to put it back on

[jr_ss]

The Sr came with the same tab style locking plates. The reason most don't have them is because they break and are too cheap to buy new ones and do it the right way. That's where the "mechanics" trick comes in. As far as the downpipe nuts, they should be replaced after a few uses because the "crimp" that comes on them wears down or away and no longer "locks" on the threads.

[codyace]

The Sr came with the same tab style locking plates. The reason most don't have them is because they break and are too cheap to buy new ones and do it the right way. That's where the "mechanics" trick comes in. As far as the downpipe nuts, they should be replaced after a few uses because the "crimp" that comes on them wears down or away and no longer "locks" on the threads.

Beat me to the punch :D All Nissan turbo's have the locking plates, but as stated they end up breaking or rusting eventually.

In regard to the downpipe nuts and using the deformed thread, you would need to check their heat tolerance, as most deformed threads will loose their locking ability under intense heat unless you get the good ones. I learned my lesson with that :D