I Think My Turbo Has Died?

[Turbz RB-25]

Hi Fellas,

On my way home from work I gave my car a little squirt... and it ran fine...

I gave my car another squirt and the turbo didn't sound nearly as loud, the turbo was making a very different pitch and smoke was coming from around the turbo housing when I opened the bonnet.

The turbo still makes full boost, but the car isn't making the power it used to, and the turbo sound COMPLETELY different.

Not sure what it could be? I check all the pipes and stuff that was all fine....

If my turbo was blown it wouldn't be making boost?

Also, not when I hit it the car backfires sometimes under full load...

Has anyone ever experienced such symptoms, or has any idea what it might be?

Thanks.

[DVS JEZ]

any unusual smoke from the exhaust.

have you pulled off the turbo inlet to check the turbine, see if it spins freely etc.

does the engine tick when you rev it with the bonnet up?

might just be a blown turbo >manifold gasket

[Moodles2]

If it's a stock turbo, its possible part of the ceramic exhaust wheel has chipped throwing off the balance of the wheel. If the turbo was completely blown, it would revert to being N/A, and you will definitely know powerwise (low compression N/A RB anyone?)

Check the cat hasn't melted/blocked up, and check for snapped studs on the manifold and turbo

[ryan101]

leak in cooler or cooler piping, i had a leak in one of my joiners and it made the same boost, just felt like something was wrong

[Turbz RB-25]

Its an RB25/30 with a GT35r.

It's not the cat because I am running a straight pipe.

There has been no smoke from the exhaust at all, which makes it even more unusual....

When driving off boost and idling, the car sounds fine, it's only when it's under full load it start playing up....

Ill bull off the intake pipe when the car cools down to see if the wheel spins freely.

Thanks for your suggestions but, keep them coming!

[Turbz RB-25]

leak in cooler or cooler piping, i had a leak in one of my joiners and it made the same boost, just felt like something was wrong

Could be the cooler piping, but then again, there was some outrageous smell coming from the turbo housing with smoke?

[ryan101]

good luck, lets us know if u find anything

[Harey]

there was some outrageous smell coming from the turbo housing with smoke?

Coming out which side of the turbo housing? manifold side or dump pipe side?

[Turbz RB-25]

good new fellas, found the problem..

The catch can was full, pushing oil into the turbo...

Potential bad news: Could the oil now sit in the turbo? Or will it evapourate from the heat?

[lachlanw]

i would hardly call that good news

[Turbz RB-25]

i would hardly call that good news

Better than my turbo being blown, no?

[hypergear]

Better than my turbo being blown, no?

lol how many liters of oil does your catch can hold?

[Turbz RB-25]

lol how many liters of oil does your catch can hold?

Probably about 600ml, if even that....

[Harey]

Take it straight down to your performance place.

[lachlanw]

well you have serious problem to fill it up .

[DVS JEZ]

meh... just empty it and see how quickly it refills. then you can start worrying if its full pretty quickly

[Turbz RB-25]

meh... just empty it and see how quickly it refills. then you can start worrying if its full pretty quickly

What's the "standard" if you'd like for how fast it should fill up?

I drive me car everyday to work, and quite a bit on the weekends, and I do push it quite a bit (that's what it is made for?)

Would it be bad, lets say, over 2 months for 600ml to fill up in the can?

Keep in mind its a performance vehicle running high pressure (RB25/30 with GT35R running at 23PSI)

[MBS206]

600ml, driven on regular spirited drives (Like each weekend taken for a 20min to 1 hour thrash, I wouldn't worry if it filled that in 2 to 3 months.

[PM-R33]

That sounds like a decent amount of oil to fill a damn 600ml catch can in 8 weeks of driving on the street....

My car gets maybe 1mm of oil in the bottom of the catch can every time I service it which is around 6 months no matter how hard I drive it including mountain runs sitting at high RPM for 8 minutes up and down.

Curious to see what other people say

Edited July 29, 2010 by PM-R33

[DVS JEZ]

Some engines breath heavier then others. Especially at 23 psi with a 35r.

Not worth worrying about it.

Could put a drain back to the sump from the catch can.

Have u done any oil control mods when u built the motor?

One of the main issues with a bit of blow by is the fuel vapour breaking down the oil which then doesnt lubricate as it should.

So try not to miss an oil change or maybe even change it more frequently.

Obviously ur running forged pistons which when cold are even worse at sealing in compression. So let it warm up to operating temp, not just water temp but oil aswell, before u boost it at all.