Did a boost leak test, now I'm not making any boost

[WMDC35]

Sometimes you need to spend a little bit more now to save in the long run, another second hand stock turbo will go to custard.

[CEF33Y]

In reply to the original question, have you checked nothing blew off when you did the pressure test, that would cause it to not make boost? I.e any hose connected to the cooler pipes/intake manifold?

[Custard]

6 hours ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

$330?

come on, cooling pro $186 delivered, gpi ones even less. 

nothing half arsed with a high flow with stock ecu at less than stock boost.

up to you, but you seem like a stubborn person so not sure why you're even asking for advice. 

put it another stock turbo so it blows up again, waste of time and money

My currently kit is a return flow and the cooling pro cooler to replace mine is $330. I can't buy any different one because my piping wouldn't work. 

There's nothing half arsed about that particular setup, but when I upgrade I will be going with a bigger and better turbo, doing everything properly and doing it all at once. I'm not going to blow 900+ dollars (that I can't bloody afford in the first place) on an upgrade that isn't what I want. If you think I'm stubborn because of that I don't know what to say to you.

The turbo I had didn't just randomly blow up, something happened when I boost tested it. I have no reason to think the next standard turbo will just blow up, and since I can't afford to do anything else, I will be replacing it with a standard turbo. Yep, it's a riskier decision than getting a brand new high flow, but being poor means I have no choice.

I opened the thread to get some opinions on what could have caused the broken turbo in the first place, not for people to tell me I'm stubborn because I'm not upgrading my car at their whim. 

[Custard]

5 hours ago, WMDC35 said:

Sometimes you need to spend a little bit more now to save in the long run, another second hand stock turbo will go to custard.

Yep, this is true. Would if I could. Being poor is expensive. Standard turbo should last me at least until I can save up for a better setup though, my last one was fine until I leak tested it haha.

1 hour ago, CEF33Y said:

In reply to the original question, have you checked nothing blew off when you did the pressure test, that would cause it to not make boost? I.e any hose connected to the cooler pipes/intake manifold?

I don't think so, I checked over everything before I pulled it all out. I only put 5 PSI into the system anyway which is less than I ran daily. 

[admS15]

your broken turbo is most probably a result of a foreign object hitting the comp wheel. I guess you've learnt the hard way, how not to do a boost leak test. You live and you learn.

[Custard]

1 hour ago, admS15 said:

your broken turbo is most probably a result of a foreign object hitting the comp wheel. I guess you've learnt the hard way, how not to do a boost leak test. You live and you learn.

Yeah, that's the leading theory. I mostly just wanted to know if it was even possible for the wheel to have been damaged the whole time, as I did not think what I did to boost leak test it could have caused it to happen. Won't be doing it like that again, haha. Even though virtually every guide I found online said to do it like that...

[CEF33Y]

I still think there is something else going on. If the turbo still spins freely those chips wont stop it from making boost, might grenade it from being out of balance, but I'd expect it to still make some boost, not zero, like you've said.

 

Actually, just re-read first post, you said you installed a adjustable actuator, are you sure the wastegate flap is 100% closed, with about 5mm preload on the actuator?

If this is adjusted too long (holding the flap open) you will be making zero boost.

[Custard]

5 hours ago, CEF33Y said:

I still think there is something else going on. If the turbo still spins freely those chips wont stop it from making boost, might grenade it from being out of balance, but I'd expect it to still make some boost, not zero, like you've said.

 

Actually, just re-read first post, you said you installed a adjustable actuator, are you sure the wastegate flap is 100% closed, with about 5mm preload on the actuator?

If this is adjusted too long (holding the flap open) you will be making zero boost.

Now this is what I would have thought, but nobody has said anything like this until now so I figured the chipped fins must have prevented it from making boost. 

But yes, the wastegate flap was definitely closed, and I had applied a few mm of preload to the arm. I had the actuator setup previously with a harder spring and no issues with it. 

[Custard]

Okay, I have a bit of a theory. When I did my boost leak test I had also installed the softest spring in my adjustable actuator, supposed to be a 5 PSI spring. I had noticed that it was substantially easier to manually pull the rod out of the actuator against the spring than it was on the standard 5 PSI actuator. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but could it maybe be possible that being so soft the pressure from inside the turbo actually just pushed the wastegate open itself? 

I put the adjustable actuator back on the turbo and tried pushing the wastegate open from the inside and it was quite easy - a lot harder with the standard actuator.

I really should have put the standard actuator in before ripping my turbo out...

 

Edited December 7, 2016 by Custard

[admS15]

Yep you should of but the turbo is cactus anyway and would of soon vibrated itself to turbo heaven or hell depending how you want to look at it.

[Custard]

Just now, admS15 said:

Yep you should of but the turbo is cactus anyway and would of soon vibrated itself to turbo heaven or hell depending how you want to look at it.

Well my initial thought was that my turbo may have been like that the whole time, and considering I haven't found any trace of turbo debris I'm kinda inclined to believe that is the case, and that somehow it's just worked this whole time anyway. 

[CEF33Y]

Yeah, I reckon at least change the actuator, should be able to do it with the turbo on the car.

 

And also, I've seen quite a few turbo's with fins chipped like yours, and they are still working. Quite possible the damage was there before.

But given the potential consequences of a turbo flying apart, probably worth thinking about changing it.

[89CAL]

Remember it will be spinning at min 30,000rpm. It doesnt take much weight for balancing to be an issue at that speed

[Custard]

12 hours ago, CEF33Y said:

Yeah, I reckon at least change the actuator, should be able to do it with the turbo on the car.

 

And also, I've seen quite a few turbo's with fins chipped like yours, and they are still working. Quite possible the damage was there before.

But given the potential consequences of a turbo flying apart, probably worth thinking about changing it.

Yeah, actuator is easy to change, just gotta pop the turbo heat shield off. I will test both the standard actuator and the adjustable to see if it makes a difference. 

Interesting to hear, given that I reckon it's been like this for the whole time. Hasn't had any issues really, it's even seen a couple track days. I've paid for a new turbo already, might see if anyone wants the chipped one for a few bucks haha