No boost...The title says it all

To think - all I wanted to do 3 weeks ago was go for a nice Saturday drive with the T-tops out.
 
I would do a complete smoke test and are you sure your exhaust is flowing in the right direction?
 
I would do a complete smoke test and are you sure your exhaust is flowing in the right direction?

Dood - that is not helping. :mad:
I have run a complete smoke test.
I went through two packs this weekend fighting this.

But now Bison has me freaked out.
I always check my oil - so I know I have never run low.
True enough - I don't run a oil pressure gauge - but - don't laugh - have also never seen the idiot light come on.

Sooooo
How would I have run the center section dry?
I probably need to run the test on the feed line first - then maybe take it off and clean and blow it out.
It never stops.
 
Before I stuck my "new" stocker back in, I pulled the ECM power and cranked the motor over for a few seconds to see if oil would come outta the feed line. It took about 6 seconds for oil to come out of it, and I installed a turbo saver at the same time. I was amazed at how much flow the oil pump had to have produced in order to get that much oil through all those hoses, and do it that quickly. And also with a fresh oil change, and the car having not been run for three months.

Just disconnect the ECM power and crank her over a few seconds with the feed line in a bottle. If you get no oil in the bottle, you MAY have flow issues.


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turbo
Before I stuck my "new" stocker back in, I pulled the ECM power and cranked the motor over for a few seconds to see if oil would come outta the feed line. It took about 6 seconds for oil to come out of it, and I installed a turbo saver at the same time. I was amazed at how much flow the oil pump had to have produced in order to get that much oil through all those hoses, and do it that quickly. And also with a fresh oil change, and the car having not been run for three months.

Just disconnect the ECM power and crank her over a few seconds with the feed line in a bottle. If you get no oil in the bottle, you MAY have flow issues.


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Yeah - I suppose a turbo saver and an oil pressure gauge is high on the "new" list.

I was telling TurboClam - this is the reason a lot of people bail out of these cars.
It's always something - and another something.. Never seems to end.
And I don't want a strip monster.
Just a nice cruiser.

It does get tiring.
I always stick up for the LC2 - but tonight - a SBC sounds pretty good right about now.
 
ive been trying to kill an n/a to turbo converted buick v6 for 4 years i cant even kill the chinese turbo its even had a peice of piston crown go through the turbine from the car it was on before this one.i think its just luck LOL
 
Yes I'd call that seized. It's hard to say why especially without seeing the internal components


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** UPDATE **

Following up on Bison's suggestion or ominous warning

My turbo center section oil feed test

I find no problems

Hmmmm......so why is it seizing up?
I know - Sometimes the answer is - "because it is"

Trash perhaps?
Cue the Turbo Saver theme song. :D


 

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Yes I'd call that seized. It's hard to say why especially without seeing the internal components


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

Be prepared to receive one turbo for your further review.
Can you please confirm for me the process?
 
You've got some sort of 'recurring static friction' thing going on. It would be best to stop playing with it and get that component off the car. If there's any thing on that turbo that's getting ready to fail and send out debris, you don't want that!

I do with I could get inside of that thing and see what's causing the seize. In the grand scheme of things, a turbo is nothing but a shaft and two floating bearings. What I find odd is that you can overcome the static friction with your fingertips but the engine can't crack it loose under full honk.....

UNLESS, it can crack it loose BUT the bushings completely lock it down from the extra EGTs. I almost wonder if you had a hiccup with oil pressure in the past that fatalaly wounded the floating bushings and/or shaft. Then some time later the wound manifested itself into the failure you're seeing now.

(oh yeah, in the future, if you need to run the engine with the turbo out of the loop, pop the up-pipe off the intercooler and tape the MAF to it.)
 
You've got some sort of 'recurring static friction' thing going on. It would be best to stop playing with it and get that component off the car. If there's any thing on that turbo that's getting ready to fail and send out debris, you don't want that!

I do with I could get inside of that thing and see what's causing the seize. In the grand scheme of things, a turbo is nothing but a shaft and two floating bearings. What I find odd is that you can overcome the static friction with your fingertips but the engine can't crack it loose under full honk.....

UNLESS, it can crack it loose BUT the bushings completely lock it down from the extra EGTs. I almost wonder if you had a hiccup with oil pressure in the past that fatalaly wounded the floating bushings and/or shaft. Then some time later the wound manifested itself into the failure you're seeing now.

(oh yeah, in the future, if you need to run the engine with the turbo out of the loop, pop the up-pipe off the intercooler and tape the MAF to it.)

I know.
Strange - but true.

It will be interesting to get a final failure report on what is found inside this turbo.

I'm done with it for now.
There is no more running or trying anything.
End game has been reached.
I'm in the process of taking it off - and sending it off for repair.
Looking for a temporary turbo to be able to enjoy this fall weather.

Stay tuned.
I'll keep you advised.
 
bison might be interested in your stock turbo too. It might be a good way to save some cheeze on your repair.

Or send it to Kirbins and get the free H4 headlight kit. I got mine in the mail last week and it's pretty sweet. I'm going to make the wiring harness a little more better but I'm happy with the trade :)
 
** UPDATE **

Long story short - as you know by now - after checking EVERYTHING - I decided I had a turbo problem.
So - today - removed my TA49 for preparation to sending it off for rehab.

Once I got it off - let's do a shake test and see if we hear anything.
Well, well, well.

Low and behold - Look what fell out of the turbine side.

What the he$%^ is this?
(Picture)

I suspect it is from the turbo itself - and -
I think it is moot - since I have oil in the compressor side.
It wasn't noticeable before but it surely is now with the turbo off.
(See pictures)

Which means I get to clean out the intercooler now as well.
 

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Doesn't look like a turbocharger part.


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Is that a PCV grommet?


Since it was on the exhaust side it would have had to get dropped in there during packaging or been something that was laying in the header/crossover when doing the turbo swap??? It looks to be to have went through the engine and came out.

Now that you found the source of the static friction does the turbo blades look good enough to put back in service and see if the boost is back?
 
** UPDATE **

Thanks to all that have replied and posted.

Bison - thanks that in you opinion - it is not from the turbo.

I have this same thread going in the Turbo forum.
Specific to this washer.
If you're interested in more details - you can look there at something titled - 'What the he#$%^"

Anyway - let me clear things up a bit as best I can.

Clam - Material is metal; its a washer
Earl - not a PCV grommet; Metal washer ; see the other post for dimensions and such

Earl - yes - someone, not me; did the TA49 swap.
I would never knowingly drop a washer in an open pipe and hope for the best.
But also recall that last year my buddy changed my DS header gasket.
The DS headers use studs and lots of washers for various brackets n such.
Keyword - washers.
That's when that little piece of used metal header gasket also got sucked in and made its way over to my turbo and jammed it up.
I really believe this is related to that.

The turbo is free n easy.
Although; remember, it was before - right until it wasn't
We are going to see tomorrow.

Earl - I examined the entire turbine section, even behind the blades.
Used a high power lamp and inspection scope.
And while it wasn't under an electron microscope - believe it or not - it actually looks fine.
Amazing with a steel washer banging around in there.
To my untrained eye.

Earl - yeah I tend to agree - its a steel washer - and it is bashed pretty good, enough to bend it at almost a 90. - and yes - it might have gone through the engine, but then again, I'm not going to get all freaked out about something I don't know to be true.

Where this thing came from is probably going to remain a mystery.

Earl - you got it right.
I'm going to bolt that B back on tomorrow, and see if it boosts.
If it does, I'm going to wax my car and actually drive it - for once.
Carefully of course.

If it does boost, I'm going to relax for a second.

Now - I probably find need to find some time in the near future - and do a compression test to see if I have any bent or sticking valves from a washer running thru my engine!
Do I need to clean the oil from my IC? - probably anyway.
It's time.
But I'd like to see if my car can run for a minute -not that I can't live without it - but it would be nice.
If I simply send this TA49 turbo to Bison, and take the IC off to clean it - I'm down for another couple weeks.
Which just plain stinks.
So.... I think I will give it a whirl and see if I can put it back together tomorrow.
Just for old times sake.
But I'm not going to freak out and pull engines and inspect pistons right at the moment.

And - as the other thread shows - I do have some oil in my compressor side housing.
I worry about that a little.
Although, to me - it seemed to become more obvious when I shook the turbo upside down, left sie, sideways, every way. When I heard the "clanging" of something mysterious in there.
But the IC coupler hose isn't ovely drenched, and to my finger, the inlet of the IC is not super greasy / oily.
We will see tomorrow - if it smokes - it's TA49 turbo right back off.
If no smoke - I'm going to breathe for a second.

I still think Bison needs to get my TA49 for a good exam and rebuild - just to be safe - and make sure no damage has occurred.

I'm currently looking for a decent deal on either a TA49 or a TE44 to use while I send my WE4's TA49 to Bison.
Had an offer on an ATR Stage 3 unit, but not sure about the condition (very black / sooty exhaust housing and turbine) and not sure if I want to spend $300 on that turbo as my spare.
My preference is to find a decent TA49 or TE44 for a good, second turbo.

I think that's the jist of things.
For now.

But how weird is that? -Finding a washer in the turbo - after all that I went thru hunting.

And to all those that thought for sure I had boost, but just didn't know it.
I'm proud of the ole gal - she still had guts even without a functional turbo.
It wasn't a monster - but still strong.
 
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