What happened? (Turbo failure.)

[Sabot15]

I have a stocker WE-4 that's been moth-balled for the better part of 15 years. It gets to come out a few times a year, and I usually give it a once over before I take it out.

Last weekened, I took her for a short cruise and spooled it up a bit. It seemed ok, but as it was spooling down, I heard what sounded like fan blades hitting something. Afterwards, I could not get any boost.

I took the intake and exhaust side off, and I'm guessing the bearing is shot. The center pin has just enough play for the blades to barely touch the housing. There's no obvious damage to the blades, but I can't imagine that any lateral movement is normal.

I guess I'm buying a new turbo, but I want to know why this one failed so that I don't do it again. I'm concerned that it may have been an oiling problem. For the heck of it, I took the oil line off the top, fed it to a cup, and turned over the engine for 10 seconds. (I disconnected the ECM so it wouldn't start.) Nothing came out. I was under the impression that I would see oil.

How exactly does the oil get pumped into the turbo? Is there a chance that I have a problem with oil pressure in the engine? I don't have a gauge, but one is on the way.

 

[Slow91z]

If you don't have oil pressure I don't think you would have made it home...take off the oil feel line and spray carb cleaner through it to see if it's clogged and clean it out.

 

[SHADOWII]

I took the intake and exhaust side off, and I'm guessing the bearing is shot. The center pin has just enough play for the blades to barely touch the housing. There's no obvious damage to the blades, but I can't imagine that any lateral movement is normal.

Were there any rub marks on the housings from the blades actually hitting them? Do the blades free-spin or are they difficult to turn?
Oil should be present upon start up/cranking. Did you check the wastegate hose for dry-rot or split? Along shot would be the d/s header for a split between cylinders 3 & 5.

 

[coach]

Replace the feed line. Don't bother cleaning it. I lost my Te62 the same way. The sitting is very hard on cars. Mine had 14k on it when I got it. The more I drove it...the more little things I had issues with.
The feed line will get dried oil residue in it and it only takes the smallest particle to plug a turbo passage. I bent my own out if 1/4 stainless and installed a small filter with a built in magnet before the turbo. My own little "turbo saver".
Haven't had an issue since.

 

[Sabot15]

Thanks for the advice. I can't really tell if the blade hit or not... its really looks really close, and there appears to be a cleaner spot, as though it might have touched. I don't see any gouges. It spins freely, but has a decent amount of x/y movement. I don't feel any movement in the Z-direction

The vacuum hose going to the waste gate actuator is a good call though. I did notice a split on it, and I will be replacing it. I guess I should try that before I buy another turbo... I just don't want to send blade pieces through my engine if it fails. I'm still weary about the fact that no oil came out of the tube when I cranked the engine.... that and the weird fan blade sound I heard for the first time was concerning. I think I'll disconnect the other end of the oil line and see if it's clogged.

Let me post a video to see if you think this amount of play is normal:

 

[Slow91z]

Nope don't start the car you can only make it worse.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

Its time to buy another turbo.
Dude that turbo is DONE/ NO GOOD.

 

[jpratt]

That is the worst I have ever seen a turbo wobble that was not completely destroyed.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

That is the worst I have ever seen a turbo wobble that was not completely destroyed.

Me either!
The turbo is JUNK...The lack of oil could well be the reason. Put a new turbo on it, and CHANGE the feed line.

 

[bison]

Before starting again prime engine and observe oil flow through the oil feed line.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

Before starting again prime engine and observe oil flow through the oil feed line.

plus 1
Was the engine primed prior to start up since it sits for long extended periods of time?

BTW my turbo old turbo was just like that or slightly worst.

 

[Sabot15]

Heh... well, thank you for confirming what I thought anyway.

I always primed the turbo when I changed the oil, but I honestly never considered priming it after it had been sitting. This makes a lot of sense actually. Lol, they need to make a rubber bulb to put on the oil line, sort of like they use to prime a lawnmower with gasoline!

Thanks again for the tips. I've been thinking about upgrading a few things recently, so this is a good excuse to get started.

 

[haywire4130]

That is the worst I have ever seen a turbo wobble that was not completely destroyed.

holy crap!!!! video is worth a thousand words! make sure you rinse out your intercooler real good in case any shavings got in there.

 

[dvernst]

Whenever my car sits for more than a couple days I always pull the fuse out from the hotwire kit, then crank it over until I have oil pressure. I always thought it was overkill, bit maybe it's not.