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Home > Help Needed / General Tech Chat > turbo stuck - healed with magic touch

fortfun

141 Posts
Member #: 954
Advanced Member

Fort Collins Colorado USA

3rd Nov, 2008 at 09:24:13pm

I had an exhaust leak upstream of the rear-mount turbo. Got it patched this morning. When leaving the shop noticed no boost - in fact was always running in vacuum even at WOT. Back to the shop. I thought it was acting like the turbo was seized, so we pulled the intake pipe off. When I touched the wheel, it felt like it stuck a bit, but then it turned easily once it broke loose. Everything back together and boost has returned. No smoking, no noises from the turbo. Weird. Seems to spool OK.

I would have thought if anything went wrong with the bearings such that it would not turn, that they would be obviously damaged after. In addition, I can't see how the work on the exhaust pipe way upstream of the turbo could have caused the mini seizure. Could the use of an arc welder done something?

New bad thought: Maybe some swarf/debris from the pipe repair wound up in the pipe and jammed the wheel. When I fiddled with the wheel the stuff came unwedged and passed through without further incident. This makes sense given the sequence of events. I'll count myself lucky that the turbo appears to be OK.

1275 with Back Door Turbo

fortfun

141 Posts
Member #: 954
Advanced Member

Fort Collins Colorado USA

3rd Nov, 2008 at 09:31:04pm

PS - If a vane was damaged, would I know it or might it take awhile to manifest itself as an obvious symptom?
The no-boost condition was there as soon as I pulled onto the road, so I'm hoping the wheel jammed while the engine was idling and so the wheel was not spinning very fast.

1275 with Back Door Turbo

evolotion

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2909 Posts
Member #: 83
Post Whore

Glasgow, Scotland

3rd Nov, 2008 at 09:57:37pm




On 3rd Nov, 2008 fortfun said:
PS - If a vane was damaged, would I know it or might it take awhile to manifest itself as an obvious symptom?
The no-boost condition was there as soon as I pulled onto the road, so I'm hoping the wheel jammed while the engine was idling and so the wheel was not spinning very fast.


even one damaged vane will stop it makign boost in my experience, though i have only ever drive one car with one damaged turbine blade (a 3sgte MR2) damaged in what can only be described in teh same way as yours, made boost one second, then never made boost again. luckily yours didnt end the same way *tongue*

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.
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