blown turbo seal?

[kre8ive_kustomz]

ok, i bought a 95 talon tsi yesterday, the woman i bought it from said the seal on the turbo was out and sure enough, i took it for a ride and no turbo power. i did notice though last night that the boost guage is showing boost being built up, then i listened and i could hear the turbo spooling but still no power. could the turbo be ok and the wastegate be not opening? this is my first turbo and the only other one i worked on was a 87 300zx turbo, so i really dont know a whole hell of a lot. also, if the turbo is bad, are there any other somewhat cheap alternatives to the t25 ( i have heard the t25 wasnt designed very well to begin with) that will give more power without having to upgrade injectors. and last, i remember reading in a 300zx forum a couple years ago switching two vaccuum lines gains boost, i did it and it worked, any 2g63t tricks like that around that are safe? any help is apreciated. thanks, john

 

[pneumo]

I don't think your turbo seals are blown. If they were you'd see tons of smoke out the tailpipe. It's more likely that the car has a boost leak somewhere along the intake path after the turbo.

It's also possible the turbo's bearings are shot. If they are it will have lots of freeplay. You can check it by removing the inlet pipe and push on the compressor wheel. A tiny bit of freeplay is normal, but the wheels shouldn't scrape the housings.

 

[kre8ive_kustomz]

ok, i changed the front rotors and pads earlier and was thinking about the turbo problem the whole time so i did pull the hose off. the fins move easily, but there is quite a bit of play, up and down and in and out is about 1/4 inch, it doesnt hit the housing though. and she does smoke quite a bit when you hammer on it. i know it goes through oil because whenever the woman i bought it from stopped in my gas station she bought a quart. and i think the spooling i thought i heard( can hear it from the drivers seat and behind the car but not in engine compartment) is actually an exhaust leak, how i couldnt tell the difference i dont know, but im sure its not spooling now. also, theres a tube going from an oil pan looking dish just to the side and up from the oil pan that is connected by tubes to the turbo housing, should that pan be empty? again, i feel stupid for asking these things, but i am very new to turbo power. now that i think of it, if the turbo seal is bad and thats where the smoke is coming from theres a good chance that the rest of the engine is healthy right? if i rev to 4,000 and throw the clutch out she burns the tires quite a bit better than my 93 talon n/t. one last thing, should i be using a synthetic or semi synthetic oil on this car? i have used penzoil 5-30 on every car i own ever since i used it in my beretta(was finally killed in a car accident) but she lasted 236,000 miles with only replacing the alternator and some radiator hoses.... ok, sorry for the long post but i really need help. anyone know of a sorce to find a rebuild kit for the turbo?

 

[pneumo]

OK so you know the turbo needs a rebuild, and you found where the smoke is coming from. Finding the problem is the hardest part, so it should be easier from here.

To fix your turbo just send it to one of the turbo vendors listed in the 'Parts Catalog' and ask for the T28 upgrade. The stock turbo, which is a T25, is weak and fragile.

Use Mobile 1 synthetic oil in your favorite weight.

 

[kre8ive_kustomz]

thanks alot for all the help, is there any other alternative for the turbo? an upgraded one that i can buy now ready to bolt on for fairly cheap? how much does it run to have it rebuilt with the t28 upgrade? does it take a long time to get it back?

 

[slickster]

If you ever plan on upgrading then get a bigger turbo now and run low boost, until you have money for other mods.
If not, I would just spend <$100 for a used t25 to replace it.

 

[kre8ive_kustomz]

if you know of a place i can find a used t25 for less than 100 bucks please let me know, i think i called everyone locally and no one has a 2g turbo. will a 1g turbo bolt up the same and work well, or will i need to build an adapter of some sort?

 

[slickster]

1. dsmtrader.com
2. here on this site.
3. hate to say it but....Ebay
I think you can find them fairly easily for 100-150.

 

[kre8ive_kustomz]

ok, i do a lot of buying and selling on ebay so of course ive been looking . i found a garrett t25 from a 98 eclipse gsx, car had 31,000 miles when he upgraded to a 16g. i picked it up for 127.50, but shipping insurance wasnt an option, he had 100 percent feedback so i hope i dont get stiffed. ive read alot about bolts breaking, are there any tricky ones i need to be careful for? also, how do i set how many pounds of boost i want to run or does the turbo not adjust and i just get whatever it puts out.....

 

[slickster]

Your car has a boost control solenoid on it. Your car runs 12psi stock. As long as you label and remember which vaccum hoses go where(only two of them) then it will regulate your psi for you. There are tricks to fool the BCSso you can make a few more pounds of boost if you want. Just check the play of the turbo when you get it. Reach in and grab the shaft (porn music). It should not move ,however a little side to side is usually ok, but in and out play is no good. The bolts people talk about sare the turbo to manifold bolts. Mine were fine, but they do seem to work their way loose after an install. I would install the turbo and run around for a minute and warm the engine. Then come back and check those four bolts and re-tighten if necessary.
Good Luck,
Slick