Do I Have a Bad Turbo?

[SleepyGST]

Hey Tuners,

First off i want to appologize as this forum may be in the wrong category.. second i ask that you don't tell me to use the search button or reply with rude comments as i am new to this site and that's why it's in the newbie section..

but anyways, i bought a rebuilt small 16g turbo with apparently low miles on the build from my uncle's buddy, and i just want to make sure i'm putting a good turbo into my vehicle and not spending $200 on something that'll blow up in a couple miles. right now the turbo doesn't have the hot side in because it is being ported by someone else, and for some reason the guy i bought it from didn't have it on when i bought it. throughout the process of this whole purchase, the guy has been rather sketchy saying he'll get me this, but now he can't so he gives me this, or says something once and takes it back...but for now the turbo is sitting in my room, and here and there i'll pick it up and inspect it and when i spin the turbine wheel, there is a weird ticking noise coming from the dead center. it is a consistant noise and when i spin the wheel faster, the ticking speeds up as well. what could this be if this is not normal, like a bent wheel shaft? am i just paranoid because i don't want a bad turbo in my car? either way, any help would be much appreciated and if you would like a video just let me know.

Thanks in advance!

 

[gusu]

I'm sure Justin will tell you what's up, but I'd have to agree that it sounds like a bent wheel shaft.

 

[Kaosjoker]

I would say, stay away, not only is the turbo taken a part, and if your new to the mechanical part of this stuff it ay be hard for you to put it back together right. plus you want an evo 3 16g, a small 16g is going to get boring and quick, plus they are very hard to sell.

Hope this helps.

 

[j_biggz]

Justin is a great turbo guy on here so that is solid information and another good company to talk to is Turbo Lab. You can find them here Custom turbos for sale, Machining, and Modify - DSM Classifieds Worked with these guys a few times and I would recommend at least shooting them a pm.

I also wanted to mention that a small 16g only flows a bit less than a big 16g and that information is here Mitsubishi OEM turbo specifications (including flow rates) - evolutionm.net

I have actually ran a ported s16g and for what it is that thing pulled pretty hard. Spool was very fast and with the fwd it was a little bit of a tire fryer. I know that it has been debated to death about what one is better but honestly if you can get a good deal on s16g you wont be " missing out " on as much as people would like you to believe.

As far as the turbo you have I wouldn't trust the person selling it to you based on what you have said. If it makes the sounds you are saying its more than likely no good but probably rebuild-able. Talk to turbo lab and you can get some custom stuff done or just a rebuild. There prices are very fair and competitive. Tell him John referred you

 

[JusMX141]

If it's yet to have been run, it could be something as simple as the compressor seal collar lightly brushing the oil shield. This noise will obviously vanish once the turbo is broken in.

Turbo internals work on very close tolerances which differ slightly from turbo to turbo. As long as the shaft spins freely and the rebuild was done by someone qualified who didn't just throw it together with Chinese eBay parts you'll be just fine.

 

[SleepyGST]

Thanks for the replies guys, they help a lot! as for the guy who is selling the turbo, yeah he does seem very sketchy. like i said he's always saying something, then taking it back and condradicting himself and adding new information after i buy the stuff and not getting me the other parts that he originally said he would and picks something off the shelf and says "here" and what not...either way, lesson definitely learned! know plenty about the subject your buying and thoroughly inspect the one you're buying!

And Justin, the turbo has yet to run on my car, but he said there's about 2-3000 miles on it, so stuff like that would be broken in by now right? i just want a turbo that i can buy and be able to slap it on my car, with my supporting mods of course. i'm pretty much set with the small or big 16g because i won't be doing a whole lot with my car as my funds are low and it's still a stock 7 bolt and it's my daily driver so i need some reliability you know? i want to run about 15lbs at most with my 190lph and 1g blow off valve and maybe do some intake and exhaust. nothing too crazy.

 

[dankboiwonder]

If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.. I wouldn't chance it personally, if you already payed for it and cant get your money back, I would send it out just to be safe. You could probably pick up a small 16g from someone on one of these forums for about the same money and hopefully not get a run around about it.

 

[JusMX141]

And Justin, the turbo has yet to run on my car, but he said there's about 2-3000 miles on it, so stuff like that would be broken in by now right?

Well then you're buying a used turbo, not a rebuilt turbo. Doesn't matter whether it was rebuild 1,000 or 100,000 miles ago- if the oil supply was dirty or insufficient on whatever car it was previously bolted to, there's a chance it could be junk.

There shouldn't be any noise when you spin the shaft unless you're hearing the heat shield brushing the turbine wheel since the turbine housing is currently removed.

 

[SleepyGST]

Oh alright, then in that case yes, i bought a used turbo. but yeah, the noise isn't from around the wheel itself, it comes from within the bearing housings it seems like...i'm going to bring it back to him and strongly urge him to give my $200 back, and if not, yeah i will honestly just sell it dirt cheep and buy a used one here because that would probably be cheaper than shipping it out, having it stripped, rebuilt if needed, and shipped back. i'll go to his house one of these days, hopefully tonight, and update the thread.

thanks all! much appreciated!

 

[1gslotsi]

my precision 6152e mad some noise similar with the exhaust housing off because that metal ring was loose with the exhaust housing installed makes no noise and all checks ok if you are a novice mechanic you should be very cautious of buying parts used because you do not know what to look for and always research before you purchase, take it to a turbo shop and have it checked to protect your investment and dont forget just because they are friends with your family or friend doesnt mean they will not try to get over on you

 

[ghostd'GST4life]

i would say put a sharpie mark on the middle of the nut, spin it and watch, if theres a slight movement or if feel play in it then i would just look for another turbo. you can get a good enough deal rather than having that go on and blow fins all appart..

 

[SleepyGST]

...either way, lesson definitely learned! know plenty about the subject your buying and thoroughly inspect the one you're buying![/QUOTE]

as said above in my earlier post ^^

but yeah i talked to him and i don't want to get too personal but right now's not a good time for him but he totally understands where i'm coming from and is gonna help me out! thanks for all the replies guys!!