boost started surging

[xTSIx]

i was driving down the road today and like my boost started surging or else the car was dumping power. well all the sudden there was a big back fire and my boost just flies up but doesnt produce power. i dont know if i blew the turbo because theres no blue smoke but i still have oil pressure and my engine didnt get hot. the headgasket is a month old metal head gasket so i dotn know how it would be that. any ideas please let me know. thanks

 

[diablos991]

Check your intercooler piping, and do a boost leak test.

It sounds like you popped a coupler.

To check the turbo, grab the compressor wheel and check for shaftplay. There should be a little side-to-side, and NO in-and-out play.

 

[JayRolla]

I thought it should have a little in and out. I thought the side to side is real bad because the wheels hit the housing. I could be wrong though?

 

[diablos991]

That is incorrect. There should be no in-and-out becuase that would indicate that the seals are bad, and that sort of latteral movement would cause rubbing on the compressor housing fairly easily.

There should be a little side-to-side(up and down) movement because with the car off, and a water cooled turbo, there should be a little room between the center section and the compressor housing so that oil can lubricate the path between.

 

[MrBoxx]

There should be no in-and-out becuase that would indicate that the seals are bad, and that sort of latteral movement would cause rubbing on the compressor housing fairly easily.

There should be a little side-to-side(up and down) movement because with the car off, and a water cooled turbo, there should be a little room between the center section and the compressor housing so that oil can lubricate the path between.

Exactly right. It's a good idea to keep an eye on shaft play by checking every so often. Once a month, every oil change, etc.

I would agree that in this case, a coupler probably blew off a pipe or ruptured. Boost leak test as soon as possible.

 

[xTSIx]

Would a big boost leak cause that backfire and why is there some oil in the engine bay?

 

[xTSIx]

I just checked the shaft play and theres a little side to side and about a 1/4'' or so in and out so the turbos junk. could the turbo have just blown in one shot and that result in smoke and stuff in the back fire or something. i checked the intercooler pipe connections and they are all hooked up and i just did a boost leak test like 2 weeks ago and found nothing. thats when i put the current turbo in the car.

 

[diablos991]

Did you prime that new turbo?

Check your LICP for oil.
This could easily be what is causing your problem depending on how bad the turbo is.

Maybe it ate something and that is why it seemed so sudden. How does the compressor whell look?

 

[xTSIx]

I checked my LICP and there is no oil sitting in it. i do have a good amount of shaft play and i started the car today and took it for a drive around the block and under some boost its pushing oil out somewhere. its all over the oil pan and some up above like on the tranny. im not pushing blue smoke out my exhaust though. any ideas?

 

[xTSIx]

i didnt get to pull the turbo out to look at the compressor wheel yet so i dont know about that