PTE 50-trim issues/questions

[matress]

Hey guys,

I'm from Melbourne, Australia. I posted in this section because I can't seem to post anywhere else.

After searching this forum and DSMtalk.com I came to the conclusion that a 50-trim would be the right turbo upgrade for my Galant VR4.

I purchased my PTE SCM 5031e in around October last year and fitted it to the car in November. It was set up according to the manufacturer's instructions with the oil feed from the filter housing, big drain line, etc.

It was going fine until about 3 weeks ago when it just "blew" for no apparent reason.

It developed 2mm of back and forth shaft play and also trimmed the edges of the compressor wheel blades.

I've been told that it sounds like thrust bearing failure, but it's been sent back to PTE to be looked at.

Do many of you other guys have problems with this happening on these turbos?

My other question is, is the oil filter housing really the right spot to feed these turbos from?

A lot of people over here and NZ seem to be feeding their Garrett journal bearing turbos from the head without any problems.

Another mate killed the thrust bearing in his SCM 60-trim due to too high oil pressure (this is what the turbo specialist told him) This turbo was also being fed from the filter housing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'd really like to prevent this from happening again. I've been off the road for 3 weeks now and my turbo hasn't been looked at yet, plus it's cost hundreds of dollars to ship the turbo back to the USA.

Thanks guys!

Mat

PS. Check out Team4g.com - Australian based Mitsubishi forum

 

[Dream On]

I'm not sure what caused the problem, but I've heard that if you take the oil line from the filter housing, then sometimes you need an oil restictor b/c the pressure is too high. Did you have this or not?

 

[BrokenTsi]

Ive ran 3 or 4 journal bearing type turbos from the filter housing and no balance shafts for years. and no restrictors too. I have never blown a turbo. Ive also never ran a PTE turbo.

 

[matress]

I'm not sure what caused the problem, but I've heard that if you take the oil line from the filter housing, then sometimes you need an oil restictor b/c the pressure is too high. Did you have this or not?

there was no restrictor or inline filter in the line. PTE specified that journal bearing turbos shouldn't require one.

has anybody ran one of these from the head and had success doing so?

I'm also interested to know how many people have had trouble with PTE's... I don't really want to put it back onto the car if I'm going to have the same trouble in another 3 months.

 

[BrokenTsi]

Its hit or miss. Maybe you just got lucky and got a bad one. I got a buddy who ran one with no problems. He fed his PTE 50 trim from the filter housing with a -4an line, no restrictors, no filters.

Pull the -4an line off the turbo, prime the engine (disable the ecu) and oil should POUR out almost instantly. I also prime new turbos before starting the car, because sometimes it can take 3 or 4 seconds for the turbo to get oil if you've been doing work on the car for some time.

 

[BrokenTsi]

By the way, did you use teflon tape on your oil feed line?

 

[matress]

there's no teflon tape on the feed line? should there be?

when you say prime the turbo, do you mean squire a bit of oil into the oil inlet?

 

[BrokenTsi]

I dont use teflon tape. Its a good way to clog it up.

It wouldn't hurt to squirt some oil in there, but I disable the ignition, or the ecu, however you want to do it, and crank the engine over to it pumps oil into the turbo first before you start the car.

sorta like what you're supposed to do when you change your oil.

 

[Mikelb]

^In reference to what was said earlier; journal bearing turbos don't need restrictors, though ball bearing turbos do. I'd always check with the manufacturer to be on the safe side though. Get you an oil pressure gauge that shows the oil pressure to the turbo.

I have my turbo plumbed into my heads (1G) and an oil pressure gauge coming off of it right there. I have to wait until my car is warm before getting on the turbo. When I first start the car, the pressure is at about 40-60(I can't recall for certain). That is too high to operate the turbo under boost. I can boost there, but I have real bad problems with the oil blowing out of the turbo. I wait until the car is warm and the pressure drops down to about 20.

 

[BrokenTsi]

Running an oil pressure gauge at the head wont tell you anything. Even from the factory, it reads at the filter housing.

I see 70-90psi of oil pressure at WOT with a dual ball bearing turbo. I run oil from the filter housing with a restrictor. NEVER had a problem.

 

[Mikelb]

I still run the factory gauge for the engine oil pressure, though I run one at the heads of my 1g, to determine how much pressure is going to my turbo. I am running the stock 14b (plumbs from the side of the heads, not the filter housing)

 

[BrokenTsi]

I always ran a 14b from the filter housing. Back when I first had my car....4 years ago, I supplied it with oil from the filter housing because the stock line broke or something stupid, I dont remember.

But on my race engine I built, I used the 14b to break it in.......oil fed from the filter housing. I think its a little goofy to run the factory gauge, AND another gauge from 2 different locations. I just dont trust the factory gauges, especially oil pressure. Ive seen them be wrong too many times.

In any case.....for the original thread starter. Feeding oil from the filter housing, without a restrictor, shouldn't have blown the turbo up. In my opinion. Honestly, I just dont like PTE turbos.

 

[merqury]

Now as far the restrictor goes, you need one for ball bearings? Just to be clear, the oil filter does not act a restrictor does it on the oil feed line? I'm in the process of installing my PTE 50 trim but mine is BB. I also got a water cooling kit and oil kit from dejon to go with the turbo. The oil kit comes with a cylinder type thing that has nipples on both its sides. I think its an oil filter but not sure.

I don't want to blow my turbo if PTE have this sort of problem with the too much oil pressure.

 

[Mikelb]

Yes, I must apologize for getting somewhat off track, but I wish to resolve my argument.

The stock gauge is inaccurate, but it will allow me to monitor the health of the oil and the pump, as I know that I should see some pressure, and it has a "normal" operating range, if it drops below that, I know to look for an oil change or a problem. I run the Autometer to monitor the pressure to the turbo. Even Mitsubishi said you should wait a minute or two for the car to warm up before being hard on the turbo. I can also tell from the Autometer that nothing is clogging the lines to the turbo.

 

[BrokenTsi]

Oh I see. You read it, right off the line to the turbo? Not reading the oil pressure in the head, but the actual oil pressure going to the turbo?

Thats a new one for me. If I have oil pressure at the filter housing, then i'll have oil pressure at the turbo. Since there is pretty much nothing inbetween, and I have never seen a -4an line get clogged with anything. To each their own, I suppose.

And yes, I run a restrictor fitting that screws right into the turbo, and then my -4an line from the filter housing screws right onto that.

 

[matress]

Honestly, I just dont like PTE turbos.

Is there any particular reason for this?
Is there a rival company that makes a better product but the same turbo? eg. FP, SBR?

 

[Mikelb]

Oh I see. You read it, right off the line to the turbo? Not reading the oil pressure in the head, but the actual oil pressure going to the turbo?

Correct.

Though it may seem unnecessary, it's just a little extra piece of mind.

 

[gsxtacy]

With oil pressures over 100 psi with my Balance Shafts removed on my 6 bolted 1998 GSX...I feed my PTE-6152 off the oil filter housing with -4AN line and a .8mm restrictor directly threaded into the turbo.....No Problems, no Smoke issues, no turbo failure.....Been running the "oil restricted" 6152e for about 2 months now!...

 

[BrokenTsi]

With oil pressures over 100 psi with my Balance Shafts removed on my 6 bolted 1998 GSX...I feed my PTE-6152 off the oil filter housing with -4AN line and a .8mm restrictor directly threaded into the turbo.....No Problems, no Smoke issues, no turbo failure.....Been running the "oil restricted" 6152e for about 2 months now!...

wow. Never heard of anyone doing that. Im glad its working for you.

 

[gsxtacy]

I was only backing up your success you talking smack?

 

[BrokenTsi]

what? no. I said I was glad it was working for you.

 

[motomattxxx]

Too much oil is'nt going to cause shaft play, it would just cause a seal failure at most. You have something else going on.

 

[matress]

Well, PTE has rebuilt my turbo... it's not at ExtremePSI... I just have to pay the shipping fees to get it sent back to Australia.

It was a thrust bearing failure, but they wouldn't say what caused it which is a bit frustrating.

I asked them about the oil feed, and they said the head was unsuitable do to "oiling issues"

I know there are two ports on the oil filter housing, one filtered and one not... would tapping the unfiltered port be much different to the clean one? The head is "dirty" aswell isn't it?

 

[BrokenTsi]

I tap the filtered one.