merqury said:

I noticed a huge exhaust leak from between the headers and turbo. I thought the gasket was blown. I took it to my mechanic to replace the gasket. Turns out the turbo has seized; it wasnt spinning. As a result of that, the exhaust gases had nowhere to go and were coming out the top. I just towed the car back home and now I have the turbo sitting at home.

How can I tell if its seized? The compressor wheel is hard to turn. Is that the only sign? What if I loosen the compressor nut on the turbo?

What could be the cause for it seizing? Would it seize because I didnt let it cool down after a drive? My mechanic told me that there was no oil going in to the turbo, how can I verify that?


I just bought the Talon 6 weeks ago. Didnt drive it for even a day, just kep running into problems. More than $3500 put into it, and now this.

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It's possibly oil had been oveheated in the turbo leading to caking and sludging which blocked oil passages and oil return line, leading to almost complete lockup. You will probably have to have it rebuilt and then you'll want to clean out the turbo oil return line and give it an oil change if you havent recently. The VFAQ talks about how to rebuild turbos.

What are the possible causes of the oil overheating? I did an oil change around a week ago. How can I clean out the oil return line?

The VFAq for the rebuild talks about the 14b turbo. I dont know how to do it for a T25.

If the T25 died on you, it might be more worthwhile for you to just upgrade. You can get a used 14b, sometimes even a 16g, for less than what it would cost to rebuild the T25.

Look into getting a big16g. It's a great turbo however I would not suggest buying a used one or one off of ebay.

+1 if the T25 died,just replace it with a 14b and a 2g kit... more pull at the same price of replacing

I think before I decide on what new turbo to get, it would make more sense to know WHY the current one blew out. Oil line block, not letting it cool down etc. If I dont fix that, the next one I get will probably end up the same.

How much can I get a 14b for? Arent I better off getting a new turbo instead of a used? What comes with the 2G Kit?

As an example, I bought my used 14b from a junkyard for about $125, and the guy really didn't know anything about turbos, so I probably could have gotten it for as little as $75. If you find someone close to you who has a 1g that's selling theirs used, you might be able to get an even better deal on one.

As for why turbos fail, oil coking on the shaft and bearings is one reason. But since the T25 is water-cooled it shouldn't be a very common method of failure. Even on a water-cooled turbo, I still let the car idle for a minute or two after a long drive or if I've been romping on it a bit, which I very rarely do. Also, a lack of oil pressure through the turbo may have contributed a bit to the problem. Low oil levels, or a lack of regular, frequent oil changes also could have led to it.

Or, it could just be that the T25 was old, and these things happen.

How can I check that the oil line isnt blocked?

take it off and pour something through it.... seriously, upgrade... dont put another t25 on there... you will be much happier with the 14b... low spool time, lots of power to be had from a turbo that size, and they are cheap to rebuild.... oooo yeah... did I mention the reliability of them? or go 16g and be a savage...

(not saying "just my .02" because its hella played out)

i've got a ported big28 for sale with only 4k miles on it, no install kit required! just bolt it on and smile all the way to redline! pm me if interested.

The lines are cheap just replace them and you will never have to worry if you got them clean!
Check here

If I go to a T28, wont I need the supporting fuel mods? I dont want to screw up again.

if you keep the boost at reasonable level.... still think that a 14b is what you need if you are on a budget and dont want to worry about ANYTHING at stock boost levels.... PSI doesnt always matter.... it matters how much CFM the turbo flows...

merqury said:

If I go to a T28, wont I need the supporting fuel mods? I dont want to screw up again.

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No, 14 psi and you should be fine. Would I recommend you get fuel mods? Of course, you want to take advantage of your new toy. Rewire the fuel pump, get Evo 560cc Inj's (underrated flow, and can be had at a decent price from an EVO guy upgrading) and a SAFC or similar if you want to go cheap. Otherwise spend the extra money with a 255 lph pump, Rewire kit, DSMLink, FPR and 850 cc inj and really open up the T28 potential. At the least though, spend the $30 on a Fuel Pump Rewire kit.

I read your profile with the mods you have, you will not have a problem with fuel. Since the t25 makes the 2gs run a little rich you should be fine. Just make sure that you recirculate the HKS BOV.

The mods listed are for my Eclipse. I'm talking about the 95 TSI.

I have a rebuild kit for that turbo if you need it. Let me know if thats the route you choose.

ndsti said:

The lines are cheap just replace them and you will never have to worry if you got them clean!
Check here

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Agreed. If you have any concerns about obstruction of the oil line replace it. This is particularly true regarding the supply line. In fact, some manufacturers won't even honor the warranty unless a new oil supply line was used at time of turbo install.

the_skin_eater said:

I have a rebuild kit for that turbo if you need it. Let me know if thats the route you choose.

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What's included in the turbo kit and how hard is it to rebuild? I was trying to take it apart and toy around with it. I think shipping to Toronto would kill.

definately time to upgrade. do not put the t25 back on.

ndsti said:

The lines are cheap just replace them and you will never have to worry if you got them clean!
Check here

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deffinately go with purchasing new lines if you are afraid that they might be blocked. upgrading the supply line is a good idea anyways, road race engineering has good SS supply line for about $75 i think. Cleaning the return line isn't a big deal since it is pretty easy to get off and back on, but if you are still not sure about it replace it also.

I took out the turbine from its housing, but I cant seen to locate the locating pin. I'm referring to the vfaq. Is there such a thing on the T25? Here's the vfaq image

There's no locating pin on the T25 since, if I remember correctly, it's a bolt-on turbine housing, not a V-band clamp attachment like the TDO5 turbos.

If you do decide to change the turbo, I HIGHLY recommend getting a stainless steel oil supply line. It's much easier to replace and work with than the hard metal line that comes stock, and it will get rid of any fears of an obstruction in the stock feed line.

So that means I can just take out and put back the turbine with no worries about balancing? Also, which way does it rotate (clockwise?), so I can check it?