Is my turbo really bad?

[talontsi01]

I was entering a freeway on an on ramp and I was accelerating moderately and all of a sudden I couldnt hear the turbo spoolin. I looked at my boost gauge and I couldn't get a positive boost reading. All vacuum on the gauge, even at heavy acceleration. When I accelerated even moderately, I would hear a howling-type sound from the turbo. So, I thought to myself, "O crap, my turbo is gone. So, I go ahead and take the turbo off. Is there a way to tell if the turbo is actually bad? Both inlet/outlet sides of the turbine visually look fine and there is no shaft play. What else could I check that would make a turbo appear to have gone bad?

 

[blcknspo0ln]

check if there are any cracks in the turbine housing..

check if there is any oil blowby. you can also always take off the turbine housing to take a better look at the turbine wheel

 

[96GSTSTT]

if your not getting possative i would check the wastegate and see if the arm came off. i unhook mine when i have a boost leak so i can drive it home without harming the turbo. i would only get at most like 2 psi. just my 2cents and im probly wrong but i try and check the easiest thing first.

josh

 

[talontsi01]

Its not the control arm. I'll have to check for cracks. Anyone have anything else?

 

[TSiBER RYDER]

check your blow-off valve, it might be stuck open.

 

[talontsi01]

I followed up all your guys' posts. I don't think its any of the suggested problems. I checked the housing for cracks, all oil/coolant lines are free-flowing, blow off valve is fine, turbine fins look perfect as well as spin perfect. I'm at a loss here. I don't know what to do. I don't want to buy a new turbo, install it and have the same problem. If I reassembled the turbo, put it back on the car and did a boost leak test, would that possibly locate the problem? Should I be looking at something else while the turbo is off and apart?

Also, there is slight shaft play side to side and almost none in and out. I don't think this is the problem, but if it was, would it make your turbo go completely bad instantly?