Aluminum elbow blows off discharge outlet

[huafist]

Hey guys, I just got my SCM-6031 powered 2G back up and running. I bought it from a guy in need of some work. This turbo has an aluminum elbow that's attached to the discharge outlet by a coupler. No matter what I do, I simply CANNOT keep that coupler from blowing off of the turbo under boost. I've used multiple clamps, and even forced a V-band clamp from a Tial 44mm wastegate around the couple and wrenched it down - this lasted the longest, about 3 pulls before it blew off. Are there any tricks or tips that I'm missing that will keep this damned thing on the car? I'm scared to drive it for fear of getting stranded when it blows off. My next option is to pull the compressor cover and weld the ####ing thing on.

 

[bryanwheat]

Is there a lip on the outlet? If not than i would pull the cover off and have a bead welded around the edge and than use a t bolt clamp on it.

 

[Bud92gsx]

Bead it,hair spray,Score the piping,glue the coupler to the piping, and then tighten the shit out of the coupler on the compressor. Pick one or multiple.You can always try a few and see what happens.

 

[huafist]

Is there a lip on the outlet? If not than i would pull the cover off and have a bead welded around the edge and than use a t bolt clamp on it.

Yes, it's beaded. Both sides. I'm gonna hairspray the shit out of it tomorrow and see if that does the trick.

 

[bryanwheat]

If it is beaded than there is no reason that a t bolt clamp shouldn't hold it. I assume that you have tried a t bolt clamp?

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[daren_p]

Typically, when properly beaded, even a reg worm gear clamp can hold a good amount of boost (assuming proper sized clamp). If its properly beaded, swap to a t-bolt if you haven't already. If your already using a t-bolt, something else is wrong. Beaded & T-bolt should be more then enough for 99% of DSM's out there. What kind of boost are you running?

 

[huafist]

My entire setup is t-bolts. Running 23psi atm.

 

[bryanwheat]

My entire setup is t-bolts. Running 23psi atm.

Take a picture of what you are working with. There is absolutly no reason for this to happen if it is beaded and the clamp tightened down good.

 

[lowell]

I've pressure tested beaded ends with regular crappy worm gear clamps to 45psi. +1 for a picture of the offending setup.

 

[badas93tsi]

Line it up where it needs to be, mark it in 2-3 places with a sharpie, pull the compressor cover off and send them to me. I'll tig weld it for you. Wont blow off then.

 

[rr06rs]

My entire setup is t-bolts. Running 23psi atm.

How do u know you're runnin 23psi if the couplers not staying on.....???

Lol. Jk as stated, t-bolts with a bead should hold nearly twice the boost you're seeing with ease.
This might sound crazy but you may want to male sure there isn't an obstruction in your ic piping or end tanks. I've seen someone that had is car apart to work on it for several weeks and had stuffed shop rags in the ic piping to keep anything from getting in. Well, needless to say, one of the rags on the hot side piping had slipped all the way down into the end tank and he didn't notice it when he put everything back together. Even though he had about 16lb springs in the wg, he couldn't figure out why it felt laggy and he was only seeing erratic boost from 7 -10 psi. He thought maybe there was a boost leak but at the same time he kept blowing the coupler off the turbo. He finally welded a bend on the coupler and got it to stop blowing off but he kept trying to turn the boost up still and no matter what, it wouldn't go past 12ps and even then it was as if it was building with rpm to redline like a centrifugal Supercharger. He finally took everything apart to rule out a leak and move onto a problem with the turbo. That's when he found the shop towel. He took it out and the first time out it wrapped up to about 35psi at 5000 rpm before he had a chance to turn it down. That was even after turnin it DOWN 1/4 of the way. Shortly after he had to have the turbo rebuilt due to the damage that was done from the backpressure being forced back on the turbo so badly when he was trying to figure out the problem.and sealed the compressor coupler weak link. After that, the only escape route was the seals in the turbo. Although the manifold only saw 12psi, since the boost controller and wg were running off the manifold, they never saw the crack pressure points. There's no telling how much pressure the hotside piping and compressor cover was seeing.

 

[huafist]

Line it up where it needs to be, mark it in 2-3 places with a sharpie, pull the compressor cover off and send them to me. I'll tig weld it for you. Wont blow off then.

I have a syncrowave 250 sitting in my garage

How do u know you're runnin 23psi if the couplers not staying on.....???

Lol. Jk as stated, t-bolts with a bead should hold nearly twice the boost you're seeing with ease.
This might sound crazy but you may want to male sure there isn't an obstruction in your ic piping or end tanks. I've seen someone that had is car apart to work on it for several weeks and had stuffed shop rags in the ic piping to keep anything from getting in. Well, needless to say, one of the rags on the hot side piping had slipped all the way down into the end tank and he didn't notice it when he put everything back together. Even though he had about 16lb springs in the wg, he couldn't figure out why it felt laggy and he was only seeing erratic boost from 7 -10 psi. He thought maybe there was a boost leak but at the same time he kept blowing the coupler off the turbo. He finally welded a bend on the coupler and got it to stop blowing off but he kept trying to turn the boost up still and no matter what, it wouldn't go past 12ps and even then it was as if it was building with rpm to redline like a centrifugal Supercharger. He finally took everything apart to rule out a leak and move onto a problem with the turbo. That's when he found the shop towel. He took it out and the first time out it wrapped up to about 35psi at 5000 rpm before he had a chance to turn it down. That was even after turnin it DOWN 1/4 of the way. Shortly after he had to have the turbo rebuilt due to the damage that was done from the backpressure being forced back on the turbo so badly when he was trying to figure out the problem.and sealed the compressor coupler weak link. After that, the only escape route was the seals in the turbo. Although the manifold only saw 12psi, since the boost controller and wg were running off the manifold, they never saw the crack pressure points. There's no telling how much pressure the hotside piping and compressor cover was seeing.

Holy jeez! Yeah, I think my butthole would pucker up so tight you'd think I'd covered it in Preparation H if I pulled my junk apart and found a shop rag. I don't think I have an obstruction, as it spools pretty quickly. It's a possibility though. It seems every DSM I've built that has one of these stupid elbows pops off until you crank, curse, and glue everything together .

 

[badas93tsi]

I have a syncrowave 250 sitting in my garage

Then you shouldnt be having this problem..... Less couplers means less chance of blowing them off. Weld it son!

 

[huafist]

Then you shouldnt be having this problem..... Less couplers means less chance of blowing them off. Weld it son!

If this were facebook, I would "like" this comment haha.

Take a picture of what you are working with. There is absolutly no reason for this to happen if it is beaded and the clamp tightened down good.

I'm at work right now. I'll try to do that tonight, but I'm going to try cleaning the coupler and the discharge before scuffing and hairspraying. I'm wondering if there's something making it slick.

 

[daren_p]

My entire setup is t-bolts. Running 23psi atm.

Something is wrong with your setup, t-bolts & beaded pipe should have zero issues holding that kind of boost (as posted, even reg worm gear clamps will hold much more then that with beaded pipes). I've BLT'd to 43psi with my beaded/t-bolt setup, zero issues.

Have any pics, somethings not right with your setup.

 

[huafist]

Something is wrong with your setup, t-bolts & beaded pipe should have zero issues holding that kind of boost (as posted, even reg worm gear clamps will hold much more then that with beaded pipes). I've BLT'd to 43psi with my beaded/t-bolt setup, zero issues.

Have any pics, somethings not right with your setup.

No pics yet, I'm at work. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm thinking the interior of the pipe may have some oil or something causing the walls to be slick ; the car did have a faulty PCV valve when I got it. I'm going to check it this evening and see if cleaning it well/scuffing it and the discharge/hairspraying/t-bolt clamping will solve the issue. The IC piping on the car is ghetto as hell, so I'm just biding my time until I can get some AL piping to weld up into better piping.

 

[TSITurbo95]

As stated, if it's beaded it should not be blowing off. Perhaps try tightening the clamp more? Or do the good ol hair spray trick. Spray hair spray on the end of the pipe where the coupler clamps to then clamp it down.

 

[huafist]

It came a friggin' monsoon here yesterday afternoon, so I didn't get to do anything to the car or take any pics. Will get on that this evening.

 

[Marceldsm]

had the same problem

use hair spay or in the most extreme case RTV the coupler side of the pipe

if that dosent work then you have a real problem