FP ball bearing turbo question

[coupe_nasty]

So I just received my brand new ball bearing green hta turbo from forced performance. When I spin the fins with my finger it only spins for a second or two. Is this normal for a bb turbo? I wasn't sure if it needed to be broken in more to see a more free spin. Whenever I see ball bearing turbos on youtube being spun, they spin for like 10+ seconds.

 

[pj91gsx]

There are different types of BB turbos. 1 type has ceramic cages and the other has steel cages. The ceramic cages are lighter and the turbo will spin much faster. Also if you hold the turbo upright it makes a difference.

There is another BB type that has balls that looks different, they are larger and are commonly used by PTE. They maybe ceramic balls but im not sure. Maybe someone else knows.

 

[Diamond Star Werks]

Assembly oil is usually stickier and thicker than engine oil.

 

[coupe_nasty]

Also when I spin it very slowly in my fingers, there is one little spot of resistance in each turn. Hardly much but I can feel it.

 

[estoyaqui30]

When I got my FP3052, I was told by FP that it needed to be broken in and that seemed to apply when I replaced it with a FP DSM76 HTA.

 

[Boost Demon]

probably needs engine oil and some heat cycles to break it in, as already mentioned, but FP would know best.

 

[Michael@FP]

There are a number of factors that are impacting this first is that the turbo still has quite a bit of high viscosity assembly lube on the bearings and critical parts that at room temperature will put quite a bit of drag on the bearings.

We use standard "metal" bearing cages as they are more durable but don't impact boost threshold or transient response in the slightest. So no worries on cooking your turbine side bearing race and it falling apart and destroying your turbo. That's not to say that metal races are impervious to damage but they're just better at handling heat.

Finally the way that our turbos manage thrust load is much different from a standard Garrett CHRA. Garrett uses special materials on it's thrust components so that when the turbo is at "operating temp" the parts expand to handle thrust load. So when it's sitting at room temperature the turbo is actually looser than what it would be if you had just got done making a pass. This is great proven way of doing things but have some limitation. This is also why when you see people finger ####ing their new turbo on youtube it'll spin forever with a flick of a finger.

Also a BB turbo that spins forever at a flick is not necessarily a good thing and could be a sign that the thrust components are improperly sized, installed wrong, or just the wrong material. There are "rebuild" kits on the market and they're all garbage because nobody knows Garrett's secret sauce on their material, so the people servicing turbos with those parts are gonna have a bad time real soon.

Our BB CHRA's utilize oil pressure to normalize thrust load which means that at room temperature the parts are actually tighter than if there was oil pressure. Which is why when it's sitting on the bench without oil pressure it will not spin like a Garrett or other Ball Bearing unit.

So to cliff note it, stop playing with your turbo, it's fine put it on the car and go kick ass.

-Michael

 

[SleepinGVR4]

So to cliff note it, stop playing with your turbo.

So is it true what they say?

If you don't use it, you lose it?

 

[turbotalon1g]

Hey guys I just got this burger from burger king and it tastes funny, should I make a thread?

I mean maybe I'll contact the place i got it from???>......

 

[coupe_nasty]

Thanks Michael for all your help!

 

[Michael@FP]

No problem if you have any other questions you know where to find me.

-Michael