Nut fell out of TURBO!!! (20G)

[GST_20G]

So I bought this DSM a few months back with some problems. One such problem is that after taking the car for a spin (where it ran pretty good and boost was smooth and strong) I parked it for about 15 minutes and go back out and it has 0 boost, none. Upon removing the turbo hose, I noticed the wheel was stuck. After moving it back and forth it came free, and I could hear something inside it for a split second. Once it free'd itself up it spun very smooth and free. So I remove the turbo and one small nut falls out! It looked as though it came from the hot side, because it looks roasted. I couldn't believe it. Upon visual inspection the blades looked to be unaffected, but I haven't seen the back of the exhaust because I had to cut the downpipe off. That's another story.

When it was boosting it wouldn't go past 14psi, and it is capable of much more. So what next? Do I stick it back on and see if she runs better, or tear into the turbo?

 

[overboosted1g]

Tear into the Turbo, you don't wanna turbine blade to come apart and fling shrapnel into the engine. Post up pics of the so called nut.

Sent from my HERO200 using Tapatalk

 

[GST_20G]

this is the culprit

 

[pj91gsx]

If its right hand thread you have to use lock tight, its manitory for 14bs over 20 psi, mitsubishi started using lock tight on the evo1 16gs, number "450" on the turbo

 

[GST_20G]

If its right hand thread you have to use lock tight, its manitory for 14bs over 20 psi, mitsubishi started using lock tight on the evo1 16gs, number "450" on the turbo

it was built by the guys at turbochargers.com, but installed by who knows. What they told me was that it had to have happened during install.

 

[pj91gsx]

it was built by the guys at turbochargers.com, but installed by who knows. What they told me was that it had to have happened during install.

i call BS.

 

[GST_20G]

i call BS.

BS what?

 

[beihl304]

Yea, they are just trying to cover their a**.

 

[pj91gsx]

BS what?

that it was a problem with install. The installer should never touch the nut!

 

[GST_20G]

I guess I'll know for sure when I get the downpipe off. I wouldn't be all that surprised if it was either the installer or t-chargers, because the DP bolts are tacked down...

 

[STLskater92]

HAHAHA at first I thought you were talking about a tree nut. Like a little woodland critter got into your turbo. But ya, whoever installed/built the turbo needs a stern talking to.

 

[GST_20G]

the turbo was built in 08, and only has about 2500 miles on it. The Previous owner is a good friend of mine, and he said the car was running great one day, sat parked for a couple weeks, then went to hell. Other than that the car has been sitting this long... It took some convincing to get him to sell it to me

I'm really anxious to see the exhaust wheel, but I don't have anything to cut the tack welds with today.

 

[overboosted1g]

Wait a minute their are no removable nuts on the hot side. You should be able to look at the cold side after you take your intake off and their should be one 12mm nut that holds the compressor wheel onto the turbine shaft so if that nuts gone then it's the one you found.

 

[LiquidX]

He's correct, the shaft and turbine are one assembly. The only nut is for the compressor wheel. Where did the nut fall out from?

 

[overboosted1g]

The Turbo should look like this if the nut is still their.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

Sent from my HERO200 using Tapatalk

 

[derekgst]

I had the compressor wheel nut come off before on an untouched 14b. Still amazes me how it could have happened

 

[pj91gsx]

I had the compressor wheel nut come off before on an untouched 14b. Still amazes me how it could have happened

it has happened a lot , the way the air puts pressure against the nut looses it up. thats why its important to have left hand threads on a turbo that spins right, so the nut will tighten up if anything happens.

 

[GST_20G]

That's why I was thinking it had to have been dropped inside during the install
The compressor nut is still on there.

 

[pj91gsx]

so it just sucked in a nut? the nut never came off?

 

[JohnMatt]

That's scary to think of a random nut floating around in a turbo. Had a buddy that sucked the metal cap from a cheap filter in his gt40 srt4 and it looked all kinds of pretty afterwards. Congrats if nothing was damaged

 

[LambdaJoker]

Wow. I would take a good look at the engine bay and inspect everything to make sure nothing else was Mickey moused on it like the tack welding on the dp.

 

[DroppedMitsu]

So is there any damage to the turbo? That is crazy if that nut was floating around in your intake/turbo and did not do any damage to it. And downpipe bolts tacked, that just sounds like bad news.