Time for turbo rebuild?

[spyderdrifter]

Anyone have links for a legitimate T28 rebuild kit? I've been looking online, but not too sure about ones I've seen. I got a Big T-28 if that makes a difference. Turbo is starting to whine when I reach 2500-3k rpms, so I've been going easy on the boost and shifting early so as to prolong my turbo's life span. Also in addition to this, anyone know where I can purchase a set of split ring pliers large enough to pull the ring off the compressor housing? I've been trying to find this since my last DSM and have had no success. Thanks in advance.

 

[BurrowZ]

This isn't much help, but when my turbo was "whining" it was because the manifold had worked itself loose from the turbo. I would say check that before you know for sure you need a rebuild. You've checked for shaft play?

 

[spyderdrifter]

That may be more helpful than thought. When I first bought my spyder, the turbo only had one bolt that was tight. Even after re-torquing them, they still somehow worked loose. I'll check that later when I get home. I have checked for shaft play, which was good, but not recently, so I'll check that too.

 

[BurrowZ]

I noticed you said RPMs instead of boost.. do you have a boost gauge? Your profile says coming soon so I had to ask.

Another time I heard a god awful whining noise was when my vac line going to my stock T25 wastegate had developed cracks and it overboosted to hell. I had no idea this was happening due to no boost gauge but I couldn't put more than half throttle down or I'd hear the most expensive sounding noise ever.

 

[spyderdrifter]

The coming soon is for the wideband. I do have a boost gauge and it always spools up to 10-12lbs which is normal. I haven't noticed anything wrong with any of the vac lines to the turbo, but its always worth a closer inspection to avoid wasting money.

 

[BurrowZ]

The coming soon is for the wideband. I do have a boost gauge and it always spools up to 10-12lbs which is normal. I haven't noticed anything wrong with any of the vac lines to the turbo, but its always worth a closer inspection to avoid wasting money.

If you're hitting the same boost as before with the noise then you don't have the problem I just described. Definitely check the manifold.

 

[spyderdrifter]

Sweet. If that's the case, I'll have to find some better thread lock. Never have a problem hitting consistent boost levels.

 

[spyderdrifter]

I just checked for shaft play, and like before, there is none. The bolts holding the turbo to the manifold are tight as well, and haven't backed out.

 

[JusMX141]

Noise with no shaft play or oil leakage = boost leak near the compressor cover somewhere.

 

[spyderdrifter]

Noise with no shaft play or oil leakage = boost leak near the compressor cover somewhere.

There is an oil leak, that I was searching for a little while ago, but still haven't located it yet. Also found a coolant leak.



I was wrong. I just checked the turbo yet again, and there is the slightest amount of shaft play, from side to side. No in/out play though. It doesn't feel like it moves much, but its enough to barely scrap the inside or the compressor housing if turned just right.

 

[spyderdrifter]

I've reassessed my turbo issue and now have the following info for you guys to decipher. This whine occurs mainly during 1-2 & 2-3 gears shifts. On occasion it'll happen from 3-4, but isn't often. Haven't heard it happen from 4-5. Also when in 4 or 5, just accelerating with no shifts, there's no whine. Today I decided to drive the spyder so I could pin point when it des all this. On my way to work this morning it drove fine, aside from the whines. When I left work to come to school, it felt very sluggish on power. It still spools fine, plus the whine, but I can still tell there's not as much power. It'll still spool to 10-12 lbs though.

 

[DSM1G90]

You need that minute vertical play since the oil around the turbo shaft actually 'floats' the shaft (it's like the connecting rods to the crankshaft-the connecting rods actually 'float' over the journals and the oil is the bearings) from making any metal to metal contact with the turbo casing.

If you got lateral shaft play is when you need that turbo overhauled to to bad end bearings.

 

[spyderdrifter]

So side to side play isn't too bad? I'm confused there. I would think any play is bad.

Wait, I just re-read that. Correct me if I'm wrong on this. You're saying there's naturally a minute amount of play for the floating...

If so, it shouldn't scrap the compressor housing right?

 

[DSM1G90]

If so, it shouldn't scrap the compressor housing right?

No if you grab the compressor wheel andcan move it up and down, left and right just a smidge .. that's normal due to the needed 'float' of the shaft in the race for the oil to be the bearing between the two metals.

Some turbos do not contain any roller bearings. Most are just simple sleeve bearings that needs the oil to pass through between the two surfaces to "float" the shaft and remove the heat to return it to the oil sump.

But, if you grab that wheel and CAN move it forwards and backwards (laterally), then you got problems.

Bet if you drop your oil pan and grab a connecting rod cap and move it, you'd have the same, very slight vertical play and absolutely no lateral play.

Good luck - DSM

 

[JusMX141]

It doesn't feel like it moves much, but its enough to barely scrap the inside or the compressor housing if turned just right.

You shouldn't be able to make the wheel contact the housing at all, ever, when the cartridge is receiving oil (turbo installed).

 

[spyderdrifter]

Ok. There is no lateral play, so I'm good there. But since it does scrap the housing, what is the next move?

That's what I had thought Justin.

 

[JusMX141]

Rebuild or replacement/upgrade.

 

[spyderdrifter]

I read your classified ad. Think I'll be hitting you up for a rebuild now.