turbo fail?

[associator]

OK so I have searched for the last 2+ days and I till dont have an answer I feel comfortable accepting. I have what I believe to be a turbo failure. I just bought a 95 2g with fake evo III 16g set to 22 psi, fake BOV, and a dsm chips retune.
I have been hearing a bit of a noise from the engine bay for the last few weeks and I checked the turbo for shaft play and it had a bit but nothing to execive. at the same time I did a boost test and found that my BOV was opening at anything past about 6psi of pressure in the system. I have a new BOV coming already to fix that. I also just installed DSM link and was working on getting a rough tune done so that I can drive the car enough to get it to and from work untill the new BOV shows up.
Well I didn't turn down the boost even though I knew with a boost leak like that I should have. I did a pull to get a base line for the tune car, it went ok but had spooling issues (I assumed from the fuel and timing tables being un modified) I made a few VERY conservative fuel changes (about 2%) and started another pull when things went wrong. The car just didn't feel right even by the previous pull standards but I had no recorded knock over .7* when I let off throttle the RPM's plumited to a stall no hesitation what so ever. I tried to restart and a bit of a grinding sound came fromt he engine and it again stalled. The only way to keep it running is with my foot on the throttle and the sounds I am getting are not pleasent.
I got home took the turbo apart and there are some marks on the intake side from contact as well as what looks like contact marks on the exhaust side but I cant be sure. I also had a ding in one of my intake blades
My injectors were at 90% and i am running evo 8 injectors but I had 3 plugs lean and 1 looked normal. I know the AFR est is not accurate when you have a boost leak but it was reading as 12:1 start and 9:1 at the end of the pull. I am totally thrown here any ideas?

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

You answered your own question basically. If there is wheel damage, which is very common in the knockoff turbos, then it is junk. I wouldn't even bother with a rebuild and just get a new one. As far as the tuning part goes, if you KNOW you have a boost leak, DO NOT try to tune the car. That is the worst thing you can try to do. You are going to have to redo it anyways when you get the leak fixed so why not take the time to do it correct the first time and save yourself the headaches and expense. That is just basic car knowledge.

 

[associator]

I wasn't so much trying to tune the car as make sure that I would be able to run it on dsm link inthe mean time. All I had planned on doing was working with the fuel to get it to sit around 10:1 and I was going to leave the timing as it sat untill I got the new turbo in which I was already in the process of ordering. My question is does this sound like it fits the turbo is dead idea or would a turbo not cause the RPM drop like thism, and the inability to idle in any way

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Doesn't matter on the tuning. You can't dial in an A/F ratio with boost leaking. Every pull will give you different results. As far as the stalling, that sounds more like a tuning/boost problem. Even if the turbo did not spin at all you would still be able to run the car just fine.

 

[JusMX141]

You can't expect to get an accurate tune with a dying turbo. Airflow readings will be different literally every time you do a pull.

Buy a MHI Evo III, install it, and get your tune dialed in once and for all.