Turbo going, drive to school?

[Denji]

A week ago my car started making a whine while accelerating.. First i though tranny or transfer case, checked and changed fluid.. still there, then i checked my turbo, and SHAFT PLAY. I suppose this is what i get for trying to save some cash by purchasing used...it lasted for a year at least.

The turbo has an estimated 1 to 2 mm side to side play, with no in and out, i can feel it and see it move in there if i apply pressure back and forth.

I NEED to get to school, would it be safe to drive you think if i took it easy until i could get a temporary stock turbo replacement, or is this a no-go?

Also, opinions.. rebuild it or replace it? Wouldnt be immediate, gotta save up.

 

[compression]

I see no problem in driving it to school, it may smoke alittle bit or not make/hold boost like it should, but as far as hurting anything, as long as the compressor wheel doesnt come off and somehow make it through your engine i think youll be ok.

And as far as rebuild or replace, its much cheaper to rebuild it and you know it will last you a good amount of time, but if you were looking to upgrade sooner or later you might as well do it sooner since you are going to be pulling it off.

 

[Denji]

Is a turbo hard to rebuild on your own? i may take this route if possible. I am short on cash and only have around 150 in the bank to fix this for now

 

[bmwisthekey]

Just be glad you dont go to school in Norfolk or else you might have to replace a rim or some shocks every few months.

 

[MrBoxx]

Denji, you should be safe driving on it to and from school (how far one way, out of curiosity?) but I wouldn't do it for very long. As the shaft play gets worse, the compressor wheel will get more and more off balance, which will make the shaft play worse, etc. etc. ad infinitum. In other words, it's an exponential failure; starts out slow, gets progressively faster.

That said, keep an eye on the shaft play. Check the turbo every few days if you can. Any sign of bent fins or scraping on the compressor inlet, and any sign of oil in the intercooler pipes should tell you that the turbo's very close to being destructive to other parts of your car. At the point where fins are bending or the car is smoking like James Bond's Aston Martin, you need to stop driving it.

If you're still on the stock T25, I wouldn't even bother rebuilding it. You could either buy a replacement T25 for cheap from a Tuners member or you could bite the bullet and upgrade to a 14b/16g if you think your T25 will hold out long enough for you to get the funds for it. Keep us posted and good luck.

 

[Denji]

Just be glad you dont go to school in Norfolk or else you might have to replace a rim or some shocks every few months.

I DO go to school in norfolk, and strangely enough i had to replace two rims last semester.

 

[Denji]

Denji, you should be safe driving on it to and from school (how far one way, out of curiosity?) but I wouldn't do it for very long. As the shaft play gets worse, the compressor wheel will get more and more off balance, which will make the shaft play worse, etc. etc. ad infinitum. In other words, it's an exponential failure; starts out slow, gets progressively faster.

That said, keep an eye on the shaft play. Check the turbo every few days if you can. Any sign of bent fins or scraping on the compressor inlet, and any sign of oil in the intercooler pipes should tell you that the turbo's very close to being destructive to other parts of your car. At the point where fins are bending or the car is smoking like James Bond's Aston Martin, you need to stop driving it.

If you're still on the stock T25, I wouldn't even bother rebuilding it. You could either buy a replacement T25 for cheap from a Tuners member or you could bite the bullet and upgrade to a 14b/16g if you think your T25 will hold out long enough for you to get the funds for it. Keep us posted and good luck.

about 15 highway miles to school and 5 city. Its a t28 killer. Thanks guys.

 

[bmwisthekey]

I DO go to school in norfolk, and strangely enough i had to replace two rims last semester.

, you know exactly what im talking about then

 

[bmwisthekey]

I just looked in your profile see that you attend ODU, thats cool. Nice campus my cousin goes there as well, ive got a handful of ODU alums in my family, go Monarchs!

 

[JLangevin]

You can always of course, slow the wear on the bearing from turning the boost down... WAY down. If your actuator spring is stiffer than factory boost, well, take it easy... remember, the best boost controller is your own foot. Resist the temptation to race or drive like a fool until you fix the problem. Your head and internals are depending on it.