Hi guys, I need words of wisdom here. 2001 7.3, moderate mods, chip, injectors, intercooler, compressor, etc. I was hauling a load, running well, only 10 miles into trip, I started to get a run on a mountain, was taching 2900 rpms ready to upshift when something popped and the truck fell on its face. I have all the guages - fuel pressure, water temp, oil temp, and pyro all good, but completely lost boost. I have a new set of RiffRaff intercooler boots on and a older banks intercooler. I know it sounds like a boot, but I can't find a problem there. I think its something else because I have an ATS compressor wheel and housing that makes a VERY audible whistle, now I have nothing, no whistle, no air leak noise, nothing. The motor sounds fine, no knocking, no oil in water or water in oil, no signs of fuel in oil. The motor really sounds fine, just no boost - 0 psi, and no power, it struggles to hit 55 mph on the flat in 5 miles, i seriously hit 58 downhill. If I turn up the chip it just rolls black smoke with a small increase in power. I found 2 missing bolts and a blowed O-ring on the compressor housing, fixed it with no change. The turbo has no in/out movement but does have left/right movement in the shaft that has nicked the compressor wheel fins slightly, but it spins freely. Whats your thoughts?

 

You almost certainly have a boost leak.

You could have popped the intercooler, or a plenum boot....or as simple as a boot you can't see.

The only way to know for sure is build a boost leak detector.


Trey has you covered in the video.

 

Steve, thanks for the feedback, thanks to you and Trey I made the leak tester, but minimal leak. I tightened 2 clamps to stop some bubbles then I almost popped my intake hose like a balloon with a little too much air. Some blowby air out the oil fill neck. Still no boost, What's the next guess?

 

Dang, I thought for sure that would be it.

Well if you aren't getting boost, exhaust sounds normal.....my next guess, (maybe should have been first)guess would be MAP sensor.

Do you have access to a scan tool? You can hook up your boost leak detector at 20psi and then verify that the MAP sensor is seeing the same.

What really confuses me about this whole thing is that you are getting black smoke. I had an issue where I lost the MAP signal to my PCM (2000 7.3l) my symptoms
where just no boost/no power/no smoke.I don't was stock tuning at the time so that could have played a role.

It would be a good idea to get a MOD to move this to the 7.3l diesel section. Most of the guys down there not get up this way very often.

 

Moved to the 7.3 forum

 

I personally have been fortunate enough to have not experienced turbo failure. But I'm pretty confident that is something that needs addressed now before it get's worse and possibly causes more damage. How does the exhaust side of the turbo look?

 

One more test. Key On Engine Off, puff up the intake, look at your boost gauge. If you're building measurable boost here but not while driving, then the exhaust side or the turbo let go.

 

What Rich said.
Your exhaust wheel might be in the muffler.

 

I do build boost with engine off and air applied. I hit almost 30 psi on my pillar Guage. Also, in the stock setting there is no smoke, just when I turn it up, then black smoke but no boost or power. I didnt pull the turbo yet to see the exhaust side. The intake side spins free but is wore.

 

Also, I unhooked the red vacuum to the waste gate and it made no change at all.

 

i feel for ya. When my turbo let loose (4+ yrs ago), i have yet to find where my boost went..(10-12psi max). Anyhow, you go back to basics? Remove chip, keep redline hooked, boost leak detector pumped up and wet everything with soapy water..(Tugly found leaks under the intake horns/plenums). With checking exhuast side, undothe downpipe and put light into exhaust side turbine and if anything, use a reach mirror to take a gander...good luck.

 

Do you have a scan tool to see if the PCM is seeing the same boost as the gauge?

When I lost my MAP signal to the PCM my truck would not pull itself out of its own way and had zero smoke with stock tuning .

How loud was the pop you heard? Was it more .22 with good hearing protection or .45acp and you forgot your ears? Take a look at the map sensor and see if is still one piece.

 

Steve, .22 pop, loud enough to get my attention but that was all. Put together with loss of a couple hundred horsepower made me stop instantly.

I don't have a scan tool. It might be time to get one, is there one that you recommend?

I'll be inspecting the exhaust side of the turbo and a visual at least on the MAP hopefully tonight.

 

I removed the map sensor, thoroughly checked it out and found no problems. Then I removed the exhaust from the turbo and gazed through my mirror to see the carnage. The main shaft of the turbo broke sending the exhaust wheel bouncing like a ball in the turbo. The pop must have been when it bent the ebpv at a 45* angle on the first impact.
So, what's the consensus on the biggest streetable replacement turbo? I was considering the H2e. And where to buy one. I now have to convince the wife of how much of an advantage a bigger turbo will be. LOL

 

If you're gonna go the T4 route, do a search on the Bell BASB. It's a modified S300. There are threads on PSA and PSN where those who have tried it, absolutely love it for an all around turbo.

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