Tonight I pulled the turbo, and oil was everywhere. It was coating the inside of the IC tube, the boots connecting it, the downpipe, everywhere air or exhaust was moving. I did find that the extra HPOP made it a lot tougher to maneuver the turbo out.

Anyway, I got it on the bench and went to disassembling it, and what I found was not good. The compressor wheel has rubbed the ATS housing. I pulled the exhaust housing off, and the housing is ok, but the turbine wheel is shot. It has been rubbing the center section, and worn away about 1mm or more of material of the back/inside of the wheel. The end of the blades now look like a hook on what should be the flat side. Also, the ring seal on the exhaust side was not in the groove, and half of it fell out of the center section. I don't know where the other half is.

So, I'm forced to use the van turbo I've got. I will rebuild it with the kit that's on the way, hopefully it will be here on Saturday. I've got a spare compressor blade that I'll use, but it's got a few groves on it from when the van turbo started to go out while it was briefly on the truck. My only concern is if there has been too much damage done to the ATS housing to cause a problem. It looks like the tolerances will be ok, and there's maybe only 0.25mm of material that's been removed.

I think I'll just assemble what I have, and see how it runs. Money is so tight right now, I'm really not in a position to be buying a new ATS housing. And now I don't know what I'll do with my 1.15 exhaust housing that fits the truck turbo...sell it I guess.

Here are some pics of the damage. Click on the thumbnails to see the full size version in my webshots, where there are a few more pics.

Turbine wheel, and in the second one you can see the half of the ring seal laying on the towel:

Compressor wheel and ATS housing:

 

Damn, thats some carnage! Glad to here that you'll be up and running soon.

 

Wow..ouch!! Sorry man. Sounds like you've got a good bandaid until the replacement parts arive. Keep us posted, and thanks for sharing the pics.

 

Oh yeah...I've been thinking about that ATS housing. Any ideas on why it was rubbing?

 

Ouch.

Ouch damn, thats all i have to say on that. Looks like there is nothing salvageable, i wouldnt even use that centersection. Wonder where all of that metal on the compressor went, i would have the Spearco flushed. Ouch. Damn. I wouldn't even reuse that ATS unless it was perfect, because you would not believe the amout of boost you will lose if there is even that .25mm, and take into consideration that is .25mm all the way from the inducer to the exducer, not just a nick. Make it much less efficient. Is there any pics of the thrust bearing?

Ouch.

 

Thats what i was wondering?

 

It was rubbing because I had about 3mm of lateral movement in the turbo shaft due to a failure of the seals.

 

It was a failure of the thrust bearing which caused failure of the seals.

 

I'm not going to use the old center section at all. I'm going to use the center section from the van turbo I have. I just need your advice on how to properly assemble the ring seals and the other things you mentioned to me.

I honestly don't think there's much metal missing from the compressor side. And what came off was most likely in a dust form, which has probably already passed through the IC, engine, and out the exhaust.

I don't have much choice but to run the ATS housing I have now. It's the only thing I've got. And, I cannot afford to buy a new one at the moment. Losing a few pounds of boost is better than the alternative right now, which would be not being able to make the truck payment and losing my whole truck. Christmas was a lot harder on my wallet than what I had thought.

As you requested, here are some pics of the thrust bearing:

 

Jeremy, do you need a free stock van compressor housing? Let me know and I'll drop it in the mail tomorrow. I have no need for it. PM me if you do.

 

Will it bolt to a -38R?

 

I thought that the 38R was wastegated? Or does that even matter?

 

It won't be if I put a 1.15 housing on it

 

Scott, I honestly don't know. It may, but I have no way of knowing for sure. I do know that Garrett makes a 1.15 non WG housing for your turbo, and this may very well be the same housing. I can take some very detailed measurements with the digital calipers if you wanted me to.

 

Thanks. Check your PM.