Shaft Play!

[vulpes]

Hi there, brand new to the forum and brand new to owning an Xr6 turbo. I bought my ba ute last week with 77,000 k's on it. Only after a while did I realise I could hear the turbo still spinning on its bearings after the engine was turned off. I drove it to nowra from sydney this weekend and it goes pretty well but not as much as I expected. At full throttle it was surging, I can only assume the turbo is stuffed enough that it is not keeping the supply of air up to the engine. I have pulled th ecar apart tonight and am having a bugger of a time getting the turbo off. That silly bracket holding the exhaust manifold and turbo to the block is a mongrel to get to. I assume its just easier to take off the entire manifold. Can you please tell me where this filter is located you are talking about. I am assuming mine is cactus.

Any help on removal tips, filter position and where to get my turbo fixed ( I was quoted $1,500 today for a new core ? yet I see somebody say they should be about $1,250 )

thanks in advance

Darryl

[PHANTMXR6]

Um. I hope you did some homework before you decided your turbo was cactus.

Surging in the top end normally points to fuel supply issues.

The turbo oil supply screen is on the l/h side of the block below the inlet manifold. Just follow the pipe from the turbo back to it. It will be banjo connected to the pipe and oil pressure sender.

Good luck.

[Full Monty]

Hi there, brand new to the forum and brand new to owning an Xr6 turbo. I bought my ba ute last week with 77,000 k's on it. Only after a while did I realise I could hear the turbo still spinning on its bearings after the engine was turned off. I drove it to nowra from sydney this weekend and it goes pretty well but not as much as I expected. At full throttle it was surging, I can only assume the turbo is stuffed enough that it is not keeping the supply of air up to the engine. I have pulled th ecar apart tonight and am having a bugger of a time getting the turbo off. That silly bracket holding the exhaust manifold and turbo to the block is a mongrel to get to. I assume its just easier to take off the entire manifold. Can you please tell me where this filter is located you are talking about. I am assuming mine is cactus.

Any help on removal tips, filter position and where to get my turbo fixed ( I was quoted $1,500 today for a new core ? yet I see somebody say they should be about $1,250 )

thanks in advance

Darryl

Woah! The turbo's can be heard spinning down on all Xr6T's especially if they weren't up to full operating temp, and unless its a full on grinding / screeching sound, its totally normal.

Your surging issue could be many things, and not likely the turbo itself: I'd be looking at the following before pulling the turbo off:

Lazy Wastegate actuator (weak spring)

Blocked solenoid line to actuator

Torque table issues (I recall there was an update for standard cars with surging issues)

Unless you are hearing metal on metal sounds, or have excessive play Front to rear or side to side in the compressor wheel, its unlikely to be fragged,

(1mm or so play is normal - when cold, as it heats up and expands, and oil lubricates the bearings the play is reduced).

The oil feed filter to the turbo is located down behind the main oil filter, its a *beep* to get to, and be careful to not kink the pipe, but I'd be replacing it on a 2nd hand car with unknown service intervals and oil quality, as it gets blocked with carbon deposits and starves the turbo of oil. The oil feed filter is a simple banjo bolt fitting, with a hollowed centre and 4 holes feeding the oil through a tight mesh screen. to replace costs around $60 from ford, and its not worth trying to clean it, as small metal fragments will remain in the screen partially blocking it.

Jeez I hope you didn't go too far in stripping it down, without checking some of these things first.

[Ralph Wiggum]

My turbo has been noisy on wind down since i bought the car at 12000k. Its still noisy at 98000k's. Its totally normal

[ebxmple]

If the turbo shaft hasnt got excessive play,leave it alone as you will just be waisting your time and money.

Have you checked your air and fuel filters and have you checked for any boost leaks or even checked your spark plugs?

These and others opinions are alot easier and cheaper to check first and are more likely to cause your surging before a f*cked turbo.

And since you have the oil feed line off check that its not blocked and the replacement line filter from Ford now has a larger hole and longer filter so replace it whilst your at it.

[jacob_xr6turbo]

wow why do people just start ripping their turbo's off before getting a second opinion?

It's more likely your coils or fuel supply causing the surging, as people have said.

[Full Monty]

faulty coils, and or plugs produce more of a stuttering than surging, surging to me implies lack of fuel or fluctuating supply of fuel or air.

Fuel pump, fuel filter, regulator, injectors, actuator - solenoid, sticking wastegate etc would be at the top of my list before ripping the turbo off, Did you remove the turbo inlet pipe and feel the turbine for smooth rotation, and evidence of turbine scraping housing / excessive play before taking it off?

[vulpes]

hi there, thanks so much for all your comments. Yes I got the turbo off but all is not lost. It seems like I can just put it back in then. I am glad I pulled it off though because there were several issues I found in doing so. First, previously a ford dealer had done some work on the car and they left half the bolts undone on the turbo flange, I could hear the leak when it was on boost so dont mind fixing that. Second of all they stripped a bolt into the head so that will have to fixed as well. There is some play in the shaft fore and aft. Should there be any ? I understand the up and down is taken out with oil pressure. Thanks in advance guys you have been very helpful, now I will just get some new gaskets, some new bolts and fix the leaks if you think the fore and aft play in the shaft is ok.

Cheers

Darryl

[vulpes]

yes monty I did remove the pipe and check for rotation. I have a lot of experience with turbo chargers but not roller bearing ones. I am used to no play in the shaft at all on a normal turbo. Mine spins well and does not scrape but it did have movement which threw me.

[Full Monty]

Now its off, you might as well take it in to a local Turbo specialist and get em to give you their opinion over the counter, whether the amount of play is within spec. but it sounds fine to me.

Ring Nizpro, speak to simon or Dave and get them to express mail you their high temp inconnel turbo studs and locknuts (4) and metal turbo to manifold gasket....these inconnel studs are resiliant to heat and resist stretching and loosening.

For the sake of a day or 2 wait, you wont have to tighten them every 5,000kms...mine havent loosened since installing them 40,000kms ago

This is the reason your turbo was loose in the first place, the standard studs, once heat stressed, can loosen withing 1-2,000kms again.

only fix is to replace the studs.

also helicoil the stripped head thread whilst the mainifold is off, mine had to be removed to do it.

Edited 22/07/09 11:55 PM by Full Monty