85 HA new engine, new ta44

[BRAD_PADGETT]

Ok finally after $280.00 dollars we got the turbo back yesterday with the old bearings, they are scarred just like Work said, there is a new shaft and new impeller wheel and all new bearings, but this piece of crap feels just like it did when we sent it to them, it's still got a lot of drag on it when you free spin it by hand it will make @ 1 complete turn and stop. The guy that owns the car and is paying the bill has been trying to contact Work but they haven't responded back. What a nitemare



Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

I have a stock rebuilt turbo from Limit Engineering on my shelf and the free spin is around 1/8 of a turn. This turbo runs fine. I can also test my TA33 from Precision Turbo if you want me too. I bet it is the same. Brad

 

[GMTECH12002]

I have a stock rebuilt turbo from Limit Engineering on my shelf and the free spin is around 1/8 of a turn. This turbo runs fine. I can also test my TA33 from Precision Turbo if you want me too. I bet it is the same. Brad

thanks for that, that seems crazy to only have an 1/8 of a turn of freespin, so i rechecked this turbo and it has about a 1/2 turn of freespin when spinning by hand, seems awful tight to me, and besides that it feels no better what so ever than it did when i sent it to them to be inspected.

 

[charlief1]

Ok finally after $280.00 dollars we got the turbo back yesterday with the old bearings, they are scarred just like Work said, there is a new shaft and new impeller wheel and all new bearings, but this piece of crap feels just like it did when we sent it to them, it's still got a lot of drag on it when you free spin it by hand it will make @ 1 complete turn and stop. The guy that owns the car and is paying the bill has been trying to contact Work but they haven't responded back. What a nightmare

It's only got a small amount of lube in the bearings right now and once it's pressurized with oil it will spin smoother. A new turbo doesn't always spin as freely since it's only got assembly lube in it.

 

[GMTECH12002]

That's what I thought the first time I put it on, I said to myself surely this drag will free up after break in, but it didn't ever loosen up, so anyway, there's really nothing left to do but bolt it on and hope for the best cause Work sure ain't gonna fix it


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[junkbrick]

That's what I thought the first time I put it on, I said to myself surely this drag will free up after break in, but it didn't ever loosen up, so anyway, there's really nothing left to do but bolt it on and hope for the best cause Work sure ain't gonna fix it


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

The reason the turbocharger is "tight" is because I use an assembly grease on the thrust bearing and carbon seal area...after you heat cycle the turbocharger a few times it will disperse into the engine's oil just fine. If you guys have any concerns or questions, please give me a call, PM or email...I will respond and help you out!

Thank you,
Reed Patridge, Owner
Work Turbochargers

reed@workturbochargers.com
205.516.3946 shop cell
205.874.6608 shop direct

 

[GMTECH12002]

The reason the turbocharger is "tight" is because I use an assembly grease on the thrust bearing and carbon seal area...after you heat cycle the turbocharger a few times it will disperse into the engine's oil just fine. If you guys have any concerns or questions, please give me a call, PM or email...I will respond and help you out!

Thank you,
Reed Patridge, Owner
Work Turbochargers

reed@workturbochargers.com
205.516.3946 shop cell
205.874.6608 shop direct

I appreciate that theory Reed however this newly rebuilt turbo feels absolutely no different than it did when we sent it to you, at which point you tore it down and said it needed rebuilt again. The point being the guy that owns this car spent @ 300.0 dollars on top if the original 850.00 to get a turbo that feels just like it did before you rebuilt it for the second time. Put another way, the first time this turbo was pulled out of the box new from gbody.com the drag felt just like it did 10 months later with less than a couple hundred miles on it, and just like it did a couple weeks ago when I pulled it out of the box after you rebuilt it again. I look for a couple hundred miles of use and then needing another turbo, kinda expensive at 850 a pop and 300 on top of that for a few hundred miles of service don't you think.


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[bison]

That's what I thought the first time I put it on, I said to myself surely this drag will free up after break in, but it didn't ever loosen up, so anyway, there's really nothing left to do but bolt it on and hope for the best cause Work sure ain't gonna fix it

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

There should be drag on your turbo. It has a carbon seal which creates a lot more drag than a dynamic style seal and is easily distinguishable when spinning the shaft with no oil flowing through it. You would have to convert to blow through to be able to use a dynamic thrust assembly.

 

[junkbrick]

I appreciate that theory Reed however this newly rebuilt turbo feels absolutely no different than it did when we sent it to you, at which point you tore it down and said it needed rebuilt again. The point being the guy that owns this car spent @ 300.0 dollars on top if the original 850.00 to get a turbo that feels just like it did before you rebuilt it for the second time. Put another way, the first time this turbo was pulled out of the box new from gbody.com the drag felt just like it did 10 months later with less than a couple hundred miles on it, and just like it did a couple weeks ago when I pulled it out of the box after you rebuilt it again. I look for a couple hundred miles of use and then needing another turbo, kinda expensive at 850 a pop and 300 on top of that for a few hundred miles of service don't you think.


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

Also understand that this turbo is a carbon sealed unit because of the draw through system present in the 84-85 models. It will feel very tight compared to any dynamically sealed turbo design. If he has any questions, concerns or problems I will very promptly take care of it. And it is not a theory, just a fact...it will be tight until it gets some miles on it. When it arrived back to us, the reason it was tight was due to the bearing clearances being opened up beyond specification, allowing the rear piston ring to bind from excessive radial motion.

Feel free to ask any specific questions and I will be more than happy to explain any of it in very great detail.

Best Regards,
Reed

 

[hotairgnx548]

Also understand that this turbo is a carbon sealed unit because of the draw through system present in the 84-85 models. It will feel very tight compared to any dynamically sealed turbo design. If he has any questions, concerns or problems I will very promptly take care of it. And it is not a theory, just a fact...it will be tight until it gets some miles on it. When it arrived back to us, the reason it was tight was due to the bearing clearances being opened up beyond specification, allowing the rear piston ring to bind from excessive radial motion.

Feel free to ask any specific questions and I will be more than happy to explain any of it in very great detail.

Best Regards,
Reed

My 2 cents worth after reading Reeds posts is call him and tell him it in detail sounds like he'll straighten it out> I met Reed several years ago and feel he's a straight up guy. See ya! John

 

[GMTECH12002]

Reed was called on the phone and the very best he could do was charge no labor for the rebuild, anyhow, the turbo is on the car now with an inline filter, and it will be treated very gingerly until at least some trust is built into the reliability of the turbo by driving it several hundred miles. Im glad its not my money, however, it is my labor, so if the turbo lasts this time then, case closed, if it comes apart again, then buyer beware of Work Turbos and all there services.

 

[turbonut85]

Sorry man.....but, posting something like "if it works out then case closed, and if not, then buyer beware" is a dick move, in my opinion. You really should wait and see what happens, and then see how the guy responds IF something happens before you post words on the Internet like "buyer beware" and the company name, before anything actually happens...and like stated previously....you didn't buy the turbo directly from said company...it should have been handled by the company who took your $$$. I don't have a dog in this fight, so my opinion probably doesn't matter...just thought I'd say something before another one of the VERY FEW companies out there that actually support the hot air cars is alienated because some one posted negative words that will now forever be associated with their company name...via every google search....before anything negative has happened.

 

[junkbrick]

Reed was called on the phone and the very best he could do was charge no labor for the rebuild, anyhow, the turbo is on the car now with an inline filter, and it will be treated very gingerly until at least some trust is built into the reliability of the turbo by driving it several hundred miles. Im glad its not my money, however, it is my labor, so if the turbo lasts this time then, case closed, if it comes apart again, then buyer beware of Work Turbos and all there services.

If the turbocharger gives you guys any problems at all, I want to know about it. If there is anything that falls back on Work Turbochargers for the cause of failure, it will be taken care of no questions asked. If you have any questions that need to be answered regarding break in, oil type, pre filter specifications...anything, just ask.

My diagnosis of contaminates in the oil causing the failure were pretty specific, and the turbocharger showed no signs of oil starvation or over speed...so if the pre filter does its job, and the oil quality/quantity remains favorable then the turbo will live a long and healthy life.

Please keep me posted.

Reed Patridge

 

[GMTECH12002]

Sorry man.....but, posting something like "if it works out then case closed, and if not, then buyer beware" is a dick move, in my opinion. You really should wait and see what happens, and then see how the guy responds IF something happens before you post words on the Internet like "buyer beware" and the company name, before anything actually happens...and like stated previously....you didn't buy the turbo directly from said company...it should have been handled by the company who took your $$$. I don't have a dog in this fight, so my opinion probably doesn't matter...just thought I'd say something before another one of the VERY FEW companies out there that actually support the hot air cars is alienated because some one posted negative words that will now forever be associated with their company name...via every google search....before anything negative has happened.[/q

lets see if i can answer this post without causing more questions, the turbo was bought through gbodyparts, they WILL NOT service any warranty work on the turbos they sell, they direct you to Work directly for warranty work. Work then makes the decision on their own whether or not they find a warranted repair. In this case, and i truly feel many other cases, they found an excuse to deny warranty repair on this turbo. Work was contacted several times about this turbo before, during and after the time they had it in their possesion, they chose to charge almost 300 dollars to rebuild it instead of covering the charges under there warranty. We gave Work opportunities to be our very own hero but they chose to not warranty this turbo, they did however supposedly fix it at a discounted rate. This post is all about me and the car owner getting information on this turbo, and this company named Work. For the cost of the repair of this turbo, which is just under 300.00 they could have saved themselves any negative press about them and really, really earned a return customer for years to come. Work chose to not handle this case this way, so I say again, Buyer Beware, just because you get a warranty with your turbo from Work, doesnt mean your turbo will be repaired under warranty. One last thing i should add, thanks Bison to your opinion on how this turbo should act normally, it just came a little late, but i do appreciate it none the less, i understand your a respected member here, especially when it comes to turbos. Its been a learning experience for me and the owner of the car, which is the purpose of these forums and posts just like this. Just wish we could have learned this lesson before the money was spent, now this will help people in the future, again fulfilling the purpose of online forums such as Turbobuick.com

 

[turbonut85]

Do you think precision or turbonetics or any other turbo manufacturer out there would fix your turbo for free if the bearings are full of trash and you weren't running any sort of turbo saver?? IMHO you're dreaming if you truly believe that. If Work turbo wanted to be dicks about it (like you claim) they could have sent it back to you and told you to piss off...they didn't...they rebuilt I for the cost of parts...pretty stand up if you ask me. If you want my honest opinion...I say seller beware. Just my .02

 

[boostmaster]

Do you think precision or turbonetics or any other turbo manufacturer out there would fix your turbo for free if the bearings are full of trash and you weren't running any sort of turbo saver?? IMHO you're dreaming if you truly believe that. If Work turbo wanted to be dicks about it (like you claim) they could have sent it back to you and told you to piss off...they didn't...they rebuilt I for the cost of parts...pretty stand up if you ask me. If you want my honest opinion...I say seller beware. Just my .02

Not having a dog in this fight but I just want to say that maybe you're missing the whole point. At the most a new bearing kit for a standard turbo only costs anywhere between 20-100.00 and that's probably on the high side. I can go down to the local diesel turbo shop and they have rebuilt most of the turbos I have taken them with and without bearing failure for 300.00 or less. That has been the norm as long as there was no wheel failure. In that case I send it back to the vendor. There was another thread here where a members ported throttle body failed years later after the purchase and damaged the turbo. Guess what? The vender didn't have to do it but he repaired the throttle body and paid for the turbo repair. Why? Because that is what customer service is about. Me being in the automotive business understand that. I realize that most of my cost is labor and if I lose a little on parts the bulk of what I will lose is on my time and that costs me nothing if it will gain me 2-3 loyal customers. So if there is truly not any negligence on the part of the customer then why not make him happy and inform him on how to prevent the problem again.

 

[turbonut85]

Ok finally after $280.00 dollars we got the turbo back yesterday with the old bearings, they are scarred just like Work said, there is a new shaft and new impeller wheel and all new bearings, but this piece of crap feels just like it did when we sent it to them, it's still got a lot of drag on it when you free spin it by hand it will make @ 1 complete turn and stop. The guy that owns the car and is paying the bill has been trying to contact Work but they haven't responded back. What a nitemare



Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

Maybe I AM missing something........$280 seems just about right for all new bearings, AND a new turbine wheel and shaft.........IDK?

 

[bison]

Maybe I AM missing something........$280 seems just about right for all new bearings, AND a new turbine wheel and shaft.........IDK?

Seems low to me. I know how much these parts are. If the wheel(s) are from garrett they aren't cheap at all. Bearing housing was probably replaced also but I can't say for sure since it wasn't in my possession. I trust Reed's judgment. I've learned a lot from him myself. There's a lot more to these than just throwing them together with a parts kit. Shafts have to be checked even when they are new, bearing housing has to be inspected and cleaned up, Re-balancing, etc. Lots of time involved in making these right.

 

[junkbrick]

Seems low to me. I know how much these parts are. If the wheel(s) are from garrett they aren't cheap at all. Bearing housing was probably replaced also but I can't say for sure since it wasn't in my possession. I trust Reed's judgment. I've learned a lot from him myself. There's a lot more to these than just throwing them together with a parts kit. Shafts have to be checked even when they are new, bearing housing has to be inspected and cleaned up, Re-balancing, etc. Lots of time involved in making these right.

Thanks for the compliment Brian...and yes, the bearing housing was also replaced. I used Garrett for the turbine wheel, my own service kit made from Garrett and Work parts, Garrett bearing housing and all my labor. Lucky the guys caught the problem before it generated enough bearing clearance to allow the compressor wheel to touch down. I try to use only the best parts that we can get our hands on...we always put a focus on quality. I extended the customer WD pricing on all the parts to try and help out as much as possible, that is why the price was "low".

 

[GMTECH12002]

Not having a dog in this fight but I just want to say that maybe you're missing the whole point. At the most a new bearing kit for a standard turbo only costs anywhere between 20-100.00 and that's probably on the high side. I can go down to the local diesel turbo shop and they have rebuilt most of the turbos I have taken them with and without bearing failure for 300.00 or less. That has been the norm as long as there was no wheel failure. In that case I send it back to the vendor. There was another thread here where a members ported throttle body failed years later after the purchase and damaged the turbo. Guess what? The vender didn't have to do it but he repaired the throttle body and paid for the turbo repair. Why? Because that is what customer service is about. Me being in the automotive business understand that. I realize that most of my cost is labor and if I lose a little on parts the bulk of what I will lose is on my time and that costs me nothing if it will gain me 2-3 loyal customers. So if there is truly not any negligence on the part of the customer then why not make him happy and inform him on how to prevent the problem again.

Exactly, thanks for that


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[turbonut85]

Thanks for the compliment Brian...and yes, the bearing housing was also replaced. I used Garrett for the turbine wheel, my own service kit made from Garrett and Work parts, Garrett bearing housing and all my labor. Lucky the guys caught the problem before it generated enough bearing clearance to allow the compressor wheel to touch down. I try to use only the best parts that we can get our hands on...we always put a focus on quality. I extended the customer WD pricing on all the parts to try and help out as much as possible, that is why the price was "low".

My point exactly.