Does the turbo spin at idle?

[NHRA Super Gas]

I just installed my newly rebuilt TA60...Limit told me the likely cause of bearing failure (and resulting James Bond smokescreen) was some holdover bearing material, likely from engine break-in. Motor has less than 2k miles on it and was apparently broken in with new turbo.

Anyway, I was considering blocking off the oil line to the turbo and running a fresh oil change/filter for 15 mins at idle, then change once more just to make sure everything is rinsed away. Would there be any harm in this?

 

[ESP Products]

STOP!!! Exhaust passes through the turbine and must, MUST spin the turbo. Do NOT cut off the oil. We have, once, run the engine with no turbo on it at all. It would be work if your turbo is already in place. Once again, your turbo always spins while the engine runs. Suggest: remove oil feed and "T" and clean very well, with new turbo installation.

Hope this helps you.

 

[Blown&Injected]

I have seen several turbos on different engines that have wiped bearings and blown motors and that never hurt the turbos.

My engine has had a couple of failures: bearings and crank, 2 wiped cams on the #3e lobe, bearings again when an oil galley plug popped out. Each time I circulated lots of junk and the same turbo is fine. One my first rebuild I thought just a flush of the oil cooler would be good enough. It was too late to have learned about it not being possible to totally clean the stock cooler. I was told that my turbo would be dead in no time. Still working fine...

I believe it is possible to hurt the turbo from junk in the oil but I also believe there are some that are WAY TO FAST to place the blame on junk in the oil. All the junk I have circulated and it did not hurt my turbo and let me add this: If it were not for bad luck, I would have no luck at all, so I can't help but think that a brand new turbo that dies very early in its life is probably not just because of some break-in junk in the oil

All Just IMHO, YMMV

 

[NHRA Super Gas]

Thanks

OK, it was just a bit of potential extra insurance. I'll just buy the best filter I can and run it normal.

As for the junk in turbo theory...I have to agree and am a little skeptical too. We'll see if this fixes it.

 

[JayC]

So now Limit is playing that card too, huh?

History just keeps repeating itself.

 

[Black Car]

OK, it was just a bit of potential extra insurance. I'll just buy the best filter I can and run it normal.

As for the junk in turbo theory...I have to agree and am a little skeptical too. We'll see if this fixes it.

If you are worried, then put an oil filter on the line before the turbo. Look up Red Regal T oil filter for the turbo in the parts for sale section.

Gary

 

[Blown&Injected]

What was the deal with the turbo that went bad?

I hope it was not a new turbo; really sucks to have new stuff that does ot work right.

For the record, I did not say anything about Limit, indeed I only recall reading good things about them. I was just commenting on the dirty oil excuse I have read about and do not recall what mfr or vendor was the source.

Every turbo failure I have had was clearly the fault of external things that were easy to ID, like for instance a piece of the O2 sensor.

 

[Blown&Injected]

Now that the Political Correctness hogwash is out of the way back to tech.

You do know that you must upgrade the turbo while it is in the shop, right? It is against all engine protocol to dig into engine components just to put it back to the way it was before :biggrin:

 

[RUQWKNF]

If you are worried about foreign material working it's way to your bearings in your new turbo, why not run one of these magnets on the oil filter itself?

https://secure.mysuperpageshosting.com/kirbanperformance.com/index1.htm

It certainly wouldn't hurt anything.
Just a thought.

Patrick

 

[gnxtc2]

What happened to the previous motor? Did you clean/replace/eliminate the stock oil cooler?

IMHO the stock oil cooler can not be cleaned, it is a honeycomb type.

My Turbonetics BB T70 has a screen filter at the oil feed.

Billy T.
gnxtc2@aol.com

 

[Ormand]

The oil filter magnet, if it works at all, will ONLY work on particle of iron and steel. Bearings, pistons, other engine parts are made of non-magnetic alloys, so any little pieces of them floating around would definitely miss the magnet.

 

[Turbo1dr]

So now Limit is playing that card too, huh?

History just keeps repeating itself.

ATR done the same thing to me back in 1994.

 

[S2V6RACER]

Craig did that to me a few years ago, although he did warranty the turbo, he stated metal went through the turbo. Weird thing is the shaft was tight and it leaked oil into the turbine housing.

Motor had idle time on it only (BRAND NEW TURBO) and had 2 other turbos on it after that and they are still fine.


Running the PTE remote oil system.

 

[Steve]

When I bought my new turbo from Limit and told them that I was putting it on a new motor they suggested I break the motor in on my old turbo to keep debris from going thru the new turbo and possibly damaging it. I ended up buying the turbo oil filter from Red Regal T and used it when I was breaking in the new motor and no problems at all so far. I cut the filter open after around 500 miles and there was some debris in the filter. When Limit told me me to be careful they weren't making excuses because the turbo was new but just the fact that they suggested that before there was an issue suggests to me that there must be some validity to it.

 

[tom h]

Since the oil line to the turbo is after the oil filter, how is this "debris" supposed to be getting into the turbo bearings? Through the stock bypass-valve on the stock oil pump cover, perhaps?

 

[bison]

Since the oil line to the turbo is after the oil filter, how is this "debris" supposed to be getting into the turbo bearings? Through the stock bypass-valve on the stock oil pump cover, perhaps?

Yes. If the pressure reaches the bypass pressure then the oil being circulated is bypass oil. Its very easy for a turbo to get f'd up from this. The turbo will thrust toward the compressor inlet under boost and ram the metal particles into the thrust bearing. This will cause an eventual thrust bearing failure. The metal will also score the shaft and get embedded in the collar bearings. Especially if there is a cam or bearing problem. If you have a filter in series with the turbo feed line you will be ok. This however will not do anything to protect the engine from floating debris or stop a problem that has already started.