Help, Please!!! A few months ago I started getting a "hollow flutter" noise if I built up the boost and backed out of the throttle real fast. I was told to rebuild the turbo (90k miles), so I did. Noise went away for about 1,000 miles then started getting louder again, so now I have put on a new te-44 and it still makes the noise with as little as 5#boost. Also as a side note, the old stock, and the new 44 spool very slowly, 2.5 60 foot times with no tire spin. Boost will finally start pulling in second gear. Please help! Baffeled in Tehachapi.
Turbo FLUTTER? Help!
- Thread starter blckgnx
- Start date
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
That flutter is normal. Anytime you are in boost and take your foot off the gas pedal, the air comes back through the intercooler because it has nowhere else to go.
Rebuilding the turbo, I am sorry to say, was not necessary.
You are not hurting anything when the turbo does that.
Rebuilding the turbo, I am sorry to say, was not necessary.
You are not hurting anything when the turbo does that.
Brer Rabbit
Pursuit Specialist
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2005
The spooling issue...
Sounds like U need a torque convertor. Im a big fan of a Precision 9" but U might be better off with a 10" 2800-3000 stall. Then hold on cuz ur car will fly.
Sounds like U need a torque convertor. Im a big fan of a Precision 9" but U might be better off with a 10" 2800-3000 stall. Then hold on cuz ur car will fly.
Ditto,
This was me a few months ago :biggrin:
It's because our cars are Automatic that GM didn't feel the need for a blow off valve. A standard is always letting out of the throttle to shift gears unlike an auto where you simply leave it in drive. Now I will say on a more costly turbo, I would consider a BOV. It's a controversal subject when it comes to wether or not we're hurting our turbos or not by this turbo flutter. I believe to a small degree that we do cause a little wear but not enough to worry about on a stock turbo. But I'm not sure I would chance it on a 800.00 - 1500.00 turbo.
PS. I'm running a TE 44 also. You may need a high stall converter like mentioned above. My turbo spools very quickly.
I'm running a 9" 3000 stall. I plan on driving it around this way but It's not my daily driver though. I really can't say one way or the other about how well it works since I just bought the car and it came with this stall. So I'm not sure what the difference in how well a stock one performs vs my current converter. I do know there is a good size group that uses this stall in their DD.
blkgnx said:
Also on a side note, your car seems to drive around like my car. I'm wondering if you actually have transmession problems instead of turbo issues. My car starts out in second gear all the time...this makes for a slugish start at each green light. I mean it never down shifts to first gear when I come to a stop. Once the light turns green, I have to get around 15mph for the car to really move. The car also seems to have to make boost in order for it to start rolling during that first 15mph. Anyways, I think I've narrowed mine down to a bad stage rite transbrake. I just need to order a stock valve body to see if I'm right.
GNVYUS 1
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2002
You did not need to rebuild your turbo, I am curious to know the reason why that person recommended it?
As you free up more backpressure in the exhaust and inlet system on these cars, the turbos get louder. You might have done a few mods recently and now are starting to hear the turbo.
Have you done anything new to the car around the time of the noise?
You could be slow to spool for many reasons, but a 2.5 60ft is bad even for a D5 converter, that is not the main issue.
As you free up more backpressure in the exhaust and inlet system on these cars, the turbos get louder. You might have done a few mods recently and now are starting to hear the turbo.
Have you done anything new to the car around the time of the noise?
You could be slow to spool for many reasons, but a 2.5 60ft is bad even for a D5 converter, that is not the main issue.
Notacarlo, Yep! Come to think of it, I took out the stock air cleaner and put in one of those conical things by the evap canister. Guess that'll take care of the noise, but still real laggy (new word?) on the bottom. I'll go for a drive in a little bit and check to see if it is getting into 1st gear. Thanks again guys, looking forward to meeting some of you the 9th. later,Ron
OK, I'm stoked, sort of. Last night I saw pictures here, somwhere, of the little Y vac connector between the boost controller, actuator,and the compressor housing. I just drove my car and the trans is going into 1st gear OK, but I think the vac lines are wrong. Anyone have any ideas where I can find pics of those lines? Would it be safe to just switch em and try it? Its a brand new turbo, so I don't want to mess up again. Thanks again,Ron
try unhooking the hose to the wastegate, plug it so it dont leak vac/boost. Go for a ride and see if it boost quicker. Be ready, It Is going to try and go full boost and you dont want to let it do this. So let off the throttle when it reaches 10psi. But if the control system is causing you to have lag (opening the gate before it reaches boost level) then this test will show you. It will boost a lot quicker if the control system is causing it to not spool up quick.
Also any kinda of exhaust leak or leak in the intercooler & piping could cause this.
Jess
Um, I just blew a turbo doing that....boost can come up too quick. I will send you a link to the correct way to have that y fitting. Gimmie a minute.
Also, the diaphragm in that wastegate is 20+ years old (unless you got a new one) and can not be trusted. You can hook up a vac gauge to it to see if it holds - thus narrowing it down. Some of the bigger turbos have larger boost relief holes and your puck may not be covering it all the way.
Also, the diaphragm in that wastegate is 20+ years old (unless you got a new one) and can not be trusted. You can hook up a vac gauge to it to see if it holds - thus narrowing it down. Some of the bigger turbos have larger boost relief holes and your puck may not be covering it all the way.
If you blew a turbo that way there was something wrong with the turbo to beggin with.
But it probably would pay to be extra carefull and start out with part throttle test. The engine and the head gaskets arnt going to take it if you threw the throttle down and hold there if the boost goes up & you keep holding it. Not trying to be a A$$, But if you cant lift the throttle quick enough to keep it from blowing when doing a test like this, then you shouldnt be driving a car like this to begine with. And if you do lift but something still breaks it was on its way to breaking anyhow.
Jess
I did lift out at 20psi, it just climbed too fast. I think that plus backing out as fast as possible was responsible for the foul.
And when I say it climbed fast....I mean almost too fast for me to react.
So it was 50% me and 50% turbo, most liklely.
I'll take into consideration that maybe I shouldn't be driving a car like this, but I have been involved with them since '84.
And when I say it climbed fast....I mean almost too fast for me to react.
So it was 50% me and 50% turbo, most liklely.
I'll take into consideration that maybe I shouldn't be driving a car like this, but I have been involved with them since '84.
Man, I sure wish mine would spool that fast! I checked the trans and the vac lines only to find that they are both working correctly. I think that I will wait to talk to some others and possibly get a ride at the BBQ the 9th. I'm driving the car down there, so maybe a couple of you guys can drive this and tell me if its normal. I just am having a hard time believing these 60ft times on all this stock stuff. Like anything else, I guess its a matter of getting everything balanced and working together. I looks like a RJC power plate and boost controler, along with a "Turbo tweak" chip will be my first expendature. If I could get this car in the 12's, I would be extremely happy. Thanks for all the help. Ron
That really sounds like there was a problem with the turbo. It spooling to 20psi real quick & then being shut down should not of caused any trouble. The truth is it should be able to take alot more than that. But sometimes strange things do happen. One thing is for sure a person needs to be as carfull as he can and be ready to react. But if the turbo is slow spooling and then it is done this way if it is going to help it will be easy to tell very quick when it start going into boost.
But I do tend to forget that I do this stuff everyday and have for many years. What seems easy for me may be a nother story for someone else. But anytime working,tuning or trying new stuff with performance cars it pays to be ready for anything. A boost controller that got stuck would give the same results as testing it this way. And that is something you see alot.
Jess
