Ummmm, My Car Has "issues..."

[GoldZilla]

Hey guys (and girls), I have some bad news...

Went to the NSW Central Coast today with the family, as I'm currently on holidays and have relo's here from overseas. I was on the way home, turned off the M2 motorway onto Old Windsor Road, gave my car a quick stab in second gear to get past some slower cars, and then "POP!" - no boost!!!

Lucky for me I was less than 10mins from home!

Now my problem is that I can quite easily hear the turbo spooling up (compared to just barely being able to hear it before), but there's no power.

So, now that I'd gotten the car home, I gave it about an hour to cool down (no use burning myself on the turbo and exhaust manifold, that would just sh!t me off even more), I went outside with the old man and we checked the first port of call - the hoses. We checked all of the hoses except the one for the intercooler inlet where the inner guard gets in the way, and re-tightened them all, even moving some of the brackets to make it easier should I need to take them off/tighten them again. The last hose bracket I tried running my fingers under it as best I could to see if it still seemed to be properly attached to the inlet pipe.

Now, with all brackets back on, we decided to take it for another drive. AND THE PROBLEM IS WORSE!!! The sound is different and louder - there's still the sound of the turbo attempting to spool, but there's still no boost. Maybe the cool-down time has affected the parts where the problem is, and the different cool-down rates of different parts is making them rub or whatever.

We took the heat shield off, and just ran the engine in the garage and listened for where the sound was coming from when it hits boost revs, and it seems to be coming from the turbine side of the exhaust. I'm thinking of doing the "screwdriver to the ear" test to get a confirmation of what I think I'm hearing and where it's coming from. I've left the heat shield off to make it easier.

Have my ceramic turbine wheels de-laminated? And why? There are no boost or engine mods to my car, only the clutch, manual 'box and cat-back exhaust.

My car has just over 80,000kms on it (assuming it's a genuine readout), and I've only had it in my hands for 6 weeks...

:D

Does it look like a turbo replacement for me? Is it a pain to do? Any advice accepted. My old man is pretty decent with spanners, and I've helped him around (and learnt) a fair bit in my younger days. We just need to know any possible problems we need to look out for.

Thanks in advance,

Nick

PS - it's still sucking down fuel like a camel at an oasis... Roughly 315kms for 45litres - which is around 14-15l/100kms. I've changed the O2 sensor, but it wasn't a new one (although it was free on a loan basis to confirm), so that might still be another issue to sort out before getting some piggyback gear (or a PowerFC, if anyone else can get them figured out and working on a Stagea like Ska's car has) on board.

[Sydneykid]

What I usually do is to disconnect the engine pipe from the cat and have a look in the front of the cat. Only take a few minutes, jacking up the car is the most time consuming part. If its a turbine, I can always see bits of ceramic sitting in front of the matrix. If it is the turbine, I ship the turbo off to GCG and get it ball bearing high flowed, 60 rwkw more and same look and fit up.

I think there is a turbo removal guide in the how to section. If not let me know and I will post up my way of doing it.

cheers

Edited November 28, 2005 by Sydneykid

[Tangles]

Are you 100% positive it wasnt a intercooler hose that popped off? The car would be a real jerk to run if one has come off...... maybe you should take the front bumper off and have a good look.

[GoldZilla]

Many thanks SK and Brendan. (Where's the old and smilies when you need them?)

Lucky for me my cousin still has his old RB-25 sitting in his garage at home, and has offered it to me at least as a temporary solution. It's a high-kilometre unit, but for now it will do, and will also allow me a comparison with my one in regards to shaft play and/or missing blades or whatever the problem is.

He's bringing it down tomorrow, and I'll go and meet him to pick it up. This afternoon I might start work on getting the old one off. I'll have a look down the dump pipe and maybe take the cat feed-pipe off like you mentioned SK, and see if there's any "missing parts."

I'll also try and get some shots for the benefit of all others too.

Thanks guys,

Nick

[GoldZilla]

Oh, and I guess I might start saving for the high-flow, FMIC, computer, etc. too.

But I think I'll at least change the speakers once this is done for the time being...

[Links]

In response to your fuel usage..

i'm doing about 400kms.. to a 65L tank.. so I don't think your doing too badly, if your doing it to about 45L..

As for the lack of boost.. well.. not my area.. could the wastegate valve be stuck open, not sure why it would.. but meh..

is it reaching 0 vacuum.. or is it staying in the -ve..

edit: *chuckle* just realised i'm in a stagea thread.. but it's still applicable..

Edited November 29, 2005 by Links

[Ska]

When I had to drive down to the closest super cheap to get some hose clamps, mid-FMIC install, (dont even ask..) anyway once the cooler piping popped off my old r33 just kept stalling, and was undrivable, had to stop, put the piping back together and try to drive off boost.

Other than that I cant help you anymore

[Tangles]

Yup, when the intercooler hoses comes off it sounds like a POP (did for me - I thought Id stuffed the turbo), the car becomes undriveable etc etc.

If your car still starts easily enough and idles ok, then it is most likely not the intercooler piping, sorry I didnt go into detail before. So, no boost at all? hhhmm, might be the turbo. Doh. Quickest thing is to check the cat for a start......

[BoyWhoCriedWolf]

Could be a vac hose come off somewhere, they can be a prick to track down.

[GoldZilla]

Thanks for all your replies once again!

Alright, I've got the spare turbo here now, roughly how long will it take to swap them over with two fairly capable pairs of hands at work?

And what's with the steel gasket where the turbo bolts to the exhaust manifold? I've heard that it's best to lift the turbo off the manifold fairly "square" so that that gasket doesn't bend...

[AlexCim]

Changing a turbo... well... for me to remove my dump/front pipe takes about... 1 hour.

So on top of that add removing the turbo and fitting the other one, +1h and 1h to put everyhting back

With breaks and stuff, i predicts ~4h work

[GoldZilla]

Well, we're just over half way through it and will finish it tomorrow, but the old turbo was well and truly fu*%ed.

Here's some shots for proof...

The old turbo and the replacement (from the Compressor/Inlet side):

My old turbo's compressor housing - notice anything missing?:

The replacement turbo's compressor housing (and wheel):

The old turbo and the replacement (from the Turbine/Exhaust side):

[Ska]

ouch!

[AlexCim]

What the hell, where did it go? Is it in the intake or what? Its kinda lucky that there are intercoolers, at least your intercooler would have caught any loose nuts/washers etc instead of it going right into the engine (mega ouch)

Can I have(willing to pay some $$ for it) your old turbo? Looking for a turbo to get rebuilt with steel wheels etc by GCG, so a compressor wheel is not really a must

PM if you are interested in doing that for me.

[GoldZilla]

But wait, there's more! (No steak knives though, sorry guys.)

The stuffed turbine wheel:

compared to a good turbine wheel:

And, finally, the remains of the compressor wheel and the sheared shaft:

Alex, some of the compressor wheel was still sitting in the compressor housing, and the rest must be in the intercooler. I'll most likely take it off tomorrow while it's all apart and take the bits out, and maybe the first part of the exhaust from the dump pipe too. Oh, and I'm gonna keep the old turbo and get it GCG high-flowed some time in the not-too-distant future. At the same time I'll probably get an FMIC installed and sort out the computer, etc. Sorry dude!

Like I mentioned, the turbo I've used as a replacement has a fair few kilometres on it too, so hopefully it won't end up the same way.

[Terminal]

honestly i don't think you could have made those pictures any bigger

That's a bit unlucky mate. i've had an R33 do 150,000km and my stagea just did 150,000km and i've had no problems with turbo's ever. some must just give up.

[GoldZilla]

Sorry Term, I uploaded them the way they came of my camera...

[Terminal]

hehe, it's all good, i was just thinking of the poor souls with dialup still

[Tangles]

f*k - how unlucky are you? Owned the car for less than say a few thousand km's and there goes a turbo.

Doh!

[ian]

honestly i don't think you could have made those pictures any bigger

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hehe, it's all good, i was just thinking of the poor souls with dialup still

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They were only about 260K each! That's small for pictures! If you want medium resolution, look at the ones I did of the Melbourne stage day ie http://www.r34skyline.com/stagea/IMG_5409P.jpg

I'd be surprised if there were many dialup users of this forum, anybody smart enough to buy a stagea wouldn't put up with that crap...

Ian