Car ate my turbo?

[LAAAAG]

I recently traded my car for a '94 RS Legacy with the knowledge that the previous owner had blown the original turbo, put a new turbo on, and now it wouldn't boost. During the drive home there was a clunk(?) when I changed down gear, and suddenly I had 4 psi of boost.

The problem was intermittent, sometimes the check engine light would come on and it wouldnt boost at all, other times it would cut in and out of boosting. It only boosted 4 psi primary and 7 psi secondary though.

Literally the day after I picked it up, the turbo started making odd noises like there was something stuck in it, and would have a horrible whine whenever the turbo started spinning. It also started to blow a LOT of smoke.

Took the turbo off, and parts of the compressor wheel have snapped off, and I've never seen a turbo with so much shaft play or so filled with oil!

The question is, why did it do that to the turbo? Previous owner said something about the compressor wheel hitting the outside case and not spinning freely when he put it on, so was it just a rooted turbo, or is there a more serious issue?

I have another turbo on order, but I really don't want to put it on and then have it break on me in a week or two again?

Help ???

Cheers

[WRXONP]

well if the turbo had soo much play that the wheel could rub the housing then thats exactly why it didnt last long lol

[LAAAAG]

So you think that it was just the turbo? Im not sure if he meant it had that much shaft play, but I guess that'd be the only way it could hit the housing?

Just chuck the new turbo on and go nuts then?

[Guest]

check the oil feed before you kill another turbo.

[LAAAAG]

Guess there's no easy way to check the oil feed without taking off the passenger side cam gear?

[WRXONP]

Yeah are you sure your getting enough oil feeding into your turbo ? ? ? But if the turbine is rubbing the housing then it has some serious play

[Guest]

 LAAAAG said:

Guess there's no easy way to check the oil feed without taking off the passenger side cam gear?

pull the feed line at the turbo and let it pump into a container for 30sec's. If the turbo wasnt stuffed you would hold the compressor wheel to stop it turning with no oil.

[WRXONP]

The way steve murch says to do it is leave the feed line on the turbo and take the drain off and put it into a measuring beeker of some sort . . . Disconnect the spark (un plug ignitor). . . And crank the engine for 10 seconds and measure what you have and times by 6 then that gives you a per minute flow reading... You could also un plug cam angle sensor or what ever you want to un plug to stop engine from starting

[Guest]

 WRXONP said:

The way steve murch says to do it is leave the feed line on the turbo and take the drain off and put it into a measuring beeker of some sort . . . Disconnect the spark (un plug ignitor). . . And crank the engine for 10 seconds and measure what you have and times by 6 then that gives you a per minute flow reading... You could also un plug cam angle sensor or what ever you want to un plug to stop engine from starting

Have you ever tried to take the oil drain off in place? who cares if it runs, its a restricted oil feed.

[chrisjunkie]

 LAAAAG said:

Guess there's no easy way to check the oil feed without taking off the passenger side cam gear?

Not true. If you have a little patience and some ratcheting spanners, it will come off JUST - Subaru's awesome engineering allows it to work ;D