I don't see why it would matter. If you had bolted the new turbo on after breakin and it had a problem, it would have let go at the track, 6 hours from home. At least by putting it on, you were 20 miles from home, and saved a heck of a lot of towing money!

I don't see why it matters whether you break in a new engine with a new turbo???? Can someone explain that one to me? As long as both of them are getting sufficient oil, what's the difference? Unless there is some concern about the assembly lube in the engine making its way into the oil and flowing through the turbo???? (surely that couldn't be it).

Brian

 

I think it has more to do with as the rings seat, the tiny flakes of metal getting blow into the turbine migh cause FOD. As Kevin told me once, it takes less than a grain of sand at 100,000 RPMs to do serious damage.

 

I still have my 3ldz it's been overhauled, You think I should break the engine in with it instead of the new k27hfs. really close to starting the engine. Also dont remember any steel ball in the pressure switch can I reach that to check with out pulling the engine again?

 

According to Kevin, he's seen too many new turbos on new engines go bad because of debris (sealants, etc.) that clogs the bearings or some small piece of metal (like a piece of slag from a new set of headers) that impact the turbine blades.

Hopefully by using the old turbo for a while, what ever is going to contaminate or let go, will do it to the old turbo and not the new one.

Don't shoot the messenger...

 

The oil tap on the back of the engine is the first port the oil sees when coming from the pump which has just pulled oil from the oil tank. I don't care how clean your new engine rebuild is, you still get debris that does make it past the oil filter and crap and sludge in you oil tank.. Let's face it, most of us have rebuilt the engine for a reason.. And something usually has failed to prompt a engine rebuild.

What I am getting at is, when you have a new rebuild use your old turbocharger to do your engine break-in. Cam assy lube, gasket material, and loctite doesn't do your new turbocharger bearings any good..

In Jim's case he has FOD damage and the blade tips of the turbine wheel are wiped off.. Something hit the blades.. There was no oil in the compressor housing or IC. The compressor wheel spins with no damage to it.. When you have the turbine side of the turbocharger damaged with everything else intact, FOD is usually the culprit. It had to come from somewhere.. If it isn't the headers then someone dropped a nut down the engine or left something in the headers. I've had Rennlister's leave paper towels in the IC and the engine is started and ran, and went thru dyno tuning with it breaking up. Anything can happen. I strongly suggest that when one installs a new set of headers that they use a baby bottle brush and hot soapy water to clean the headers. Shine a light down and inspect the piping. FOD damage does happen, having some wire feed or partial stainless flashing left to dislodge down the road will ruin a new turbocharger. Rewelding headers and rewelding the wastegate supports do not help matters either.

 

Here's the carnage...

 

Damn man...that's ugly! Is it FUBR or can it be fixed?

 

Turbine wheel is a paper weight.. I'll see how the turbine housing faired.. The bearing housing seal area most likely got wiped also..

 

Oh man, that is really damaged!
Sorry about your problems.

BTW: Does annyone have the oil flow diagram for a 1983 mod. turbo engine?

 

guess i need to pull the turbo when it gets back from the body shop.

 

HOLY MOLY

 

Yikes! That is serious FOD.

 

That really sucks!

Kevin, if the housing is reuseable, what percentage of the new turbo cost would the rebuild be?

 

The most expensive item is the turbine wheel, turbine housing, compressor housing, compressor wheel, bearing housing.. But then there is labor..

 

Umm, WHO would ever do that?

During my tuning last spring, it was discovered after a full day on the engine dyno that I had left a paper towel in the IC inlet pipe. (I guess I wanted to make sure the incoming air was thoroughly filtered!) Incredibly, the engine ran pretty well, producing over 600 hp, despite the errant paper towel that plastered itself over about half of the inlet side of the IC core. It didn't get discovered until yet another stupid error was made (by me) on the dyno: I left the air cleaner assembly off the compressor inlet, and during a run-up a small rubber hose from nearby instrumentation got sucked into the spinning compressor blades, causing damage to the compressor wheel. In the process of blowing air backwards through the IC to clean it out (fortunately the IC acts as a good filter), out came a few tiny bits of compressor wheel, and then it puked out a hairball of paper towel. I couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I'm just glad I found the blockage.

Fortunately, Kevin repaired the turbo, there was no damage to the engine, and the tuning was completed properly. Be careful out there!