Turbo Charger Lifespan

[73JPS]

Looks like I might be in for a rebuild of the right turbo charger, at 25,000 miles. Just wondering what people have been getting for turbo lifespans?

Curently I am getting some light "tinkling" noise at around the 2900-3200 RPM range when the engine is first started up and for about 3-4 minutes after, whether cold or not.... Shop says impellor or wastegate...

[97-Esprit V8]

Is it a light rattle noise that goes away above and below that RPM? It could simply be the exhaust manifold heat shield, mine does the same thing. Certainly doesn't sound like your turbocharger is failing. Perhaps find a new shop...

[73JPS]

Is it a light rattle noise that goes away above and below that RPM? It could simply be the exhaust manifold heat shield, mine does the same thing. Certainly doesn't sound like your turbocharger is failing. Perhaps find a new shop...

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I am getting a healthy dose of blue smoke on start up. The rattle started along with the puff on start. Smoke during acceleration does not appear to be an issue yet. I may not be 100% sure it is a turbo issue, but I am leaning that way. A heat shield rattle was ruled out by the shop, but I will certainly check it myself.

Having said all that, I am really more interested in what people have been getting for turbo lifespan, as I am under the impression (perhaps wrongly) that the turbos do tend to go in these cars...

[Günter]

lifespan: 108000km (nearly) But it does not fail on the internal parts first, the main cause was that both turbos lost all fixings for turbine/manifold connection (by rust!! really an strange conception). One housing wobbles around under acceleration and that lets the high spinning internal parts get in contact with the rest. Really dangerous, so i tried to fix it over the last years with much improvisations -but in the end one "blows his life into the sky". That was the time i decided to pay for an complete "R&B-rework" (but in standard stage)

[Rob]

98 V8-GT: lasted 50k-ish miles.

[73JPS]

Thanks for the info, Gunter and Rob, it is much appreciated! Any other takers? Even if its just to say "1 billion miles and still going strong" .... or something like that. I am not very good at the search thing, but I coudn't find this info elsewhere, though I am sure it is

[Jukka]

96 V8, 68000 km on clock, not known problems with turbos

[Günter]

Patric, can you post an picture !? Is all of your fixings in original shape -i mean all locking plates, srews still in position. And is your wastegate actuator well fixed to the lever ? Than pull out the rubber hose from intake and undo the catalyst side- look if there is any sign of wheel spin against the turbine /compressor housing . [i dont mean a bit of 'free play' thats normal -i mean an visibly sign of material contact !]

25k miles sounds a bit early ! As most of us have experienced that the main faults are rusted/broken bits around the manifold. Like heat shields, the mounting brackets for water supply and oil, the locking blades for turbine/main section fixing and so on ..

Edited August 6, 2008 by G

[73JPS]

[quote name='G

[Günter]

just a taught-you need to remove the hydraulic tappets, valve springs and for free work probably ...the cam

So turn piston in position and do one cylinder at the time, that should work.

Most cars do some light metal noise on startup. And as my head shields are also cracked but mostly bended to an locked position - i think it is the noise coming from the twin-plate clutch assembly in the first uneven cranks during start-up. (that means i should try an start with clutch pedal pressed down and one in normal state, just to compare the sounds next time..)

PS. the turbos from Troys parts list are still in (as i have seen last...). Even if they would need an overhaul/rework -for around 150Euros ,or 120 pounds each it is a good base to start with it. Especially for me it was an option , as my own main sections (the cast section in which the spinning axle is in..) was broken at one turbo. After all I've gone the direct way and have given my to R&B. We have special relationships over here in Germany. So I'm happy with it.

Edited August 6, 2008 by G

[BobG]

My 01 V8 now done 32k miles, get a fluttering noise on acceleration, which goes when warmed up, had one incidence of P1412 fault code. Not sure whether any oil burn. I did hear that due to the position of the turbos, hanging out in all the crap, that rust particularly on the waste gates is the normal cause of work being needed.

Does anyone know- is this flutter the waste gate, or the turbine fowling the casing pre heating up?

Cheers

B

[73JPS]

My 01 V8 now done 32k miles, get a fluttering noise on acceleration, which goes when warmed up, had one incidence of P1412 fault code. Not sure whether any oil burn. I did hear that due to the position of the turbos, hanging out in all the crap, that rust particularly on the waste gates is the normal cause of work being needed.

Does anyone know- is this flutter the waste gate, or the turbine fowling the casing pre heating up?

Cheers

B

Not that this is very helpful, Bob, but my understanding is that it could be either/or... My sound is very defined, pretty much as though one were sticking a pen or some such in to a fan.

[BobG]

Hi Patrick, yes mine is the same as that, goes away as soon as you throttle back, clearly connected to the windup of one (or both) of the turbos, and goes away completely after 15 minutes or so once engine is warm. Bob

[97-Esprit V8]

Patrick,

You should also check that your wastegates are properly adjusted.

Wastegate adjustment

Paul

[73JPS]

Paul,

Thanks for the tip: I will look into this too.

Patrick

[BobG]

Thanks Paul, that article has given me lots to check!

Bob

[jeff_hooper]

I get a fluttering or 'pfutting' noise on accelaration too, especially when engine is cold. It mostly goes away when good and hot. I've put it down to a couple of broken exhaust manifold studs at the rear of both cylinder heads - a typical problem I understand...

Jeff H

Edited August 16, 2008 by jeff_hooper

[73JPS]

Well, here is the turbocharger from the inlet side. I have not braved the cat side, Gunter, but I must say: the unit is solid, with very little play, and except for a thin layer of dirty residue that can be seen around the inlet (easily wiped off), there is absolutely no evidence of this turbocharger giving me any trouble... unless I am missing something. Is the (slightly) greasy inlet residue significant?

Certainly one would expect a fair amount of oil to have to pool in the compressor side in order for me to get a puff of oil smoke on start, no?

Anyway, it was virtually impossible to look in the turbocharger itself: it was actually easier to thread the camera in and then look at the pictures later!

[Günter]

i don't know what the yellow paint mark is exactly (fabrication marking, or some that is sucked in) . The oily/greasy surface can be the oil that is from the crankcase breather pipes on the cylinder heads) . Is the intake elbow and the air-cleaner element also oily ?

More interesting would be if the turbine side (the hot side) is heavily covered in black carbon powder (burned oil) or that the waste gate valve is closed under normal wastegateactuator setting. Most cars have rusted studs on the exhaust manifold (catalyst end) , i mean the three studs that hold the catalyst elbows on the turbo. Undo them (if possible) and look inside. You should see the waste gate flap... .

[73JPS]

[quote name='G

Edited August 17, 2008 by 73JPS

[Günter]

"..famous last words.." Yeahh!!! wish you luck with the studs !

can bee all, or nothing -two years ago an friend (Steffen from R&B) told me (as he was behind me on a weekend Lotus-Club trip) -every time i start to accelerate an dark-blue oily smoke came out of my pipes. The car was running fine, but as i have seen two years later ('now') the rich mixture with all that oil had blocked the stock ceramic catalysts much more than usefull... . Bud the turbos had last the two years. Maybe it was an simple overfill after the oil change, that has produced to much oil mist in the crankcase !

As you have an sports exhaust, and hopefully an 200 cell metal cat to.. , it does not follow the same fault sequence !

Some have told you that the heat shield also make some silly noise if the engine is shaking/cranking - have you cleared that by simple spot welding [in situ] of the cracks !? As this should change the resonances (and is the easier way to go, ..for now )

Edited August 16, 2008 by G

[73JPS]

[quote name='G

[Günter]

R&B told me (as they have an V8 converted for use in an F3000 Lola!) that it is important that the turbos get free of the 'used' oil that flows from the axle via the little tube into the sump. If the 'back-flow' is interrupted (by an dry sump conversion -or more simply by an deposit of carbon/dirt some of the oil starts to pass the axle/spindle to wards the turbine/c compressor wheel. Especially if the sealing is a bit weared... . And yes, the startup blow of that Lola was impressive! It does that every time we pushed the car to start the engine, an after some seconds (not more than a minute!) it was all OK.

So have you proved that your oil level is right (anyway it would be a lot of overfill if the oil would stand that high..) And have you checked that the oil way is free of blockades!

[73JPS]

Gunter, what you are saying is very interesting. It seems a reasonable alternative possibility.

I am quite confident that the oil was not overfilled. I am currently running at what appears to be about 1/2 litre low, and as I check the oil every fill up, I cannot recall a time it was ever over the top of the full mark. I have not checked the oilway at all, in fact I haven't had a chance to check the exhaust side of the turbo yet.

I take it you are suggesting that I pull off the "oil return to sump" fitting on the bottom of the turbocharger to check for partial blockage, correct? If so, is there anything I should know before removing this? Are those bolts gonna be likely to break, for example? This car is very rust-free underneath, but I understand that the heat can fuse those bolts pretty solidly.

To be perfectly honest, you are writing to a guy who was pretty impressed with himself that he got so far as to check the turbocharger intakes . Nevertheless this is teaching me alot!

[Günter]

the part under the turbo, that has the rubber 'oil return tube' on it is aluminum. Important is that the sealing does not brake, that means you need a new* one if it was glued and you pull to hard. the screws are covered with some zinc, but can be rusty in the treats. It is only an M8 treat, so it should not be heavily thightened... .

*you can cut those by hand, all you need is suitable special cardboard from an auto parts store. I use simple (paper based) cardboard under the plenum, but as this gasket on the turbo is steady in contact with oil it is necessary to have an special type of 'paper'... .

Edited August 18, 2008 by G