3TGTE with GT28RS no boost help

[ThaNav]

Hi all

I have a 3TGTE in my 73 Celica and i just got a new GT28RS turbo put on. When driving back from the mechanic i heard a loud sound as though something had fallen off my car and was bouncing up and down underneath the car as i drove past. I took it back to the mechanic and the oil line apparently had been hitting the engine mount and thus cracking the oil line. All that was fixed. Then driving it back from the mechanic again, the car runs fine, boost's fine, until i get a few streets from home when the car wont boost much at all. It makes a loud whizzing sound and just dosn't give barely any boost.

If any one can help me with what they think the problem is please do. I have check for any IC leaks and also if there is any play in the turbo and there isn't any. I have heard that it might be the CAT but i dont know how to check.

Any help would be great, thanks

Nav

[thechuckster]

loud whirring sound could be turbine or compressor hitting the housing

how long was the turbo without oil?

[slide86]

strange you say this. i had the same problem on a R32 i worked on during the week.

the problem, the exhaust wheel had come of the shaft and was in the CAT!
the cause, lack of oil to turbo.....

there was no shaft play either, the wheel simply sheered of the shaft, there wasnt any boost and the car felt sluggish and generally drove like crap. i would be removing the dump pipe and inspecting the wheel.

also, check to see the wastgate is working correctly and hasnt been jammed open.

[Draven]

easiest way to check if your cat is blocked is to drive for a while, and then see if the cat is a LOT hotter than after it.
I'd double check for an i/c leak - that whizzing sound could be your turbo spooling but not delivering the air where it's meant to go.
check the wastegate connections... umm. ?

[ThaNav]

it would only have been without oil for about 2-3mins but as soon as i got home and checked it it had oil in the engine it still had heaps, about 5/6 full still. Also the mechanic's checked exhaust wheel and everything was fine.
How exactly do i check the wastegate condition?

[slide86]

err, running a turbo without oil for that long isnt good.....regardless of how much oil is in the engine

[ThaNav]

The thing is though, it was running fine before hand, what i mean is that when i got the car back from the mechanics it ran fine, after the oil thing had happened. wouldn't it have not boosted straight after the oil return line split?

[WDE_BDY]

Take it back to the mechanic, if you paid him to do a job he should do it properly.

Callum

[ThaNav]

I dont really want to take it back to him. he will just say that because he didn't supply the turbo he isn't responsible for the turbo. i want to try and fix it myself due to no money before i take it anywhere else

[TA22-3SGTE]

It sounds like the bearings in the turbo were overheated and burnt when the oil line split , even tho the oil feed was fixed and it was ok for a while the damage may have already been done , the whizzing noise could be the damaged bearings , you won't get any boost because of the friction of the bearing damage will not let the turbo spool to speed , the rear wheel shouldn't of come of as the GT28R has a steel shaft and wheel , Pull air feed pipe off the turbo and feel if the wheel turns very free and smooth without any sticky or notchy feeling ,
Also wheather you supplied the turbo or not if this is the problem it is your mechanics responsiblity to fix this as he was paid to fit the turbo and oil feed ect.

Trevor

[thechuckster]

i second TA22's post - he installed it, his handi-work broke it - therefore he fixes it.

note: don't drive the car anymore - if the turbo bearings are stuffed - the last thing you should do is make that worse.

this is all conjecture tho - remove the inlet pipe to the turbo and see if thr compressor rotates easily.

[ThaNav]

i've removed the inlet pipe and the compressor rotates perfectly, spins freely as. can someone please tell me how to check the wastegate, thanks
any other ideas if it isn't the wastegate?

[slide86]

well. you need to ensure that the actuator is free to move and not jammed up. you can grab the rod and move it back and forth. it will be a bit difficult, but you should be able to move it.

if you arent able to, it may sugggest that its stuck. becuase you have no boost, i would think that it would be jammed open. if it were jammed close then you would be seeing huge boost levels.

check to seee that the vacumn line to the actuator is hooked up correctly, it should go onto the compressor housing at one end, and the actuator on the other.

[thechuckster]

good to see that our worst fears were groundless. you probably have some kind of boost leak (or wastegate leak) to trackdown.

one thing tho - was there much movement in the turbine shaft (e.g. spins freely but flops about on its axis)?

[TheToyman75]

TheNav,

Where do you have your boost Gauge connected ? I assume its at the plenum chamber.

Connect your boost gauge to the reference line port on your turbo and take it for a run. Then you can see what boost (If any) the tubo is making. Then you know if you have a major issue or a boost leak.