I bought a “remanufactured” turbo off ebay from a seller with very good feedback. The description said that the turbo was rebuilt using only garrette parts. Before he sent it out to me, he said that they used some kind of grease to help it break in and it would spin easier after a few minutes of having oil pressure. When I recieved the turbo, there was absolutely no shaft play, but the turbine took a bit of effort to spin with my fingers. As if it was coated with some thick ass grease, like the guy said.
Yesterday I started my car up and let it idle (Got oil pressure to the turbo first of course) and the turbine did not spin. I shut it off and restarted like 3 times, it still would not go. Does it need to be taken apart and fixed? Or do I just need to give it some rev’s to free it up? Thanks.
WTF? I’ve never seen a turbo that doesnt spin at idle. I’m not talking about building boost, I’m talking about the turbine rotating. I’ve seen turbo’s four times as big spin immediately while the car idles.
if the turbo shaft is as hard as you say it is and your wastegate stays open until you reach boost (like all the mitsu turbos with internal wastegates do) then I could see the thing not wanting to turn at idle. But like everyone else said, it needs to see load.
I thought my turbo had seized or something when I saw it not spinning while I was idling the car right after I had installed it. It was idling really rough so I smoothed out the idle and checked on the snail again. The difference was enough to get the turbine spinning. I should mention this was on a small T3 so I would not be surprised if a larger turbo would not spin at all at low idle.
I suppose that a good way to look at it is the fact that an engine can make a turbo spin close to 100,000 rpm at maxium potential. So you may want to ask yourself if the same turbo will spin only 20 rpm at idle.
P.S.- Turbo’s spin at idle. Period! I think that I can remember seeing several 1000hp turbo engines whose turbo was spinning at low idle.
Turbo’s spin at idle. Period! I think that I can remember seeing several 1000hp turbo engines whose turbo was spinning at low idle.
Umm it depends on the turbo and the motor whether or not it spins at idle. They all don’t spin at idle. I’ve got a small t3, 42/48 on my b18 and it doesn’t spin at idle. Is it broken? You tell me- boost goes to 10psi and it makes small children cry.
All turbo’s are suppose to spid at idle. If it doesnt then oil is going to get backed up in the turbo seals and cuase the seals to go out quicker. Every turbo is suppose to rotate whent there is oil feed into it. Any one with a none spinning turbo at idle needs to more than likely replace it. I never heard of grease in a turbo. Thats just sounds bad. Common sense should tell you that if its hard to spend with your hand then something is wrong. Also check to see if the compressor housing is completley bolted up. The fins may be touching the comp housing.