Where'd this come from?

[ProbeChris]

After uploading a new fuel map on my car I noticed the car began making a very light pinging noise coming from near the turbo, it wouldn't boost more than 5psi,(it's set for 10), and there was a noise that sounded like a vacuum leak. I immediately parked the car and wasn't able to investigate it for awhile due to my grandmothers health condition. I finally removed the turbo assembly last night and while unbolting the dp from the cat, this little guy fell out.



I thought maybe it was just a piece of weld slag from somewhere until I seen that all of my turbine fins look like this.



I'm fairly certain that little piece was the source of the pinging noise I heard. My question is, did this somehow come from the turbo? It kind of resembles a ball bearing about the size of a bb. It doesn't look like anything that would've come from the engine.

I really don't know what I should do now as this t28 was just purchased and installed last September and has maybe 3,000 miles on it. I installed it myself so I don't think Garrett's warranty applies, however I could probably get a friend at a shop to get me a receipt saying he did the work if I can prove this piece came from the turbo.

 

[KrayzieFox]

So that little guy was just chilling in the DP? I'm surprised it didn't just get pushed out by the exhaust gases, unless it maybe just couldn't get through the cat (if you still have one).

The only place it could come from that makes sense to me is the turbo itself. That's also probably what caused the fin damage (did you ever find the missing piece of the fin the downpipe or midpipe?!). It could be that your bearings are shot and somehow they're coming out of the assembly and spilling into the exhaust turbine, which would also make sense why you're unable to boost past 5 psi. Shot bearings = bad turbo = low boost potential.

But that does also seem very unlikely as I would imagine a lot more bearings would be pouring out if that was indeed a bearing from the turbo. You'd probably also be leaking a lot of oil and that doesn't seem to be happening judging by the looks of the housing.

 

[ProbeChris]

Yes this piece just literally fell out when i disconnected the dp from the cat. There were no sign of the fin pieces in the dp but i havnt checked the area right inside the cat. Every fin managed to get damaged in the process. This explains the boost loss and probably the whistle noise that has just started. I cant tell for sure if it is a bearing as it is heavily coated in carbon deposits. If it were a bearing, i really dont think it wouldve had the time to be coated so heavily. I suppose until i clean it off i wont know for sure. Its just hard for me to believe that this turbo couldve gone to s*** so soon. I stay out of boost 95% of the time and the oil has been changed twice since it was installed.

 

[ap123]

I would do a compression test on the engine just to be safe. Times I've seen spherical bits of metal are ones that have gone through the engine and they are rounded by bouncing in the combustion chamber. Most extrem case I've seen was on an sr20 off a nissan sentra, one of the manifold butterfly screws backed out and caused major damage to the piston, cylinder walls and cylinder head, almost as bad a dropping a valve.

 

[ProbeChris]

Ive already done a compression check and got 175-185 across all for and 180-185 on the cylinders in question. I wasnt able to see any damage to the top of the piston while looking through the plug hole, so im hoping nothing else was affected.

 

[ProbeChris]

Cleaning it up didn't help determine what it was. The ball measures .150-.155" in diameter. I don't suppose anyone happens to know the size of bearings Garrett uses in their turbos? I've googled the crap out of it and came up with nothing. There also wasn't any sign of the turbine fins, I'm guessing they may've gotten chopped up small enough to have made it passed the cat? I know the chra of these turbos isn't rebuildable but is it possible to replace just the turbine shaft?

 

[tweety2300]

If the bearing literally fell out shouldn't it have a fair amount of shaft play?

 

[ProbeChris]

It seems logical, but there isnt any what so ever. im sure the bearing race would keep the shaft in place unless more bearings fell out. I still cant comfirm that it is even a bearing.

 

[ProbeChris]

Sent the turbo into a Garrett distributor and they confirmed it to be a bearing but said it did not come from the unit I sent in. The old turbo I took off was seized but I really can't grasp how a bearing from the old unit could get lodged somewhere for 7+ months and 4,000 miles before coming loose. Anyhow I've exchanged it for another, just figured I'd share my results.

 

[tweety2300]

Could have go hung up on one of the holes or the o2 sensor

 

[ap123]

so they still warranted it? or did you have to pay a fee or something for the exchange?

 

[ProbeChris]

No warranty, I had to pay $400 for the exchange plus shipping.