Blown turbo on Skyline?

[cat007]

Hey all

I took an R32 GTS-T for a drive that my mate wants to buy but the turbo seemed completely shagged.

She's had a GTS-T before and was sure that it was faster than this one.

When I took it out, the turbo came on boost, albeit a little slow, but there wasn't the typical "whooshing air" noise that skylines make, but more of a horrible whining noise and there was NO power at all. As in, her current 1.5L Ford Laser would give it a run for it's money....

I know these turbos have a ceramic turbine wheel so I'm assuming the guy has put a boost tap on it at some stage and it's overboosted.

Can someone explain to me how if the turbo's able to to produce boost but without creating any flow?

Also, what, realistically, would it cost to get the turbo replaced professionally? Not mates rates.

The guy was adamant that the turbo was fine and the car was running fine. He tried to tell me that he's had it looked over by some performance shop and by Carl Ruiterman who said it was 'sweet'. Makes me so angry when people just try to blatantly rip others off!

Cheers

Hunt

[iOnic]

I wouldn't instantly place blame on the turbo being blown - it's pretty obvious when this is the case (smoke, oil, grinding noises, rattles etc)

It could have a lazy wastegate actuator causing it to not build boost. I've seen a few that have had that problem. Car drives fine otherwise, just doesn't have the power that it should. They only really make the wooshing noise if they've got a free-er intake system. So if the car is 100% stock it's more of a barely audible whine - they're also not particularly fast cars in stock form.

If she insists on getting everything done professionally, take it for a proper pre-purchase inspection or at the very least find one that drives to her satisfaction, they're hardly rare cars.

If it is the turbo, they're not that bad to replace. The hard bit is finding a good replacement. I'd budget for 2-3 hours labour for the job + cost of the replacement turbo, new gaskets, new studs and nuts, oil change + anything else that needs replacing at the same time.

[cat007]

The turbo was building boost ok. It was a little laggy but to get there but when it was on full boost, it might have been a non turbo honda city.

It sounded exactly like my supra when I blew the twins, which sounds like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSEFUIcg ... re=related

If it were a lazy wastegate actuator or even one that was fully open, you'd never see full boost? I fanged it all the way in 2nd gear up to 6,000rpm and then again in 3rd up till about 5,000

And what should I budget for all that work then? $500? $1000? $3000?

[iOnic]

How much boost was it making and how laggy was it to get there? Cars can make full boost with a lazy wastegate - it just takes longer to get there. Most wastegates are slightly open well before you reach full boost. If it's making full boost but is slow then it could be that the actual engine is low on compression? This could also explain the lag...

If it sounds like that then it's definitely well gone Just out of curiosity why is she still interested in the car if she knows that it'll need mechanical repairs? Is it ridiculously cheap or something?

Budget depends on how much you can get the turbo for and where you take it. We did a turbo replacement on an R33 at work (similar setup) and it came to just under $1k but almost half that was the cost of the turbo.

[cat007]

How much boost was it making and how laggy was it to get there? Cars can make full boost with a lazy wastegate - it just takes longer to get there. Most wastegates are slightly open well before you reach full boost. If it's making full boost but is slow then it could be that the actual engine is low on compression? This could also explain the lag...

If it sounds like that then it's definitely well gone Just out of curiosity why is she still interested in the car if she knows that it'll need mechanical repairs? Is it ridiculously cheap or something?

Budget depends on how much you can get the turbo for and where you take it. We did a turbo replacement on an R33 at work (similar setup) and it came to just under $1k but almost half that was the cost of the turbo.

It was making about 8psi and by about 3,000rpm or so. And seemed to hold that all the way through the revs. I'm about 99% sure it's the turbo that's at fault.

I think she just wants confirmation that it is the turbo that's at fault and then work out on if she wants to make an offer taking into account the cost to replace the turbo. The body of it is also very mint and straight. Unlike the others on trademe.

She got a pre-purchase inspection done on it before I drove it, and the guy said the turbo seemed 'slow to respond'. It's not just the fact that it was slow to respond, but the horrible noise it makes as well.

I'm quite blown away that this guy, and his dad, are fully set on ripping some poor bastard (or bastardette) off. Dare I put their trademe username on here just as a warning to others....?

[iOnic]

Might pay to ring Carl Ruitermann or pay E&H a visit to see if he knows anything about the car. By the sound of things it'll need a replacement turbo regardless of whether it's the main fault or not. What were the compression test results?

You get people like that a lot on trademe. "Nah bro it's mint I took it to a shop and they said it's mint"

[RS13]

If its' running factory boost, they aren't exactly rocketships.. factory 1/4 mile is 15 flat, which isn't that much faster than your average AE111 or SiR Civic.

Sounds like a bit of a dog, I would warn your friend off it.. secondhand parts are dirt cheap, but new parts cost the moon, as was said you'd be hard-pressed to find a decent replacement turbo.

[mjrstar]

If it's had a cam belt lately chances are the cam timing is out. my starlet would make decent (although laggy) boost and still make stuff all power (130kw at 13 psi) turned out the cam timing was miles out.

I gained 50kw by setting the cam timing to where it should be.

would mind a skyline, although it'd have to be a tidy unmolested one..

[Lloyd]

As above, I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that its the turbo. The fact its making boost would suggest its not going to be a turbo issue. I'd be checking timing

edit: and vacuum leaks, air flow meter, plugs etc and all the other obvious stuff that has nothing to do with the turbo

[GT101]

ive driven a fair few skylines with dodgy turbos and most times it sounds like its making boost but nothing much is happening.

the price of the car would be the selling point i guess.

these days i cant believe how much ppl are selling early 90's rwd nissans for.

[MAGN1T]

Does it have a catch can?

Steve

[cat007]

Does it have a catch can?

Steve

No, completely stock under the hood

[cat007]

Might pay to ring Carl Ruitermann or pay E&H a visit to see if he knows anything about the car. By the sound of things it'll need a replacement turbo regardless of whether it's the main fault or not. What were the compression test results?

You get people like that a lot on trademe. "Nah bro it's mint I took it to a shop and they said it's mint"

Apparently Carl and E&H gave it a look over and said it's all sweet. But yeah, i'm pretty sure it's another case of "yeah bowl, it's lush as!" when it's a real lemon.

I'll call E&H and have an real talk with them and see who's telling porkies.

[cat007]

ive driven a fair few skylines with dodgy turbos and most times it sounds like its making boost but nothing much is happening.

the price of the car would be the selling point i guess.

these days i cant believe how much ppl are selling early 90's rwd nissans for.

Yeah - I've been in a few semi stock skylines (most have an air filter and/or exhaust) and yeah, they're WAY faster than this.

[iOnic]

A lot of people throw names around to help their sale because most people don't follow up on it. According to Trademe Steve Murch built/modified every turbo in NZ. Good on ya for taking it further

Dude selling it sounds like he's full of it. I'd honestly walk away and find another one - a bad Skyline can get very expensive very quickly. I'd sooner get one that's mechanically sound but doesn't have a tidy body than the other way round.

[cat007]

Ok - just spoke to Carl and he said he went in the car and he did think it was very slow, BUT, like me, he noticed the turbo did actually come on boost really well and he seemed to think that the noise the turbo was making was normal for skylines.

I don't suppose there's someone on here with a gts-t that's pretty stock that wouldn't mind taking me for a short drive so I can hear what your turbo sounds like....?

I'm still very skeptical as to the horrible noise the turbo was making though. It really sounded so similar to what my twins sounded like when they blew (and like mine, there wasn't any smoke). It wasn't the normal WOOSHING rushing air sound....

[metal_sean_head]

If its alot slower, then something must be up. The sound you are decribing doesn't sound normal. Good idea to go for a drive in another one to see if it is normal.

[Luke - BZG]

Is it running a stock boost gauge?

Some stock boost gauges are electronic and instead of measuring actual boost pressure they monitor the function of the compressor and estimate its boost output (Supra and GTO do this)

So if the compressor blade is rooted it would still display normal boost.

Just a thought.

[cat007]

Is it running a stock boost gauge?

Some stock boost gauges are electronic and instead of measuring actual boost pressure they monitor the function of the compressor and estimate its boost output (Supra and GTO do this)

So if the compressor blade is rooted it would still display normal boost.

Just a thought.

Had stock and after market. The after market appears to be plumbed in before throttle body though as if never showed vacuum. The after market one was mechanical.

[RS13]

You could run the ECCS diagnostics to see wether its' throwing any codes?