When Turbo Seals go Bad :-)

[Zack]

My turbo turbine seal decided to give up while down in kentucky.
Plumes of smoke were coming out at idle and especially during acceleration.
It is a used turbo that was on a race car, so I was expecting this sooner or later.
Its a minimum of $300 if I send it somewhere, so I decided to pull it apart myself.
Wow was it simple. 20 minutes and it was completely torn down.
The seal kit is 50 bucks from Comp Turbo....winning.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/Marauder-Z/Blue%20MM%20Rebuild/C7E3D6DC-1FFF-4CCD-A350-2250C1344056_zpscgrjaw1y.jpg (http://s307.photobucket.com/user/Marauder-Z/media/Blue%20MM%20Rebuild/C7E3D6DC-1FFF-4CCD-A350-2250C1344056_zpscgrjaw1y.jpg.h tml)
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/Marauder-Z/Blue%20MM%20Rebuild/BBF5954E-68D0-4C67-8BD6-D72AD50E8338_zpskqi0dsvg.jpg (http://s307.photobucket.com/user/Marauder-Z/media/Blue%20MM%20Rebuild/BBF5954E-68D0-4C67-8BD6-D72AD50E8338_zpskqi0dsvg.jpg.h tml)
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/Marauder-Z/Blue%20MM%20Rebuild/39BA9683-5104-4F35-851D-CB0125E357E3_zpsjmoa3wlr.jpg (http://s307.photobucket.com/user/Marauder-Z/media/Blue%20MM%20Rebuild/39BA9683-5104-4F35-851D-CB0125E357E3_zpsjmoa3wlr.jpg.h tml)

Here is a pic of the bad turbine side seal:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/Marauder-Z/Blue%20MM%20Rebuild/027F1452-AF56-46C8-8A84-CF99FABF7B39_zpseqen9gya.jpg (http://s307.photobucket.com/user/Marauder-Z/media/Blue%20MM%20Rebuild/027F1452-AF56-46C8-8A84-CF99FABF7B39_zpseqen9gya.jpg.h tml)

[whitey]

Sweet, glad it was a easy fix.

[HotRaud90]

Wait...someone was gonna try to charge you $300+ just to break down that and replace that lil ol seal? Mechanically and physically speakin, that thing doesn't look anywhere near that complicated to charge that much. Maybe I'm just a noob when it comes to a turbo, but geez :confused:

+1 and good on ya for changin it yourself! Winnin indeed! :banana2:

[fastblackmerc]

Had the seals go bad and the bearing seized up on a Buick turbo when I was the used car mechanic at a L&M dealership. Filled the shop up with smoke! :D

[Joe Walsh]

Why do I keep hearing this in my head?

"Bad seals, bad seals.....whatcha gonna do when the smoke turns blue?"

BTW: Is there anyway to check the runout/'play' in the bearing set to make sure that wasn't the cause of the seal's demise?

[Zack]

Why do I keep hearing this in my head?

"Bad seals, bad seals.....whatcha gonna do when the smoke turns blue?"

BTW: Is there anyway to check the runout/'play' in the bearing set to make sure that wasn't the cause of the seal's demise?

I checked by hand and there is no movement at all.

This is a water cooled center section, and the previous owner did not water cool it.. Plus it was pounded on for 5000 miles as I was told.

For 50 bucks Ill put it back together and run it.

[Curless]

I checked by hand and there is no movement at all.

This is a water cooled center section, and the previous owner did not water cool it.. Plus it was pounded on for 5000 miles as I was told.

For 50 bucks Ill put it back together and run it.

If anyone would want to be "pounded" ....it would be Zack! :eek:

[knine]

Looks like a save! Loving it.

[martyo]

Zack blew a seal in Kentucky and no one has a picture of the white stuff running down his chin?

:depress:

[Comin' in Hot]

Zack blew a seal in Kentucky and no one has a picture of the white stuff running down his chin?

:depress:

I took a pic of the seal after the job was done.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/12/article-2085835-0F6D964200000578-732_640x451.jpg

[martyo]

I took a pic of the seal after the job was done.


Leave it to Zack to blow a seal.

[massacre]

Nice. Nice cheap easy fix.
On a gas engine it will burn oil but on a diesel engine when a turbo seal goes bad the engine will run away from you and i've seen blown engines because of it. The only way to save it is to cut off air supply to the engine otherwise it will run at high rpm until the oil pan is dry lol.

Glad to hear you got it fixed.

[Joe Walsh]

I checked by hand and there is no movement at all.

This is a water cooled center section, and the previous owner did not water cool it.. Plus it was pounded on for 5000 miles as I was told.

For 50 bucks Ill put it back together and run it.

Yep, that's about as cheap a fix as you'll ever get for a turbo problem!

Do you have coolant plumbed to the center housing in your Marauder install?
Definitely helps cool the bearings, especially if you shut it down immediately after running lots of boost.

(Although I got well over 100,000 miles on my old '79 2.3 Turbo Mustang which didn't have a water cooled bearing housing....but I did change the oil religiously and always let it idle for a few minutes before shutting it down.)

[Zack]

Yep, that's about as cheap a fix as you'll ever get for a turbo problem!

Do you have coolant plumbed to the center housing in your Marauder install?
Definitely helps cool the bearings, especially if you shut it down immediately after running lots of boost.

(Although I got well over 100,000 miles on my old '79 2.3 Turbo Mustang which didn't have a water cooled bearing housing....but I did change the oil religiously and always let it idle for a few minutes before shutting it down.)

Yes I have it hooked up to the coolant system.

[L.Mark]

If anyone would want to be "pounded" ....it would be Zack! :eek:


...and for MORE than 5000 miles too...

[Joe Walsh]

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae326/JoeJWalsh/TurboSeal_zpsd9fa3977.jpg (http://s984.photobucket.com/user/JoeJWalsh/media/TurboSeal_zpsd9fa3977.jpg.html )



Sorry...I read the thread's title and must've misunderstood....my bad!

[Bigdogjim]

Nice. Nice cheap easy fix.
On a gas engine it will burn oil but on a diesel engine when a turbo seal goes bad the engine will run away from you and i've seen blown engines because of it. The only way to save it is to cut off air supply to the engine otherwise it will run at high rpm until the oil pan is dry lol.

Glad to hear you got it fixed.

I have one go when driving a coach with a Detroit 60 series, It happen at Perryville toll plaza going Northbound:) I was 1/2 miles from the toll when it let loose:help:

Lot of ticked off Maryland Troopers cause it smoked so bad I shutdown the toll plaza for a few minutes. Several tractor trailers were "lost" in the smoke:)

[justbob]

Glad you got her fixed up Bud!


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