How freely should turbo spin?

[oldbuck]

2007 F250 6.0 crew cab, stock, 112,000 miles. Getting turbo underboost DTCs ocassionally.

Pulled turbo, cleaned, and while there was very little 'coke', the unison ring was definitely frozen to the housing.

While cleaning I found it odd that the turbo wheel, when spun with my hand, stops almost immediately. Seemed tight. When using compressed air to clean out after using the 3M cleaning pads, I tried spinning the turbo wheel with the air compressor - could barely get it to turn.

Thought it odd, couldn't help but think it's gonna take a lot of exhaust pressure to spin that thing... but perhaps thats how tight it should be?

Any thoughts? Whats your experience on how freely the wheel should spin?

thanks,
-dave

[thomaslord84]

It should spin freely and keep going for a little bit when spun by finger. You probably need a new turbo as the bearings are probably done.

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[sinner6.0L]

Remember, these things aren't ball bearing turbos. They have a regular brass bushing and it's not going to spin like a bearing. I've got three good turbos and they all spin the same as you describe. As long as there's not excessive shaft play then I wouldn't worry about it.

[oldbuck]

Thx thomas & matt - there isn't any play in the shaft, it's a stocker so it's a bushing unit. I'll leave well enough alone and not worry...

Re-installed this eve - Now to troubleshoot my exhaust leak - sounds like a vacuum cleaner in the turbo area - hopefully not coming from where I split the turbo, but not sure how I'd be able to tell if it's there, the up pipe or the down pipe?

thx again,
-dave

[2004Powerstrokee]

i would make sure that the clamp is all the way around the back of the down pipe. and i have an 04 and i can spin mine freely and it will spin a bit after.

[westcoaststrokin]

Not to disagree with a tech but I have two 6.0 turbos and they both spin freely. I would be concerned but hey that is just me.

[oldbuck]

I should have paid more attention (it was my 1st time inside the turbo and I was just impressed with the technology in there ;-) but I'd say when I spun the wheel as quick as I could by hand it would come to a stop in a half to one revolution. It felt smooth - no grinding, binding, or slop - it just seemed tight.

[thomaslord84]

My 6.0 turbo always spun free. Every time i was able to i would spin the wheel and it would keep spinning way more than 1/2 to 1 full rotation on its own. I must have spun that thing 20 times in the year that i had it, all by finger. Yea i tinkered on my truck a lot. It was a bone stock turbo.

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