[Horizon122]

Hello everyone, i'm experiencing what I believe to be a blown turbo wheel but would like some input.

I was on the highway and all was normal, I did a full throttle pull to about 85mph, let off, did a lane change and got back on it and the turbo made a weird noise like something rubbed and a big cloud of black smoke puffed out. I let off and the next time I put my foot into it the turbo is much much louder and sounds much higher pitched.

Other then the sound, all seems normal. Smoke output is normal, all temps and numbers are within spec, power is normal. Before I pull the intake tube and check the wheel out does anyone have any ideas besides the wheel? I already checked my boots and they're fine, nothing is leaking or lose outside the turbo, no oil in the exhaust.

I'm thinking somehow the wheel flexed, hit the housing and chewed a fin up so it is now unbalanced? But that shouldn't happen with my mods.

Mods:

KC Turbo billet wheel
KC 360 bearings
Garret EBPV delete and outlet
4" straight pipe
S&b intake
80hp fuel sipper tune from PHP

 

[Horizon122]

Update:

I pulled the intake tube and checked the wheel. It looks the same the day I put it in. No chips, dings, moves freely, no in and out movement, extremely slight side to side movement within tolerance, extremely light coating of oil.

So I am stumped. Ideas?

 

[Horizon122]

Figured I update this...

Decided to pull the turbo. The turbine wheel was chewed to shreds and I blew out the oil seals. No biggie, I put in a brand new KC 300x and its running great! My only regret was I didn't do the KC300x sooner instead of rebuilding my factory turbo with KC parts.

 

[Hydro]

What caused the turbine wheel to shred? something from the engine had to go thru it
glow plug tip?

 

[Horizon122]

What caused the turbine wheel to shred? something from the engine had to go thru it
glow plug tip?

I think too much sauce.... aka running with no wastegate, 80hp tune, KC wheel and stock 100k mile turbine wheel. Doubt something went through it, especially a glow plug tip, I replaced them all about 3k miles ago.

 

[Hydro]

The turbine wheel will not get damaged by any amount of "sauce" you are able to put on it under normal circumstances
short of actually melting the fins, tho your piston tops would be damaged first
the shaft would snap first -- usually at the compressor end where the shaft is smaller
but that will trash the whole turbo

if you are pulling or racing, then this could be a different conversation

 

[Horizon122]

The turbine wheel will not get damaged by any amount of "sauce" you are able to put on it under normal circumstances
short of actually melting the fins, tho your piston tops would be damaged first
the shaft would snap first -- usually at the compressor end where the shaft is smaller
but that will trash the whole turbo

if you are pulling or racing, then this could be a different conversation

Well it originally happened in stop and go NYC traffic which I have no tolerance for. So if that meets your definition of racing.

I never ran without a wastegate till recently. It only lasted a couple hundred miles when I pulled the redline, not by choice btw. I was changing the red and green lines one day since they were rotted and I was getting a code for them and upon taking off the wastegate line I snapped off the nipple holding it so I just capped the redline. Since I did that the turbo never really like it and would surge since I would keep going full throttle and no throttle and full throttle on and off quickly. Just how you have to drive over here with all these monkeys but that's for another thread.