chicklin
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Will the truck run if the turbo is bad (i.e. inoperable)? I'm looking at one that has a bad turbo and just need to limp it home.
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Bad turbo
- Thread starter chicklin
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nk14zp
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If there is no other option take the oil feed line off first to prevent a runaway.
Hammer
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Depends on what is 'bad' about the turbo.
If it has a wobble or is scored up, I would tow it home.
If it has an oil seal gone out, make sure which side it's leaking on!
Leaking on the intake side = runaway motor.
Leaking on the exhaust side = MESSY exhaust, and potentially bigger problems depending on the leak.
If it has a wobble or is scored up, I would tow it home.
If it has an oil seal gone out, make sure which side it's leaking on!
Leaking on the intake side = runaway motor.
Leaking on the exhaust side = MESSY exhaust, and potentially bigger problems depending on the leak.
gimpyrobb
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If it is just siezed, Leave it in place and drive her home. No need to pull (and plug) the oil line. It will run fine, just a little restricted. I think Stretch told me his turbo was siezed initially and it freed up on the drive home. Ken and Jwaller can rebuild your turbo for ya.
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Yep, mine was stuck for the first 20 min I drove it. I didn't know it was stuck until this whistle started up, and the truck picked up speed. It's been fine ever since.
Dennis
Dennis
randyscycle
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My main concern would be that the compressor side of the turbo wasn't hashed. Think engine ingesting broken turbo vanes........
Like mentioned above it will run, just limited power of course.
Like mentioned above it will run, just limited power of course.
chicklin
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So, let's say I have no idea what's actually wrong with it. What is the best and safest way to just disable it until I can get home and troubleshoot.
bottleworks
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Tow it. There is no other safe way.
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Take the elbow from the turbo to the intake manifold off. Yes the engine will be injesting unfiltered air but that's better than injesting compressor wheel pieces. If oil is comming out of the compressor side this will keep the engine from running away. And if it sezies up while driving it will keep you from destroying the engine. It will be slow but it will get you home that way.
chicklin
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Alternatively, how much is a turbo? Maybe I could just take a good working one with me and swap it in.
steelandcanvas
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And what is the S/S Member speacial rate to rebuild a turbo? I've got a "C" that's a little wobbly, and a "D" that I want looked at.
Stan
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Supposedly a "little" wobble is ok cold. When in use the turbo heats up parts expand and tighten up.
steelandcanvas
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Should something that spins a bazillion RPMs, "wobble"?
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If the turbo wasn't in perfect shape I wouldn't drive it. If you've ever seen a engine that has ate the compressor vanes or run away you'll know why.
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Yes it should have a little wobble. About .015 at the end of the shaft. Once oil pressure gets there the shaft will center in the oil and run true. If it's in balence. That's another reason it's never a good idea to rev the engine untill the oil pressure gets up. You will hear the turbo slow down a few seconds after start up when the oil gets there. And yes, as the parts heat up the clearences will get smaller. If the clearence was tighter the shaft would seize as it warmed up. Steeland canvas, send me a PM i can help you determine if yours is ok before you spend any money.
chicklin
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I get what you're saying, but there's got to be a way to get the thing home without the turbo. Not every multifuel had a turbo, anyway. Can't I just take the darn thing off and put in a temporary flex pipe from the air cleaner to the intake? There would also be an oil line to deal with, right? Can I just cap it off?
If you don't think there's any way to disable the thing, I will take a working turbo with me to swap in, but I gotta believe that I can limp the thing home.
gimpyrobb
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Yup you can pull it and plug the oil line. Just watch out for exhaust fumes. The turbo is what the exhaust attaches to. I would pull the intake manifold horn, clock it 90* and run a flex pipe to it.
datsunaholic
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It comes down to Risk vs Reward.
If you don't know what it really wrong with the turbo, the risk is quite high. I can't see a reward.
Me, I'd inspect the turbo, but if I had a spare and the ability to field-replace it I'd just do that for the piece of mind. No way I'd run an engine with damaged compressor vanes. Ingesting compressor vanes isn't good for any engine I've heard of. If even one vane is damaged that would seriously compromise the balance and increase the likelihood of it blowing apart.
I realize you can run an engine without the turbo. Even an engine with a seized turbo will run, as enough air bypasses the stalled vanes to run it at low power. But I would ONLY do that if I had a chance to inspect the turbo for trashed vanes. It could be "seized" because a vane broke off and jammed in between another vane and the housing. Once you got the thing up to full song the turbo could force itself into spinning and chuck the broken parts up the intake. Then you wouldn't be worrying about a broken turbo as much as needing another engine.
Simply removing the turbo isn't that simple... while the air intake isn't really a problem you need to route the exhaust somewhere. Dumping it straight out the manifold is a good way to give yourself carbon monoxide poisoning. Being that the exhaust side of the turbo is flanged, not just a round clamp, a flex pipe isn't going to do the job.
Also, in no case would I ever plug the oil line with the turbo installed. If the turbo suddenly freed up, it would run unlubricated and destroy itself.
If you don't know what it really wrong with the turbo, the risk is quite high. I can't see a reward.
Me, I'd inspect the turbo, but if I had a spare and the ability to field-replace it I'd just do that for the piece of mind. No way I'd run an engine with damaged compressor vanes. Ingesting compressor vanes isn't good for any engine I've heard of. If even one vane is damaged that would seriously compromise the balance and increase the likelihood of it blowing apart.
I realize you can run an engine without the turbo. Even an engine with a seized turbo will run, as enough air bypasses the stalled vanes to run it at low power. But I would ONLY do that if I had a chance to inspect the turbo for trashed vanes. It could be "seized" because a vane broke off and jammed in between another vane and the housing. Once you got the thing up to full song the turbo could force itself into spinning and chuck the broken parts up the intake. Then you wouldn't be worrying about a broken turbo as much as needing another engine.
Simply removing the turbo isn't that simple... while the air intake isn't really a problem you need to route the exhaust somewhere. Dumping it straight out the manifold is a good way to give yourself carbon monoxide poisoning. Being that the exhaust side of the turbo is flanged, not just a round clamp, a flex pipe isn't going to do the job.
Also, in no case would I ever plug the oil line with the turbo installed. If the turbo suddenly freed up, it would run unlubricated and destroy itself.
wsucougarx
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Tow it!
gimpyrobb
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Well, if all your worried about is getting it home, and not injesting turbo blades, take the intake horn off and clock it 90*. Then run some flex duct to it. The exhaust will still spin it, the oil will still lube it, the exhaust is still in tact, and the compressor side will just stir some air. I don't see the problem.