blown turbo?

Discussion and technical advice the SW20 MR2. 3S-GTE, 3S-GE, 3S-FE etc
Anything and everything to do with maintenance, modifications and electrical is in here for the Mk2.

Moderators: IMOC Moderators, IMOC Committee Members

Wisey91
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:30 pm
Location: Hereford

blown turbo?

Post by Wisey91 »

After sorting endless issues with my mr2 turbo it appears that another one has cropped up. There now seems to be fresh oil (wasn't there yesterday)on the fins of my bov and it's evident that it's sprayed it onto the far side of the cam cover. Am I right in assuming that the seals in the turbo have let loose?
Cheers rik
bobhatton
Posts: 3351
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:34 pm
Location: Bodmin Cornwall

Re: blown turbo?

Post by bobhatton »

Wisey91 wrote:After sorting endless issues with my mr2 turbo it appears that another one has cropped up. There now seems to be fresh oil (wasn't there yesterday)on the fins of my bov and it's evident that it's sprayed it onto the far side of the cam cover. Am I right in assuming that the seals in the turbo have let loose?
Cheers rik


Where has the oil come from?

Take the inlet hose to the turbo off and see if you have free play in the turbo shaft.
If you have we have replacment CT26 turbo cores in stock.
Designer for turbo set ups on F1 cars, and Nitrous Oxide Systems of the USA in the 80s
Wisey91
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:30 pm
Location: Hereford

Re: blown turbo?

Post by Wisey91 »

Hi bob,
There is a bit of oil around the intake of the turbo. Surely this isn't enough to be spat out through the bov in large amounts though? There is some play in the shaft side to side but not so much in and out. The turbo has done around 95k now.
What am in looking at rebuild wise for a ct20b and also turn around time?
jon_st205
Posts: 618
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:37 pm

Re: blown turbo?

Post by jon_st205 »

Time for a compression test too.
bobhatton
Posts: 3351
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:34 pm
Location: Bodmin Cornwall

Re: blown turbo?

Post by bobhatton »

Wisey91 wrote:Hi bob,
There is a bit of oil around the intake of the turbo. Surely this isn't enough to be spat out through the bov in large amounts though? There is some play in the shaft side to side but not so much in and out. The turbo has done around 95k now.
What am in looking at rebuild wise for a ct20b and also turn around time?


There should not be any in and out play on the turbo, and 95K on a turbo is good. They need to get rebuilt before they go too far as then it is only the bearings and seals. If they go too far it is the turbine wheel and the comp wheel and that is a lot of money.

Rebuild with bearings and seals around £300 to £350 and would take about a week and a half. Will only know for sure what needs doing once it is apart.


One thing you do need to do is remove the pipe that goes from your cam breather catch can to the turbo inlet pipe. Block up the hole in the inlet pipe and put the hose into a clear drinks bottle and see if you are getting any oil from the breather, if you getting a lot then it will be a piston that has broken its ring land.
Last edited by bobhatton on Fri Oct 02, 2015 1:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Designer for turbo set ups on F1 cars, and Nitrous Oxide Systems of the USA in the 80s
gnzyza
Posts: 1300
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:39 am
Location: Gloucester

Re: blown turbo?

Post by gnzyza »

+1 on removing the breather pipe and sticking it in a clear bottle or compression test.
2mad
Posts: 5983
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:11 pm
Location: uk

Re: blown turbo?

Post by 2mad »

bobhatton wrote:

Rebuild with bearings and seals around £300 to £350 and would take about a week and a half. Will only know for sure what needs doing once it is apart.




That is an amazing price Bob .. top man :thumleft:
Wisey91
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:30 pm
Location: Hereford

Re: blown turbo?

Post by Wisey91 »

I have just done the test with the clear bottle and there was no sign of oil coming through however, there was grey smoke which smelt like exhaust gases coming out of the pipe. Assume that shouldn't be happening? Out of interest is it possible for condensation to form in the catch can? Reason being is there was a nice creamy water/oil sludge in there and also round the exit pipe to the air intake. On another note is that more likely to be head gasket related? Compression test is next on the to do list.
That's great Bob. Very reasonable price and a quick turn around too.
Wisey91
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:30 pm
Location: Hereford

Re: blown turbo?

Post by Wisey91 »

Well I done the compression test today and is as follows,
Cylinder 1) 130
Cylinder 2) 185
Cylinder 3) 185
Cylinder 4) 190
I'm fairly happy with 2, 3 and 4 but 1 not so much. Guess bob is right about the broken ringland that's spitting the oil back into the intake and out the bov? Is there really any other way of confirming this without taking the thing apart?
2mad
Posts: 5983
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:11 pm
Location: uk

Re: blown turbo?

Post by 2mad »

Wisey91 wrote:Well I done the compression test today and is as follows,
Cylinder 1) 130
Cylinder 2) 185
Cylinder 3) 185
Cylinder 4) 190
I'm fairly happy with 2, 3 and 4 but 1 not so much. Guess bob is right about the broken ringland that's spitting the oil back into the intake and out the bov? Is there really any other way of confirming this without taking the thing apart?


Yeah unless you screwed up c1's test your boned mate ... really sorry man :(
Wisey91
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:30 pm
Location: Hereford

Re: blown turbo?

Post by Wisey91 »

I done it 3 times out of hope it wasn't down to me lol. I'm unsure on what to do now. The engine has had 2 rebuilds in its life already. Don't know how many times one can be rebuilt but I guess it might be time to part with her and break for parts :(
2mad
Posts: 5983
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:11 pm
Location: uk

Re: blown turbo?

Post by 2mad »

Thats such a same Wisey91 ... hope someone has a idea that can help 8-[ :thumleft:
Wisey91
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:30 pm
Location: Hereford

Re: blown turbo?

Post by Wisey91 »

2mad wrote:Thats such a same Wisey91 ... hope someone has a idea that can help 8-[ :thumleft:


I have a 300zx tt I'm putting money into but depending on how much I sink into it determines what I will do with the mr2. So I might end up rebuilding it Or putting a transplant engine into it. May even get another but I already have 2 mr2s lol
tiff_lee
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 2:18 pm

Re: blown turbo?

Post by tiff_lee »

Wisey91 wrote:
2mad wrote:Thats such a same Wisey91 ... hope someone has a idea that can help 8-[ :thumleft:


I have a 300zx tt I'm putting money into but depending on how much I sink into it determines what I will do with the mr2. So I might end up rebuilding it Or putting a transplant engine into it. May even get another but I already have 2 mr2s lol

That's part of your problem right there, spreading yourself thin cash wise on multiple cars, I know i've been there.

What's the crack with your other MR2?

Edit:Typo
Last edited by tiff_lee on Sat Oct 10, 2015 3:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2mad
Posts: 5983
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:11 pm
Location: uk

Re: blown turbo?

Post by 2mad »

tiff_lee wrote:
Wisey91 wrote:
2mad wrote:Thats such a same Wisey91 ... hope someone has a idea that can help 8-[ :thumleft:


I have a 300zx tt I'm putting money into but depending on how much I sink into it determines what I will do with the mr2. So I might end up rebuilding it Or putting a transplant engine into it. May even get another but I already have 2 mr2s lol

That's part of your problem right there, spreading yourself thin cash wash on multiple cars, I know i've been there.

What's the crack with your other MR2?


What tiff said .. you car (mr2) sounds like it needs a big chunk of change spent on it 8-[ .. not great losing compression on a piston :(
bobhatton
Posts: 3351
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:34 pm
Location: Bodmin Cornwall

Re: blown turbo?

Post by bobhatton »

Wisey91 wrote:Well I done the compression test today and is as follows,
Cylinder 1) 130
Cylinder 2) 185
Cylinder 3) 185
Cylinder 4) 190
I'm fairly happy with 2, 3 and 4 but 1 not so much. Guess bob is right about the broken ringland that's spitting the oil back into the intake and out the bov? Is there really any other way of confirming this without taking the thing apart?


That sounds like a head gaskit blown into a water way not a piston. If it was a piston you would get lots of oil out of the breather.
Designer for turbo set ups on F1 cars, and Nitrous Oxide Systems of the USA in the 80s
gnzyza
Posts: 1300
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:39 am
Location: Gloucester

Re: blown turbo?

Post by gnzyza »

Leak down test next then? Either way it needs pulling, but better gasket than rings.
Wisey91
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:30 pm
Location: Hereford

Re: blown turbo?

Post by Wisey91 »

I do agree with the whole spreading cash thin on multiple cars but needs must.

As for the other mr2 that looks like its going to be a donor car for a turbo conversion. My mr2 turbo had a nasty shunt (20-25mph or so) up the rear and looks like it has twisted the chassis. I will be rebuilding the engine in it (donor motor for my other mr2) anyways as something has clearly gone wrong with c1. It has started to bellow smoke out the exhaust at high rpm and over run now so I'm thinking its more to do with excessive blowby down to the rings failing or ringland.

As for the oil coming out of the breather bob. there didn't seem to be with the bottle on it but its deffo going through there as the pipes are riddled with oil. Surely the car would be overheating with a blown hg?
tiff_lee
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 2:18 pm

Re: blown turbo?

Post by tiff_lee »

Wisey91 wrote: Surely the car would be overheating with a blown hg?

It's a symptom of but not definitive, i've had cars with blown gaskets drinking water/oil and run pretty well apart from that.
Wisey91
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:30 pm
Location: Hereford

Re: blown turbo?

Post by Wisey91 »

So I spent a few hours yesterday evening taking the motor apart and have so far got a far as removing the turbo and manifold. I'm attempting to take the head off with the engine still in the car to swap out the pistons and am just asking for a bit of advice on some dos and don'ts or some good tips if anyone has done this before? I'm hoping I can get away with out having to take the motor out so fingers crossed I won't need any machine work!
Post Reply

Return to “MR2 MK2 1990 - 1999 NA & Turbo”