Turbo damage?

J-Pipes

J-Pipes

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Jan 20, 2012
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I have a HE351CW on my '01, about a week ago I was leaning on it hard and the turbo noise changed, finally pulled the intake to look at it today and found a blade missing the corner! Now it seems to run and drive fine still, just the turbo whistle is a little different. My main question is how concerned should I be? I'm guessing the missing piece is residing in the intercooler now.
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Yeah, but I didn't seen any marks in the housing, and didn't feel any excessive play trying to wiggle the shaft.

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If the play is good, buy a billet wheel and call it a day after cleaning up the fragments best as possible.
 
Looks like the bearing is wore out, and the wheel contacted the cover.
 
jasonc said:
Looks like the bearing is wore out, and the wheel contacted the cover.
Click to expand...
Well, the back story is when I installed the turbo however many yrs ago, I tweaked the corner of one of the blades, guessing this blade. I "straightened" it just a little by squeezing the end of that blade with a pair of pliars. I wasn't watching the boost gauge when I think this happened, but from previous "pulls" it was likely up around 50psi. I didn't see any spots in the cover that looked liked contact.
My uneducated guess is the corner of that one blade came off from where it had bent, and subsequently bounced off a couple of the other blades, causing the chips in them.

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I guess the main question is, if there has been no contact with the housing, will continued use of a now unbalanced compressor wheel cause immediate issues? Or can I likely limp it by for a time if I keep boost level in check, say 30's max?

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it will shorten the lifespan of whatever life there is left in the bearing.
 
It's been unbalanced since the day you had a "tweeked" blade. Order a rebuild kit and throw a billet wheel in it unless your a gambling man.
 
thatguy69 said:
It's been unbalanced since the day you had a "tweeked" blade. Order a rebuild kit and throw a billet wheel in it unless your a gambling man.
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Probably more of a gambler than should be, relying on a rusty 2nd gen for a 100mi daily commute!
Anyone have a suggestion for a rebuild kit a wheel source? I've been looking online, and seems most all of the ones that list a source of the parts, say China. Would prefer domestic if possible.

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I'd say any driving on that unbalanced blade is Russian Roulette. Personally, I'd send it off and get it rebuilt and balanced for any fragment of "piece of mind" other than more "pieced of turbo" headed "outside". $.02
 
I keep a Holset rebuild kit here. Don't have the billet wheel on stock, but I may have a stock one someplace.
 
Can't send it off, need it to drive to work 5-6 days a week. I've been talking with Weston already, just put a set of his injectors in over the weekend, he said he doesn't mess with these. I'll be sending Mr Snedge a message forthwith though. Probably cheap out and just try throwing a wheel on it and run as is.

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