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Reviving a *Likley* seized turbo??


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So, I posted earlier that my wife's cousin went and bought himself a '05 WRX.

 

Yesterday I talked with him and apparently its not fast enough for him. Really? dude I'm surprised he still has his license. Anyway, So I take it for a spin, Notice his Air bag light is on, but more importantly... Zero Turbo Spool. Drives really choked out and the turbo does not spool up at all, not even at higher RPMS.

 

 

Turn around to tell him the bad news and also notice his Oil light turned on. Wthell? Park it, pull the dipstick clean it and put it back in.. out - DRY! So Obviously, he seized his turbo because of lack of oil. (which irritates me because I gave him the run-down when he bought this car about taking care of the turbo)

 

I doubt it, but thought I'd ask - Has anyone fixed their seized turbo? What I'm sure happened is he blew a seal and any oil he has is just being thrown down the exhaust.

 

also, does anyone know if a cheap but decent place to find one?

 

 

thanks!

 

 

-Justin

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05 WRX is a 2.0 and came stock with the TD04 turbo. Any 02-07 WRX, 04-08 Forester XT will have the right turbo for this. In 08 the WRX's still had the TD04 but it was a different style so it won't bolt on.

 

And yeah, may want to check for other damage if it was that oil deprived! Those turbo motors, especially the 2.0 do not like to be run low on oil at all!

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TD04's are cheap, you should be able to find a used one in good condition for under $150.

 

If he ran it out of oil till the oil pressure light came on, he's going to be looking at a full engine rebuild in the near future. You can wipe out rod bearings in those with them full of oil. Run it out and well....

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Oil in exhaust pumping out of turbo makes big white smoke. No big white smoke, means no oil or little oil in exhaust. There are reasons that boost may not build, the ECU could even be preventing it. But, with the oil level low it's probably sludged whatever oil is in the turbo and it won't be long before it does go completely.

 

Do oil analysis or drain and check for metal in the pan and filter. More than likely, rebuild time.

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TD04's are cheap, you should be able to find a used one in good condition for under $150.

 

If he ran it out of oil till the oil pressure light came on, he's going to be looking at a full engine rebuild in the near future. You can wipe out rod bearings in those with them full of oil. Run it out and well....

 

This. See them on nasioc all the time.

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If he can't afford the price tag the smart thing to do would to trade it in at a dealer as quick as possible. Sure, it will add to the reputation of turbo subaru's being unreliable junk when it blows on the next owner, but hopefully it will be the dealers warranty covering it.

 

Scumbucket move, but if he can't afford to take care of it in the first place it's the easiest way out of the car.

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Don't give advise like that. That's just like telling someone to fill the transmission with saw dust to cover up the bearing noise so they can sell it. That's just flat out malicious.

The next car you buy might be some scumbags trade-in because they got the same kind of advise.

 

Maybe he shouldn't have the car because he's gonna beat the hell out of it, but that's just like every other bandwagon WRX owner out there. Let him destroy it. Sounds like one of those people that won't learn a damn thing either way, except that when a car starts to go south he should just trade it in and make it someone else's problem.

 

 

Problem with rebuilding it is the price tag. It's easier to look at the turbo and replace... I did tell them about what all could go on with the engine... Probably going to wait intill it all fails

That's understandable, but ya gotta pay to play. Worst case, another WRX needs a new engine.

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Another thing is too, He's only had the car 2 months. (just plated it yesterday).

 

I Advised them of needing a rebuild and to not be surprised when it comes around. More interested in a bigger better turbo - even though I told him he really doesnt need much more than what he has already. And if he couldnt pay attention to it as a stock turbo, what makes him think a bigger one is going to be easier. I think he just wants to listen to it whistle, and thats what it "takes".

 

His mom is paying for the new turbo so whatever she says goes..

 

 

-Justin

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That's understandable, but ya gotta pay to play. Worst case, another WRX needs a new engine.

 

 

actually, thats the part that really *ticks* me off. an '05 WRX.. thats the car of my dreams! and he goes and wrecks the engine within 2 months of owning it.

 

I would've worshiped that car and he seizes the turbo?!?

 

 

I guess that's the difference between a guy that's worked for each and every car he's owned - and the guy that's had every car he's owned given to him.

 

 

 

-Justin

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To add, He's been topping off the oil and just put 4 qts or so in after we drove it. We took the inter-cooler off and there was a lot fresh oil in it as well as the outtake of the turbo.

 

We didn't have a whole lot of time to tear down to get to the turbine and ended up putting it back together.

 

With the fresh oil in the intake, and as much as there was, a seal/bearing in the turbo had to've blown right?

 

 

-Justin

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Possibly a turbo seal, but that's usually oil from the breather system. Blowby causes excessive crankcase pressure and pushes oil out of the crankcase through the breather hoses. It's an unavoidable reality with turbo engines. A catch can would help.

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Possibly a turbo seal, but that's usually oil from the breather system. Blowby causes excessive crankcase pressure and pushes oil out of the crankcase through the breather hoses. It's an unavoidable reality with turbo engines. A catch can would help.

 

isn't the PCV 'downstream' from the IC and throttle body - into the intake mani ?

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PCV is on the "suction" end of the breather system. The "feed" end of fresh air end is the breather hoses to the valve covers.

Air travels into the engine from the intake tube, through the breather hoses into the valve covers. Then pulled through and out of the crankcase through the PCV valve.

Under boost the PCV valve has to close, otherwise boost pressure would feed into the crankcase. In some cases the PCV valve can clog or sludge and hang open which will allow pressure to bleed off, but this allows boost pressure into the crankcase. Cylinder pressure escapes past the rings and creates pressure in the crankcase, which would normally be pulled into the intake by the PCV valve, but because it has to close the pressure in the crankcase builds. This causes the flow of air in the breather hoses to reverse, carrying oil vapor from the crankcase back out into the intake tube somewhere before the turbo.

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PCV is on the "suction" end of the breather system. The "feed" end of fresh air end is the breather hoses to the valve covers.

Air travels into the engine from the intake tube, through the breather hoses into the valve covers. Then pulled through and out of the crankcase through the PCV valve.

Under boost the PCV valve has to close, otherwise boost pressure would feed into the crankcase. In some cases the PCV valve can clog or sludge and hang open which will allow pressure to bleed off, but this allows boost pressure into the crankcase. Cylinder pressure escapes past the rings and creates pressure in the crankcase, which would normally be pulled into the intake by the PCV valve, but because it has to close the pressure in the crankcase builds. This causes the flow of air in the breather hoses to reverse, carrying oil vapor from the crankcase back out into the intake tube somewhere before the turbo.

 

 

AH - gotcha, very important that the valve is working on all cars - imperative it does on a turbo vehicle. Hadn't considered the backwards path but would be really bad for the intercoole and - well, everything downstream from the breather connections.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Well, look what followed me home,

253912_10152138898305727_878342752_n.jpg

 

Now all I have to do is look at it.

 

On that note, while I drove it home, I could've swore there was just a *tiny* bit of boost - Which was odd.. It shouldn'tve had any...

 

 

-Justin

 

 

 

Now it's yo baby? If so, congrats!...... and good luck!!:headbang:

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