Well, I think I figured out why I was spooling so slowly and having issues tuning my boost controller.



Got fed up with CL yesterday and decided to switch back to OL. Well, after verifying that 0% DC was still wastegate, I turned it to 100% and couldn't build more than 8psi. WTF? Long story short, after verifying wastegate function and checking for boost leaks I went to pull the filter off to check for shaft play/see how easily the compressor wheel spun.

After undoing the clamp, I pulled on the filter coupler and the entire compressor housing disconnected.

BEGi clocks the turbo before shipping it, I guess whoever did that didn't reinstall the beveled C clip correctly. I've been driving the car for a while turbo, it must have been loose this whole time and shook loose over time.

Fortunately, I know what the problem is now.

Unfortunately, the compressor wheel looks like it rubbed against the compressor housing and wore the fins down a bit. Not surprised with how tight the clearances are in there and stuff, but yeahthatsucks.



You can see the bottom of the compressor housing is also scuffed from the fins. C clip comes disconnected, top of housing falls forward, bottom of housing gets pushed up into fins.

 

Garrett or ChinaCharger? I would give Begi a call on Monday and talk to them about it.

 

Yeah, I sent them an email with some photos and said I'd call on Monday.

It's the Garrett.

I'm pretty confident they'll help me out. They have been 100% top notch so far, and if I can get this resolved I'll be giving them any and all miata related business in the future.

So far they have sent me a brand new stainless line no questions asked because mine was leaking at the crimp, and a brand new exhaust clamp and offered to send an oil fitting I bent but I ended up getting it locally.

 

New CHRA, new compressor housing.

 

I also agree that is probably what will be needed. It might be possible to just replace the compressor wheel and machine the housing. Cost on that will probably be close to the new CHRA though.

 

Good luck finding someone who will warranty the CHRA after you replace the wheel. I've done a few CHRA replacements through Garrett's program, and the only way to be denied is to submit a non-genuine turbo or a turbo that has been disassembled in any way.

You might be able to save the compressor housing, but IIRC they aren't particularly expensive, so it's more economical to replace it as well.

 

I'm just *really* hoping this is covered under some sort of warranty.

Except that as far as Garrett is concerned, it's installation error since it's from clocking.

And I don't really want to blame begi for it, and I have no idea if they'll be willing to foot the bill, but I certainly wasn't the one who clocked the turbo, and I'm not really sure how I could have foreseen this happening..

 

Those giant C-clips are such a bitch to install even with the correct tools.

That blows dude. Even if the will cover it you still have the fun job of removing it from the log and dp. How many miles have you put on it?

 

Holy ****, yes. Trying to get the DP nuts tight took nearly as long as everything else combined, and that middle mani nut.. >:(

About 600 miles or so, lots of them Highway. Drive down to visit my parents with it.

 

I remember the pain in the *** we had to go through to get my weird *** Tial 2871 through warranty. I was thinking that possibly Garrett them self's could swap out the wheel and keep it under warranty as a possible option instead of changing out the whole CHRA. Would require a call to Garrett to figure out the best/cheapest option.

MLEV just so you know a CHRA exchange with Garrett will run you about $450 or so.

 

Thanks for the info.

I'm very rarely ever one to complain about a business, or expect huge things above and beyond from a business, but I don't think I'll be paying anything except possibly some shipping charges to get this taken care of.

As far as I'm concerned, I purchased a warrantied and guaranteed part, installed it per the manual and unmodified, and that part failed and caused damage to itself.

I spent nearly an extra grand to get the Garrett over the Shangai--not because I expected It to perform astronomically better, but specifically because of that warranty.

 

Closeup of the compressor wheel. As you can see, there is even wear on all the compressor inducer fins. :(

 

Just got off the phone with Stephanie, she says they will clean up the fins, and re-polish the inside of the compressor housing, and then send it all off to be balanced to make sure it's working as intended.

Hopefully the little bit of metal missing from the inducer fins wont affect performance too much?

 

I think i'd be happier if they just send you a new turbo and they can **** around with repairing this one on the back end.

That is, if they actually admitted guilt. If not, then you pretty much take what you're given.

 

Yeah no guilt has been admitted by anyone, and I'm not 100% sure where the "guilt" would lie.

The car was rocking for a while, I've hit my boost limit of 12psi in the past, and quickly.. These boost building issues seem to have come out of nowhere.

idkwtf.

and yes, I would obviously be happier with a new turbo.. ugh. this whole thing just sucks.

 

Thats crap, the turbo is never going to be as good as it should be with the mess up fins.

If this was a china charger my recommendation would but to just file that stuff off and clean up with comp housing with some scotch bright and run that bitch, **** balancing it. But not on a real Garrett.

 

IIRC its closer to $350 for a 2560, or at least that's what I recall I paid a couple years ago, but I'd have to look it up. I believe I used TurbosDirect.Com Web Site - Home

mlev: Contact one of the vendors listed on the turbobygarrett website and find out what the actual cost of doing the CHRA exchange is going to be for your particular turbo. I have a feeling that if BEGI disassembles that CHRA, chances are Garrett will never, ever accept it on exchange.

Its a shitty situation no matter what, sorry you had to go through this :(

 

This. You don't want anyone taking that bastard apart but Garrett.

 

Exactly. I'm guessing this isnt a journal bearing SR20 we are talking about here. Tolerances are a liiiiiitle more important with the BB units.

Also, don't be afraid to call around to the different Garrett vendors. The price ATP quoted me over the phone was significantly more expensive than the guys at TurbosDirect and I gave them them both the exact same information. ATP then started saying something about charging me an inspection fee before sending the unit to Garrett, and our conversation kinda went downhill from there. TurbosDirect was like "Yeah, send it out and we'll get you taken care of."

 

I also want to second or third this. This is what Savington and I were talking about in the first few parts.