whistling turbo
 

I have a BEGi turbo kit. The other day the turbo support link fell off. I didn't know what it was at the time and I drove it easily home for a couple miles. By the time I got home it sounded like a whistle coming from the turbo area.

I got a new support link. I installed it today but I can't expand it. I'll give it another shot tomorrow but it is almost impossible to get a hand in there and rotate it.

Anyway, even though the new link is there, it still whistles. Maybe it will go away when I expand the support link? I hope.. or could it be something worse?

Anyway, here's a video:

The turbo/manifold studs are tight. I took some more video and the noise is louder towards the rear of the engine. I did not see any cracks. To me, it sounds like air, and I'm guessing exhaust as opposed to intake.


Any ideas?

I revved it while in neutral. The whistle was still there but hard to hear. I'm not sure if it was just because the engine noise was louder or if the whistle got quieter. It didn't appear to sound any different, just harder to hear.
Here is another video -

Manifold may have cracked without the brace...

I removed and checked the manifold today and it looked ok to me. Maybe tomorrow I'll remove the turbo.
Here are a couple videos and some pictures:



https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1344131805
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1344131805
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1344131805

I believe I found the source of the whistle:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1344199733

Can that be fixed? The hole on the top of the downpipe is worn out.

Also, I noticed what looks to be like a piece of the turbo may be broken
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1344199733

reminds me of my S4 days:

http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/4..._lady_copy.jpg

Only the old AW guys will get this reference (Trey?)

I spent a lot of time working on that problem back in college. What a pathetic car.

I threw my old K03s in a dumpster like an unplanned pregnancy.

So, can I get that hole fixed on the top-right of the downpipe? Maybe weld and re-drill?


And then that center part on the turbo, the bottom of the ring around the bolt looks broken.

That hole is slotted on purpose to fit some slightly different bolt patterns found on various Garrett models. It will not cause a whistle.

The "missing" part is what's been milled off to balance the rotating assembly. It will not cause a whistle.

Your whistle is more likely caused by a bearing in the turbo, not detectable without precise measuring equipment.

And just how many valve cover bolts are you running without???

Two are currently out, where the heat shield bolts in.

Hmm, that sucks if it is right.

one your third video, when you rev, the locating pin on your turbine bolt is flapping in the wind (exhaust). I suspect the issue is a poor mating between the turbine housing and manifold. Possibly one of the two flanges is warped? Or you tighten nuts/bolts like a girl?

I'm bringing my thread back to life. I took the turbo and manifold out and visually inspected them and they look fine.

After reinstalling everything the noise is still there. I took a new video tonight that shows the air leak. I sprayed some soapy water around the exhaust manifold/turbo studs and I can see bubbles on two sides, the left and the rear from the driver's perspective.


So I have a few questions:
1. Is the noise from the air leak? Just because there is an air leak does not mean it is related. What is your opinion?

2. How can I stop the air leak? I've tightened all the studs as tight as I can.

3. What role might the "turbo support link" play in this? Will extending or contracting it affect the way the manifold and turbo are seated? Should the support link be extended as far as I can turn it, contracted to as small as I can make it, or somewhere in the middle? Do I go by hand tightening or using a wrench that can get it much tighter?

Pour oil all over the air leak area. I am being somewhat facetious but it may form carbon seal and work. It will smoke a lot but that is ok. You can also just run it like that and soot may build up.

Or your flanges may need to be decked.

And I am not convinced whistle is from leak. If turbo bad don't worry about it now. Run it until it is not building boost.

you need to plane the warped flanges and try again. Like I suggested in post #15.

otherwise, you have to resort to a gasket, which will eventually blow out in the center where the flanges bow out from each other.

Thanks. I'll look into getting the flanges fixed.
Also, how do you position the turbo support? Do you extend it as far as you can? Do you tighten by hand or a wrench? I have not seen that documented anywhere as to what the best length and method are.

ask BEGi how they position theirs, since your manifold is a cheap copy of it.