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.

Prepare to have your manifold explode in a shower of flaming tinfoil. I have one new in my garage I'll sell you for $70 when yours dies.

Can I ask why you think it is a fake and why you think it will explode?

I talked to Stephanie. The original owner lost the turbo support and sent the manifold back to Begi. They added additional supports along the runners and collector area.

I got the turbo and manifold flanges milled this week. The air leak is smaller than before, but still there.

This time when I installed the turbo and manifold, I connected them both together outside of the car to make sure that everything was nice and flat and tight.

I took another video today. I had my wife sit in the car and rev it a few times and I also sprayed some soapy water to look for air leaks. The noise is usually there at idle, but starts to disappear at higher revs.

Here are two videos. The first is from today and the second is from a couple weeks ago.

My question is, is the noise related to an air leak or is it something with the turbo itself? A couple people have told me it sounded metallic, not like air.

guess you need a gasket.

I've thought about a gasket, but begi says not to put one there.
Brain, what does the noise sound like to you? Air or something wrong with the turbo itself?

If you bought this from BEGi, the manifold leaks/stretches studs, and they tell you not to use a gasket...ask them what you are doing wrong.

I don't think it's the turbo. Usually when the bearing makes strange noises, that noise changes with turbine rpm.

If the noise doesn't change with turbine shaft speed, it's not the turbo. It's just an air leak somewhere, probably in your bypass valve (if you have one).

Wow that sucks. I vote just drive it for a little while and maybe it will seal itself with soot.

you can see the air leak when/if you watch the videos.

it's clear he has a leak between the manifold and turbo.

so either tha flanges are still not true, or you tigthen bolts like a ninny.

I used a stamped steel gasket with the little groove before, is what many OEM's use, and works absolutely great.

I don't see anything wrong with using one of those

Thanks for the input. Would something like Permatex Ultra Copper Maximum Temperature RTV Silicone Gasket Maker or Rutland Hi-Temp Stove & Gasket Cement be acceptable instead or purchasing a metal gasket?

no, metal gasket.

Are we still worried about them blowing out and destroying the turbo?

they wont destroy a turbo. but they might blow out, one day, and put you back to square one.

I thought that was always the concern about putting one there is that it would get sucked into the turbo if the gasket broke.

If I get a gasket, any recommendations on the material or thickness?

one that looks like what 18psi posted, and one that fits.

I got a gasket and it stopped the air leak visible in my videos. However, the noise is still there exactly as before. The noise is loudest at the rear of the turbo, above the downpipe. I guess there could be another leak.

Some have suggested it could be something wrong with the turbo. If it is, what might it be and how could I check?

If it spools aok then dont worry about it.

I could do that, but there is something wrong. I would like to know what is wrong and fix it without potentially doing further damage to the car or turbo.

Mine seems to leak a little where the wastegate flapper rod goes into the exhaust housing. I'm not sure how to fix it, but it doesn't seem to affect anything. I think that is where my high boost whistle comes from.

I figure that the turbo spins freely and for a long while after I turn the car off. If the bearings were going out I would expect it to stop spinning rather quickly.

djp0623, your post got me thinking about the wastegate. With the actuator arm attached, I cannot make the internal wastegate open by hand. If I disconnect the arm, the wastegate moves freely. If I pull on the actuator arm, it barely moves at all, maybe 1/8 inch.

Should I be able to move the arm by hand? Is there adjustment I could make?

These are just some various pictures from the last month or so.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1349019213
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1349019213
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1349019213
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1349019213

Mine has a little leak from here.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1349019961

I had to tighten my wastegate are to where I can barely get it to move by hand. It seemed tight at first, but I was unable to hold target. After tightening it down it held target.

I thought I fixed it for a while today. I watched and I adjusted the actuator arm following his instructions:
1. Remove C clip on the waste gate arm
2. Undo the nut that holds the rod extender.
3. Rotate the actuator extender clock wise so shorten overall length.
4. The actuator rod should be half hole length short to the wastegate arm when waste gate is fully shut.
5. Pull the actuator extender towards the exhaust side and securer the extender.
6. Fit the C clip back to waste gate arm.
7. Tighten the extender nut.

That worked for a while. No whistle sound. I finished putting the car back together. Started it up again and no whistle. I went inside to take a shower and change clothes so I could take it for a spin. When I came back out the whistle was there again.

I decided to video and log a trip around the neighbor hood. You can hear the noise most of the time on little or no throttle. It seems to go away once I start accelerating.
Here's my video - I boost it and coast it numerous times. A few of the longer boosts are around 3:25, 3:55, and 6:23.

Attached is my log and tune. Thoughts on the sound? Anything stick out in the log?

It may be that once it heats up, everything expands and seals the leak.

But the noise usually comes back the second I let off the gas...

It sounds like you know where the issue is because you messed around with the WG connection and it went away.

I didn't watch the video above, but try this.

Remove the cotter pin and WG arm. Tighten the rod by turning it the way you did above. Except turn it where it is too short so that you actually have to pull the arm out (away from the can) to reconnect it. It will be difficult, but when done it will really be holding the flapper shut. This will ensure that the flapper isn't some how sitting open just right to cause a whistle.


While I can't imagine it is a friction issue, I have heard a whistle created by metal rubbing together at high frequency. Make sure the WG rod isn't vibrating loosely on the WG flapper rod.

I did that yesterday. I set it so the hole in the arm was about 1/2 of the hole width short, pulled the arm with pliers and connected it. I can make it a twist or two shorter and try again.

I can see by the picture of your turbine wheel that the DP and turbine housing are leaking. Look at all the soot. Just like where the turbine housing and manifold came together.


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1349100072

you need an outlet gasket as well.

I actually ordered a gasket this morning along with the correct studs/nuts for this downpipe/turbo. Previous owner did not have right hardware there.

punch him.

hey i was in chesterfield on saturday.

If you're ever down here again, I'd like to borrow some of your time to check out the car, tune, etc. Buy you drinks!

i try to spend as little time as possible in richmond.

me too, that's why i am in west Chesterfield

I showed my video to a couple people separately this weekend and both said within two seconds that the noise is not air, but metal. We're guessing bearings.

Anyone agree or disagree? I searched youtube for a couple hours but did not find any with a similar sound.

I might be looking at a rebuild kit if that would fix the problem, but I'm not sure if I have journal or ball bearing. I guess ball but don't know for sure. How can I tell before tearing down the turbo? Suggestions on where to get the rebuld kit?

I thought the GT2554 was ball bearing. Check one more thing because I am curious.

Pull the intake pipe off the turbo and have someone shut the car off while you are watching it spin. I want to know how quickly it stops.

I may be going backwards now (can't remember the earlier posts). What size oil feed are you using? restrictor? Is the oil feed clear of debris?

Mine whines like hell at high boost, but spins freely and for a long while on shut down. I'm going to run it until it fails.

The oil feed is -4AN. It spins for about 10 seconds, or at least it seemed like it last night, before I took the manifold and turbo out again. I could hear it spin down. I didn't notice any play in the shaft, but I've never checked one before.

And what about the sound? Bearings? Air leak? ???

The sound will be really hard to diagnose through a video. I thought mine was bearings immediately when I heard it. But then after thinking about it. IF the bearings were bad, then the turbo wouldn't spin smoothly after the car is shut down. It would probably stop rather quickly. In my case I thought that maybe under high boost the turbo became oil starved, and it was trashing the bearings. BUT again, I can't imagine bearings holding up for very long in a hot turbo without enough oil. I figure my turbo would have been torn up by now if it were bearings.

Does it spin smoothly by hand, or can you feel any resistance?