Afternoon guys just a quick question,

This morning on drive around the quiet b-roads I seemed to have went through my 3rd vf35 of the year. Noticed the oil based clouds when idling at traffic lights during the cool down run.

Is there any reason why I've killed so many Turbos? They were all bought from friends off of stis with less than 50k on them. My car is an 05 wrx running 350/330 mapped by Andy F.

Any opinions insights or theories welcome.

Cheers

 

Lead boots?

 

Perhaps something to do with it haha but I still wouldn't expect them to fail so frequently. Not like you can be full throttle for like an hour solid on a back Road

 

Something must be wrong? Have they all failed in the same way?

Have you check the oil supply line and banjo bolt is correct for the turbo?

 

Yup all 3 become smokey after a few thousand miles all only at idle.

Supply line and banjo are both correct, came with the 1st turbo.

 

Where did you get the first turbo from? If it was used turbo who is to say it's the correct supply line.

Does seem odd that 3 would fail in the same way

 

It was off a relatively standard sti. That Is a good point though, if that was wrong from the start then it'd be wrong on them all.

Do you know how to check?

 

Nope. Could source the correct banjo and see if that helps. Or if your replacing the turbo make sure it comes with the correct fitting kit.

 

Considering sending it away to aet for an overhaul instead of buying another 2nd hand one.

Will order the correct banjo aswell.

 

Check the drain to sump is not blocked and the correct oil feed pipe

 

I've seen plenty smokey turbos before and most of them are fixed by using a restrictor in the oil supply.
I take it these turbos do not have excessive shaft play?
Turbos need very little oil to function correctly. Excess oil just builds up in the cartridge and exits the rudimental seals to make smoke.
What size restrictor is in the banjo bolt? Anywhere in the region of 1-1.5mm is about right

 

Will do jay thanks

 

I'll have a further investigation today boosted and no, no shaft play.
Thanks for your insight,

 

I would also give the PCV system a quick look over

 

Could be oil pressure problem. What grade oil you useing

 

In what way? Surely if the correct restrictor is fitted then higher oil pressure should not be a problem? Lack of oil pressure won't make it smoke.
Please elaborate on "pressure problem" not sure what you mean?
I have 30psi at idle hot and no smoke issues, 100psi cold idle and again no oil bypassing

 

I kept going through turbos on my R5 GT turbo. They were properly built, OEM Garret T2 units from Turbo Dynamics, etc. Never did get to the bottom of why they kept letting go -- despite a professional, indy garage/tuner AND TD investigating it.

When I had had enough, IIRC, I gave the car away to a friend of a friend, and mentioned to him about the problem. He was a mechanic and had the engine apart and noticed a split liner (it was boosted with the ubiquitous bleed valve and bigger carb jet mod - so could have been the cause).

Anyway, he said that the reason the turbos MAY have kept blowing was because of said knackered liner(???).

He did overhaul the engine and got it back running, with no further turbo issues (and probably modified/increased the power further) -- I used to see it out and about. Damn idiot resprayed it a deep(ish) purple! (Mind, I had had it sprayed in Toyota Super Bright Yellow, beforehand!! ).

So it could be something internal which you can't see, that could be causing it. There must be some common, underlying reason for these blow-ups................