Well it tried, it never made it down the intake tube. I don't know how long it's been, but today I noticed that my turbo wasn't whistling anymore, it is wooshing. I mean zero whistle at all. Boost seems normal, has lots of power, but the whistle was gone so I started looking around and you can see what I found in the pix.

Playing with the turbo I learned that it's dirty in there and there was moisture. there is corrosion on the silencer ring and the like. There is no perceivable play in any direction on the turbo's shaft but it's obvious that the leading edges of the blades have been worn down. It makes no funny sound when I spin it, either. If I didn't know it used to whistle I would not know the difference I suppose.

So now I'm paranoid and I want to buy a turbo. The truck has 130,000 miles on it and it has had various combinations of Edge EZ, Quad Race, and a BD tridog. Nothing really too extreme but I've done a bit of towing and I drive 130 miles a day for work (interstate driving). I have been pondering a turbo, cam, and sticks, but this forces my hand (but I can't say that I'm not excited!).

The truck is a 6-speed with 4.10's and I do require good towing manners at times but primarily it's my grocery getter and daily driver. I am thinking something along the S300 line would be best but I can't make up my mind? I would think with injectors I should be able to do 550hp without too much trouble but I'm not ready to get those now.

Turbo options? Super B (special?)??? I need this by the weekend because this is my ride to work!

Andy

 

Cool, it is always hard to pop up with that much cash, but boy will it be fun.

Good luck.

 

Change the oil in that engine pronto. Hopefully you didn't dust it to bad. Turbo fins look kinda rough.

 

I have changed the oil, but I think it's been this way for quite a few miles. Several thousand at least, probably 5,000 miles I would guess but I don't know for sure.

Andy

 

At least it's not buying a stock replacement part like unit wheel bearings! I just need to figure out which turbo to buy pronto.

Andy

 

Wow!

And send an oil sample to Blackstone!!!

I want to see that report!

 

Do you think I did any serious damage to the engine? It runs like a top, consumes zero oil, etc.

Andy

 

How many miles do you have on that filter?? Looks like a decent amount of water found its way into the intake and softened the paper element. Ive done similar to that while snow plowing

 

I don't know how many miles since this happened, but I changed the filter about 15,000 miles ago as far as I can recall. I have changed the oil and will get a new filter today and see what happens. There is visible sediment in the oil I drained out. When I put the filter back into the housing it looks like it's been sicking through a very small triangular hole about 1/2" on each side.

Andy

 

Have you modified your airbox in any way?

 

Not at all! Stock airbox, stock filter, stock turbo, all of it is stock save for the Quad module, Tripledog, and muffler delete.

Andy

 

If I were you, I would be pulling everything from the turbo to the intake manifold and getting it cleaned. One of your pics showed the inside of the air box and it looks like the side of my truck after driving a rainstorm. I would pull the intercooler tubes on each side to see what they look like inside. The intercooler probably has dust, dirt and debris in it as well.

It sounds like you already know that dust/dirt got into the combustion chamber based on your statement about sediment in the oil, which means the potential for accelerated or abnormal wear.

You might consider an aftermarket drop in filter. Those paper elements are being pushed to their CFM limits when you add in Quads, EZ's etc.

 

I am going to pull the tubes and take a look. I should probably get a turbo on order and I will not be using the stock airbox so I need to get that ordered, too. I have a feeling it's been running like this for quite a while and I am thinking about just putting in a new filter and driving it for a couple weeks and see how things go, at least do another oil change and see if it comes out clean. It might take a few oil changes to accomplish that.

Andy

 

That compressor looks gnarly!

I trashed the stock airbox/ducting a long time ago for this:

 

That looks like what the Fram filter I had did, their was nothing between the pleats on the filter, so they all folded together, and pulled my vacuum gauge way over. The Napa filter I replaced it with has bumps between the pleats ,so they can't come together like that and close off the filter. When we had rough turbines on the jet engines I worked on, we used 3M scotch brite pads to smooth out the leading edge of the turbine blades, but you don't want to get the pad material in their if you can help it. I remember getting paid$25 an hour to stroke turbines all day back in the 80's, boy that was a job duty we milked pretty good all day.