MAN O MAN,
Oil leak @ valve cover gasket rapidly worsened and suddenly noticed healthy new leak yesterday @ oil pan.
Turbo had been acting peculiar recently - gentle "singing" sound became not a "whine" but a "howl", or "groan".
Yesterday evening turbo noise became a "grind" like a DEATH RATTLE.
By the time I got home, the smoke had begun.
Today drove approx. 60 miles, BILLOWING oil-stinkin smoke which was thick and spread for hundreds of yards in all directions, impairing sight of all motorists in vicinity.
Need a new turbo, I guess, but I have a few questions.
I can ill afford to buy a turbocharger as my boss schedules us really thin this time of year. I was thinking of taking a day or 2 off and getting a rebuild kit.
I'm not a mechanic or machinist but I've done lots of work on my trucks. Never built a turbo. What would you consider the level of difficulty for this project? Would rebuilding the turbo with the parts in the kit solve the problem or does it sound like my turbo is beyond rebuilding?
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU GUYS' EXPERT HELP IN THE PAST.
As I am a novice when it comes to the 12v ctd I hope to be able to help others someday.

 

Don't even think about trying to rebuild your turbo. They balance the assembly by grinding part of the nut on the compressor wheel, and your housing is probably toast where the compressor wheel made contact

 

Thanks for reply.
You're probably right about the housing, as that sounds exactly like what is happening. Just thought it might be comparable in difficulty to rebuilding old carbs. So I guess I won't try that.
Sorry about all the dumb questions, but I have limited options here and am looking at 500 more miles (not alot for me) until I can put in new turbo.
I believe I can replace turbo. Never did before, but it can''t be as hard as many of the other parts I've replaced.
Now if I drive the truck for one more week, would that be stupid? It smokes but still goes to work & back. Need to work for new turbo. Will this lead to other problems? Safety? Mechanical? Will the wheel eat a hole in the housing or cause it to heat up so bad that I'll catch fire? Or will the wheel eventually wear itself down to where it quits grinding?

 

Have you thought about a used turbo? I know its not new and its still stock but you could use it a sell it later when you have the $ to get a new (or better) turbo?

 

DO NOT DRIVE IT!!!! If the turbo breaks up, some of the pieces will be sucked into the intake, and then into the motor. Try to at least find a used one, try e-bay. Hopefully someone has the one they took off, to sell.
Heres one from a '99 over on TDR, someone could tell if it'll work on a '97. http://www.turbodieselregister.com/c...uery=retrieval

 

Thanks for advice.
Found a used turbocharger on ebay I can afford but it is from a 2001.
WILL A TURBO OFF AN '01 WORK ON MY '97? Auction ends soon so I need to know and I'll buy the sucker.
Thanks alot to all who've replied.

 

I'm fairly certain it will fit, not sure if you may have lag problems. The other issue is the wastegate, I think the newer ones have an electronic one, but maybe you can just change the exhaust housing. Check this thread.
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...ad.php?t=94480

 

do not drive your truck, when my turbo went i was lucky enough to have guages, after dealing with that horrific sound i still decided to drive the rest of the way home, about 10 miles, bad idea. I was lucky enough to have guages, without a turbo the egt's on your poor cummins will sky rocket. mine hit almost 1500 degrees for a few seconds before i crapped my pants and and stopped, i was waiting for it to drop to shut it off then i thought to myself, the turbo is already gone?

 

Thanks for sharing your wisdom and advice.
HAD to drive this morning to borrow a ride while I fix truck.
Came home on a rollback. Didn't shut down or anything, but smoke was incredible and oil light came on so I got scared.
Pulling old turbo right now and EVERYTHING is full of oil. Blades on turbo look ok to me and housing isn't even scored.
Looking for used turbo, so is everyone else and their grandma.
Friends all say I should trade it in for gas-powered ford.

 

While you have it all apart, you might want to take the Inner Cooler off the truck and steam the inside of it out. There is probably alot of oil in it and if any pieces of the turbo came off they could be in there too. If it were my truck i'd do it just as a precaution.
matt

 

Your shaft seal is probly shot. Is there alot of play in the turbo shaft? Lucky your motor didnt runaway on ya.

 

Yep, shaft is ALL loosey goosey.
I think it even might've broke on compressor wheel side.
Upon inspection, compressor wheel and turbine wheel do have substantial damage.
Hope motor still runs. Ran when I turned key off last. Not going to crank until I get new turbo. (see new thread in 12V drivetrain)
ANYONE KNOW IF AN H1E WILL FIT THIS TRUCK (97 12V 5.9)???????????

 

Good thing you shut it down.

Normally, when the turbo quits for some reason, the AFC reduces fuel due to no\low Boost pressure - no power, but no smoke.

The billowing black smoke was result of engine oil pumping past the broken turbine shaft and into the cylinders.

Had you decided to run the truck anyway, possiblilty of pumping all the oil from the crankcase could have cost you a complete engine, along with the turbo.

Not to mention 'runaway', as mentioned above.

 

Every time truck breaks down i feel like idiot.
That is a very logical analysis, thanks. Actually it was blue smoke.
I STILL DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO BUY THIS H1E TO REPLACE MY HX35??!!!??
I've got less than an hour to decide and I may try it as I'm becoming desperate.