Turbo shaft play

[Roy3]

Today I was changing my oil and I took off the air intake tube between the air filter and the turbo to make it easier to get the oil filter off. Mt step son was poking around while I was working and he grabbed the impeller shaft inside the turbo and wiggled it. I watched him do it and watched the thing move. The shaft has WAY to much play. I need to address this problem right away. WHat is the most cost effective way to rebuild the turbo and get this thing tight again? Buy a kit and do it myself? Buy a rebuilt turbo center section with a warranty and exchange mine? I used to be a mechanic years ago and still have my tools and access to a machine shop. How difficult is the project? Never done anything like this before.

Thanks in advance for any advice or tips. Not into horsepower, just want to keep it stock or make it slightly better than stock. My engine only has 100k miles and is completely stock except for the gov. spring.

Roy

[ellis93]

Does the inducer(intake turbin) rub/touch its housing? If not then it should be fine.
My stock turbo had a lot of play in it and when I took it down and rebuilt it I found that some of the slack was still there. The center part was worn where the bushings ride,which made me replace it with another I had.
My parts total for rebuild kit exhaut turbin/shaft and a 60mm inducer from GDS was close to 500$. If I had it to do over again I'd buy a hybrid unit from http://www.dieselautopower.com/

[Roy3]

Intake turbine is not hitting the housing but it's darn close. I don't have a whole lot of miles before I need to address this. It seems like a lot of play to me. Maybe I'm worrying about nothing. It seems to move about .075 to .100.

[Tacoclaw]

Well, the turbo technically rides on an oil film when it's functioning. There will always be some play in a journal bearing turbo. As long as it doesn't go in/out in the housings and doesn't touch the sides it's not a huge problem.

I've heard of rebuild kits for sale on Ebay, but I'd buy a Cummins/Holset brand kit if if you're set on it. Rebuilding them apparently isn't a huge chore but I've never done one so I can't tell you.

My only advise is to remember that the compressor shaft nut is left hand thread.

[142autox]

Well, the turbo technically rides on an oil film when it's functioning. There will always be some play in a journal bearing turbo. As long as it doesn't go in/out in the housings and doesn't touch the sides it's not a huge problem.

^^^this. If it were mine I wouldn't panic. I can wiggle mine with the motor not running but I'm sure it's a different story with oil pressure around the bearings, don't try to test this (disclaimer). You have pretty low miles but without feeling or seeing it it's pretty hard to say if it's kaput. Some wiggle room is normal and necessary.

[ellis93]

What the claw said plus look at the nut on the shaft. If its six point nut then its a nuetral balance unit,the turbin is balanced seperate and doesn't matter where it bolts back on at. If the nuts 12 point mark the turbin in relation to the shaft becuase its core balanced

[delinquent]

or if your that worried, I've got a good used turbocharger I'd let go. PM me if interested

[cougar]

http://myholsetturbo.com/manuals/H_Serv ... _Sheet.pdf
.012-.018 side to side, .001-.005 in and out.

[Mark Nixon]

Always remember that the "cold" side (compressor) needs more clearance, due to the fact that it's temperatures can vary greatly.
It used to bug the heck outta' me that they are always looser on the compressor side, yet tight on the exhaust side, until I realized that they have to be.

Most of the mass-produced turbo components these days are individually balanced, but every once in a while you'll find a turbo that's unit balanced and turns out needing to be sent in for re-balancing.
Some companies actually do this intentionally to detect tampering.

Usually if they hum, or vibrate (which you can hear, see or feel) while blowing high pressured air into the exhaust side, they need to be balanced.

Mark.