Hi,

I have an `87 turbo (all stock), and just found out that my turbo inlet duct has been cracked for
who knows how long... and been sucking in dirt. The guy that worked on it tried to clean it as best as possible...

Does anyone have any advice on how to gauge the extent of the damage to the turbo? Is it
possible/likely that there was no damage?

Thanks for any informed opinions/advice.

-Lionel

 

How big was the crack? I'm guessing both your turbo and engine have just been eating a lil bit of dirty air for a while. Was it cracked BEFORE he took it off? Just curious, those things are kinda brittle, and if you had a big leak, the car would be running "off".

 

Yeah... it was cracked before he took it off. It's at a reputable place (Mazdatrix).

I have no idea what size the crack is, but I was told that it was sucking in dirt and that he cleaned up the dirt as best he could... I imagine it could only be dirt from the engine bay (so I guess it could only be relatively fine pieces of dirt & not rocks and pebbles??).

Anyway do you know if the dirt will just 'pass through' the engine, or is there gunk now in my turbo/intake system permanently?

Thx.

 

Chances are your motor will be fine, however your compressor wheel blades are going to be worn.. take off your TID and check the blades.. they should all be sharp with no nicks on them..

 

Take your intercooler off and throw some gasoline in it and swish it around to clean it out. The intercooler I imagine captures alot of dirt and filth (at least I hope it does!)