I was wondering about how freely my turbo should spin... it spins about 180 degres smoothly is this normal or REALLY bad, cause this might be whats keepin my rex from idling

 

The turbo spinning or not spinning has nothing to do with your idle. When the car is off, the turbo doesn't spin easily - it's not like a pinwheel or something.

If you're having idle problems, always the first place to check are vacuum leaks - that will cause stalling and rough idle. Very common problem.

Dale

 

troy is a dork

 

The turbo will not spin freely with the engine off. The turbine shaft floats on liquid bearings made up of engine oil. Since there is no oil pressure, there is no liquid bearing, so the shaft will drag. However, it should turn smoothly with very little (or no) side-side play. It should not have any front-back play. DON'T start the engine then attempt to spin it with your hand.

Idle problems could be caused by lots of different things, though the most common are vacuum leaks.