I bought a used "low mileage" set of 99 twins, but I think the exhaust turbine has some damage from eating something. I haven't worked with a lot of turbos, so I was just hoping someone could confirm/deny what I am seeing here. First turbine in the video is the secondary turbo from the beaten up set of 93 twins I pulled from my car, second turbine shown is the secondary turbo on the 99 spec twins (footage on those starts out a little shaky while I dialed in my snake camera, sorry)

Any thoughts? Am I boned? I can't find anything else weird on the intake side turbine, or anything on the primary turbo. Guess something flew out of the engine directly?

 

Yeah that turbine wheel looks damaged. Apex seals that break will do that type of carnage.

 

^ That's what I have heard from some private answers about this. Disappointing, but glad I caught it before I installed them. Hopefully I can get my money back on them.

 

Good catch! I recommend using one of those endoscope type cameras to investigate the edges of the turbine blades on a used set of turbos.

VERY common for the edges of the blades to chip up when an apex seal goes through them. My car had a reman in it when I bought it and the turbos started going out about 10,000 miles later. I always had so-so boost on the second turbo, it was due to the turbine being chipped up.

The turbos if they are like this will run OK, typically not smoke and will make decent power. Spool will be compromised. The turbine wheel will be imbalanced and will eventually kill the bearings and worst case the compressor wheel could hit the compressor housing.

In this case the turbo could be rebuilt, may be worth calling BNR Supercars and getting a rough idea of a rebuild price. May ask the seller to do a partial refund or something to fund a rebuild.

Dale

 

It’s definitely out of balance on that wheel. The reason I took a closer look was because I could hear a rubbing sound from that compressor when I spun it by hand, and even my beat up 93s don’t make that kind of noise.

Im working with the seller on it, doesn’t seem like they knew it had issues. The advice I was given was to try to return them and find a better set.

i thought about swapping in a good chra from bnr. I could do that swap I think, but I don’t trust myself to catch any other damage that might have happened from the apex seal (to the housing or anything).

Ive put a ton of time and money into the car, so I think I might just buy a new pair. I think in the back of my head I would always have a concern about installing a rebuild (from the bad reputation rebuilds in general seem to have on the twins)

Glad I caught it before installing though. I wouldn’t have thought to look if I didn’t notice the sound. Now I know to always check.

 

BNR can do the rebuilds right. Any other turbo shop I wouldn't trust. They know the twins backwards and forwards.

Regardless, really good you found out before installing them!

Dale

 

Unfortunately that damage will throw the turbo off balance and it will eventually fail. Send them back.

 

That's my plan I think. Full rebuild from BNR looks to be ~1200. I don't see a price/benefit payoff sending these in to be rebuilt with any reasonable partial refund that makes more sense than sending them back and buying a new set.

Seems like a lot of trouble to not save much money.