I'm looking at a ceramic wheel ball bearing turbo i should be able to get cheap, i've heard the turbines are prone to grenading from one person, but Google searching didn't show anything about this. I'm looking for a little information if anyone has it...

 

Not grenadng, but from what I understand, instead of bending a turbine blade, the whole thing (all blades) shatters if anything bigger/more substancial than a hair hits it...

 

I believe they have a nasty habit of blowing themselves to bits if they're spun too fast as well, but in normal operation on a properly set up car they shouldnt pose much of a problem, but of course theres always the chance of tossing an apex seal out the exhaust port and ending your turbine wheel with it

 

Don't bother, especially with rotary engines...
With the good chance the engine will spit out pieces of apex seals, you're going to end up with very expensive ceramic dust being spit out the exhaust.


-Ted

 

It's not for my Rx-7...

It's not an expensive turbo, my main concern is it grenading and getting in my engine.

 

The pieces on a bursted ceramic wheel won't get into your engine, but they don't like boosting more than 10psi, they loose balance pretty quickly when you push them beyond that boost level, then they start loosing oil badly and you end up with an industrial smoke stack in no time. Actually, they are not long lasting, period. Trust me, I've had many JDM cars (mostly Toyotas) with around 60K miles on the odo and their ceramic turbos were kaput by then. They will keep on working, mind you, but throwing oil like crazy, and nobody balances or repairs ceramic wheels. To me it is the worst invention from the Japanese for turbos. A titanium wheel would serve you much better if you're looking for a lightweight turbine, but they are $$$$.

 

I'm not looking for a lightweight wheel so much, it's that this turbo is available cheaply. It's an auction, so i guess if it stays under $100, i'll go for it, if not, i'll stay away.

If anyone has a 60 Trim T3 laying around, i'll take it.

 

I'll advice to stay away from it. Biggest ceramic turbo I know is the one that came on RB25DET Nissan engines, and it won't flow more than 350 hp's worth of piston engine power, so there might not be more than 300 hp's worth for a rotary, and that's flywheel power. Also, if it is a used unit, there might be not much life left on it already. So you've been warned.

 

Just to be sure, you are talking about ceramic ball-bearing turbos ..... they won't last over 10 psi ???? I am sorry I don't get it ....

 

Yeah, that's what i'm talking about, it's from an RB20DET.

I'm only looking to make about 300whp.

 

go non sequential.... and you can make over 300 if you want.... will cost you less then a hundred $ too!!!

 

Ok, an RB20DET turbo is even smaller than the one that came on an RB25DET. The only ball bearing turbos I know of that were used by Nissan are the ones that came in pairs on late model R34 GT-R's RB26DETT engine, and then I don't remember them having ceramic wheels, but rather titanium wheels. I can bet money on them RB20DET turbos being plain sleeve bearing units rather than ball bearing. It did have ceramic wheels, though. But this is a turbo that came in a car that made 210 flywheel hp, and is known to not flow more than 250 flywheel hp's worth.

And, no, we are not talking "ceramic ball bearing" turbos, but rather "ceramic turbine wheel" turbos WITH ball bearings. Two very, VERY different things.

Trust me on this one, you wanna REALLY stay away from ceramic turbine wheels.

 

rb20 didn't have twins.


you won't see the light of 220whp if that...the rb20motor barely produces that with this turbo at cranked boost levels. those turbos are pathetically small and on the rb20 motor it'self barely produces any good power. i've seen it personally a few times. alot of guys here are doing the rb20 swap and it's seriously got one of the weakest factory turbo's i've seen. if you are looking for 300whp then look elsewhere.

 

Ok Thanks !!!!! I wasn't really sure ......