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Dead compressor ! ! !

855 views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  schueller74 
#1 ·
Howdy to everyone on the boards.
I replaced the serpentine drivebelt on my truck on Sunday , and took her out for a shakedown cruise . Everything seemed fine until I pulled out of a parking lot onto a state highway , and as traffic was approching , rolled pretty heavy into the throttle . I didn't stand on it , but I wasn't exactly putt-putting it either . THe truck pulled hard as she always does , the turbo spooled up as usual , we caught second gear and the wastegate activated ( also usual for how much throttle I was using ) , I backed off the throttle and heard . . . . no turbo whistle ! Rolled into the throttle gently to attempt to accelerate as I was now in third gear , and no boost whatsover , and billowing smoke rolling out of the tailpipe. I knew that the turbo had failed . I limped it the three miles home , popped the hood and removed the air cleaner to expose the compressor and tried to turn the compressor wheel ( after the engine had cooled of course ) and it was stuck solid ! It looked as if the blades were too close to the housing. I know this means I have a dead turbo , but I am hesitant to purchase a new one as it would probably be equal in value to the truck , she's a 1995 with 267,000 miles on her .As I live in Wisconsin , the body isn't exactly " cherry" .

Does anyone know if it will kill the engine by running it with a non-functioning turbo ? I mean in town only , probably no highway trips . I realize this sounds idiotic, and if I were beating the heck out of the truck I would understand , but I am so unsure of what to do now. Perhaps I could bypass the turbocharger and convert it to a naturally-aspirated diesel ?

Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated . Thank you for your time .
 
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#2 ·
i wouldnt run it around like that as their is potential to do damage.

At minimum, the turbo should be removed and the exhaust and intake re-routed directly

Without the turbo, its going to get pretty hot pretty easily, you should definitely get a pyro if you dont already have one. And to top it all off, its going to be gutless as hell without a turbo LOL

Best bet, look for a used turbo. even if yours is in rebuildable shape (wheels/housings are good) or you find another nuked one that is rebuildable, you can rebuild it yourself for less than 100 bones. you should be able to find a good used one for a couple hundred...
 
#3 ·
Doesn't matter what the value of the truck is per-say, but I understand what you mean.
In my case when my turbo went I didn't want to spent a grand for a turbo, or rebuild the stocker so got a used upgrade but that required some fabricating.

Like ykdave stated running with a seized turbo is bad, and look into a rebuild kit they're simple to take apart.

If you absolutely have to drive it .........remove the wast-gate actuator and wire it open. That will bypass the turbine wheel some but the waste-gate hole isn't that big but will help keep the heat down
 
#4 ·
bad idea on the wastegate LOL

The wastegate on these only vents the rear 3 cylinders, the front 3 cylinders are completely seperated by the scroll and divider in the manifold. = really hot 1/2/3 cylinders!
 
#5 ·
If you have to, borrow mom's car to commute in. You'd be better off leaving it parked. While ykdave is 100% correct about being able to drive it, the risk of disaster outweighs any benefits you might think you have. Just leave 'er parked until you get the turbo running. Check the classifieds on here.. Seems like there's HX35's floating around for virtually free!
 
#6 · (Edited)
Found a reman'd HX-35 on Turbochargerpros.com for $ 545 , a new one from that shop for $ 595 , and a new Holset for $ 1045 . . . . what would the difference be between the reman'd one and the "new" one of their brand ? WOuld I be safer staying with a Holset , even remanufactured rather than an aftermarket manufacturer ?
I have another vehicle to use as the daily driver , I'm just trying to figure out if the expense of this repair justifies keeping the truck . Love her to death , but this couldn't have come at a worse time. Of course , nothing ever breaks down when you've got an extra $ 5K in your pocket ! LOL
 
#7 ·
keep in mind that an hx35 isnt just an hx35. Their are a bunch of different models/configurations.

These beaters us an HX35W w/12cm turbine housing, which is used on ALOT of the different application engines, so chances are you are looking at the right one
 
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