Urgent turbo help needed Portland oregon

[rabfan]

We are on vacation in Portland Oregon from Red Deer Alberta.
My turbo was making pathetic unreliable boost GM5. I have wired the wastegate shut.
No apparent leaks in the charge system.
Initially we were getting up to 9 lbs. 5psi hitting the gas then it would spool to 9 once the engine would load up on an incline. EGT's kept at 1000 developing down to 40mph. Temps will climb, I pull over when it gets to 99degrees Celsius on the OBDii scanner. We pull over a lot. Seems like its just not making power. Can't get it over 55mph
Now I'm getting 5psi of boost sometimes 6-7.
My question is this; is my GM5 going bad rapidly or is it possible my engine just not making enough energy to turn the turbo?
Also if I need to replace it what is a bolt on solution that will perform better than the 5?
A search revealed reference to a bolt on turbo with no wastegate but the name has been x'd out I assume for the sake of the advertisers on here. If someone could PM me the name and a possible source in Portland that would be great.
Thanks,
RJ

[john8662]

Clean Air Filter?

Take a look and ensure you don't have an intake restriction.

Remove the boot from the air cleaner and inspect the turbo compressor, feel if it's binding, you want it to turn freely. Inspect the play the in housing. Using very light pressure tilt the wheel to the side of the compressor housing. If it easily contacts the side, it's got too much side-to-side play.

Next, if that's serviceable.

Inspect the wastegate arm. Look for slop in the arm, it should only pivot, not rock side to side, If it's rocking, it's not keeping alignment so that the sealing wastegate flapper/valve can seal against the surface inside.

Just replace the turbo with a genuine remanufactured turbo, don't mess with aftermarket replacements (ensure it's a Borg Warner).

The aftermarket turbo that's non-wastegated that is blocked here is really blocked for two reasons.

1) it's a garbage turbo, Chinese origin and does not directly fit, (rather unprofessionally mounted) jicky setup.

2) Not an advertiser.

Save yourself the trouble and repair your engine's turbo.

On another note, you should also inspect your exhaust crossover pipe for leaks, or rotted out spots. If you have a bad exhaust leak you won't make sufficient boost either.

J

[rabfan]

Thanks for the input,
Exhaust is brand new 4" stainless turbo back.
Intake is brand new AFE "cold" air intake.
Turbo seemed awesome with regard to shaft play when I did the install just before leaving.
Thanks for the tip on the turbos. Is the GM8 a direct replacement?
Is it possible my injectors are shot thus not making power and not spooling the turbo?
I don't have excessive black smoke although there is some now that I'm only getting 5lbs. There was great clouds of smoke before I wired the wastegate shut.
I'll check the shaft play on the WG.

[john8662]

Yes, the GM8 is a direct replacement.

[rabfan]

I've made some friends here in town and I'm hoping I can get a compression test done tomorrow.
Still need a good source for in stock parts in Portland Oregon if anyone has a lead.

[DmaxMaverick]

I've made some friends here in town and I'm hoping I can get a compression test done tomorrow.
Still need a good source for in stock parts in Portland Oregon if anyone has a lead.

Give Robyn a holler in the morning. She's not far from you.

[rabfan]

I'm not familiar with Robyn

Edit; sent a message. Thanks

[More Power]

Setting any trouble codes? Is the PCM defueling?

Generally, if the PCM isn't happy with the boost pressures, it'll set a related code.

If the turbo spins freely, if the compressor wheel isn't contacting the housing, if there are no pressure leaks in the intake system, it isn't a turbo problem. It's more likely to be due to a fueling problem. Jim

[rabfan]

I've been driving with the OBDII computer connected. No codes....when we left there was a code about lack of boost pressure. I erased it and wired the WG closed. Code never came back.
Took turbo off today. The WG arm has some play maybe 1/16th of an inch or more. There is some soot development on the inside of the heat shield at the pivot arm and a bit of oil came out of the outlet end denoting a possible internal oil leak. I've ordered a new turbo and injectors.....Normally I'd do a spray pattern test before replacing the injectors but given that I'm 1200 miles from home and time and reliability is an issue I'll swallow the expense I guess.
Compression test was very good. Everything over 540 PSI.

[rabfan]

Welp, new turbo and new injectors in.
Even though the old WG passed a vacuum test, it wasn't staying up at idle. New unit of course does so the vacuum system appears to be working.
I had a reciprocal vibration at idle (which I though was the harmonic balancer which I changed when I bought the vehicle) is also reduced so I'm deducing that the new injectors solved that.
The real test will be when towing I suppose to see if this thing can handle my enormous 4000lb(sarcasm) trailer.

[rabfan]

Still seems low on power. Timing chain next.

[john8662]

what are you seeing for boost now?

[phantom309]

perhaps you have an egr problem.

[rabfan]

9 lbs, boost comes in sooner. Truck has more power.

[john8662]

Sounds like you have a properly working turbo then.

[rabfan]

made it back to Alberta today. Had to pull over twice going through the mountains to let it cool off.
The air was a little cooler today and the boost was surging. I'd get 9.5lbs and it would drop off to 5 then back up again. Over and over. If I put my foot in it, boost would climb higher than I've seen it before. I stopped it at 13lbs but it wanted to go higher.
So...boost is erratic, it still over temps and my 81 Rabbit turbo diesel has more power.

[DmaxMaverick]

Overboost, then defuel, I think. Sounds like something isn't right with your wastegate control, and/or it's overfueling when it shouldn't. In any case, that much boost should be checked by the WG control. Could be an aftermarket program/chip problem, bad wiring somewhere, or a bad PCM. It does sound like a control problem, and not necessarily an end-component problem.

[DmaxMaverick]

Any current DTC's?

[rabfan]

No codes. I've been driving with the OBDII scanner plugged in and in live data mode. Intake air temps are high from time to time.

[DmaxMaverick]

High intake air temp will cause a defuel. It could also explain the high ECT's. Check your air intake plumbing. Where's it getting fresh air? If it's from the engine compartment, it could explain the out of control temps at times.

[rabfan]

Definitely hot air. The AFE intake kit takes air from the engine bay. I've been thinking the only way to make it suck outside air would be to cut a hole in the hood.
Also, the OBDII scanner says the truck has a spark ignition when it should say compression. It reads both types. Is there a possibility someone has installed a gas ECM and the truck would still run?

[DmaxMaverick]

I have an AFE Stage II on my 2001. It pulls air from the headlamp opening and frontal area, boxed and gasket sealed from the engine compartment. It seemed to pull ambient temp air each time I checked (with scanner, according to the MAF temp sensor). If your intake is pulling engine compartment air, that could very well be the entire problem. Hot air = hot engine; Hot engine = hot air. Recipe for disaster, methinks.

No chance a gasser ECM would run an EFI Diesel. I don't know why your scanner would show it as a gasser. I suspect a problem with the scanner software, and not the PCM, in this case. You may check with the scanner distributor for a common issue, perhaps.

[rabfan]

I also have the gasket and the box but there is a battery in front of my air box which blocks ambient from the headlamp. Once te hood is closed it seems to me that it is easier for the intake to pull air from the engine bay. This was confirmed when my A/C compressor bearing started spalling and the air filter was pulling brown dust onto it.
I'll have to look into some more ducting to get actual cold air. OBDII scanner showed intake temps as high as 112degrees C! Crazy hot.

[ad2]

I have my 1997 k1500 with a 6.5 everything but the intake is stock still. so my engine is not built like yours but years ago I was under a load and had a complete power loss like you said and it was my secondary lift pump that had gone out. hope that is not what was going on I was out of town when it happened and got raped by the dealer. :mad:never when to them again.

[DmaxMaverick]

I have my 1997 k1500 with a 6.5 everything but the intake is stock still. so my engine is not built like yours but years ago I was under a load and had a complete power loss like you said and it was my secondary lift pump that had gone out. hope that is not what was going on I was out of town when it happened and got raped by the dealer. :mad:never when to them again.

It's hard to say, without seeing what they saw, and knowing what they know. A dealer repaired "secondary lift pump" is a two-grand-plus job.

[phantom309]

old thread,..OP has moved on,..*yawn*,.....