any way to clean CHRA on turbo?

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 11:16 AM

i just had my CHRA replaced by garrett not too long ago. ran the car for a couple hundred miles before taking the motor out.
today i brought my turbo to work to glass blast the housing. masked everything off and even stuffed shop towels down the inlets etc..
made the housing look brand new. but somehow some of the particles made its way into the turbo.
i turned the propeller on the inlet and i can hear the grains grinding around inside it. they made their way into the oil feed and onto the CHRA.

called up ATP since they are local, they said they cant service it for me. i gotta send it for a new CHRA again.

is there any way i can take it all apart and clean everything off, and possibly lubricate it with oil and put back together? trying to avoid paying for a new CHRA again.

thanks!

**Seerlah** · 01-28-2015 11:49 AM

How long have you had this chra for? It comes with new 1 yr warranty. If that isn't up, drive the car, blow the turbo, and send it in for free replacement. That thing is toast. Next time take the housings off the chra before doing stuff like that.

Note: Def read the warranty fine print first to see if this can be done first, and you don't fuck yourself.

**Seerlah** · 01-28-2015 11:57 AM

An idea. If the warranty thing does not work you can possibly run deisel fuel through it. DO NOT spin the wheel at all during this. Then pump a lot of oil through it (restrictor removed) to clean oil out and lubricate. All done outside the car. Not saying it would work, but probable.

If you damage your turbo doing this, I take absolutely no responsibility.

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by Seerlah

How long have you had this chra for? It comes with new 1 yr warranty. If that isn't up, drive the car, blow the turbo, and send it in for free replacement. That thing is toast. Next time take the housings off the chra before doing stuff like that.

Note: Def read the warranty fine print first to see if this can be done first, and you don't fuck yourself.

car has no engine :(
cant drive it to blow the turbo.

new CHRA was done by garrett about 6 months ago.
looks like its time for a new CHRA.

**War Machine** · 01-28-2015 12:12 PM

Should have put bolts in the holes, You just ruined a good turbo for something that will inevitably happen again (get dirty).

And if you are talking about the cold side housing, its easily removed with 4 bolts, blast away, powder, paint whatever. You should have never put the CHRA in the cabinet.

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by War Machine

Should have put bolts in the holes, You just ruined a good turbo for something that will inevitably happen again (get dirty).

And if you are talking about the cold side housing, its easily removed with 4 bolts, blast away, powder, paint whatever. You should have never put the CHRA in the cabinet.

yea looks like i had to learn this one the hard way.
i'll send it in for another CHRA. looks like i am shit outa luck on this one.

**blitz2190** · 01-28-2015 12:21 PM

you cant just flush out the chra with oil?

**Seerlah** · 01-28-2015 12:46 PM

You would want to use some type of detergent first, hence why I suggested diesel fuel then oil. If it were me I would blow it and take advantage of the warranty. He needs to blow it first, though.

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Seerlah

You would want to use some type of detergent first, hence why I suggested diesel fuel then oil. If it were me I would blow it and take advantage of the warranty. He needs to blow it first, though.

i already filed it to send out to garrett for a new CHRA.

you live and you learn. expensive lesson learned the hard way.
this is what happens when you gotta learn shit on your own and dont have someone to help. wont happen again thats for sure :)

i'll be dropping it off after work for a new center cartridge. there goes my plans for new wheels.

**Seerlah** · 01-28-2015 01:04 PM

Dude, just wait and blow it before sending it in if you can do it before your warranty is up.

**AudiA4_20T** · 01-28-2015 01:07 PM

is the sand actually in the cartridge or just the housing? You might be fine if you pull the housings off and clean it up

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Seerlah

Dude, just wait and blow it before sending it in if you can do it before your warranty is up.

my car doesnt have an engine. cant blow the turbo

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by AudiA4_20T

is the sand actually in the cartridge or just the housing? You might be fine if you pull the housings off and clean it up

in the cartridge i believe.

i tried to blow it out with compressed air and nothing. in fact it almost made it worse.
i turn the shaft by hand and its grinding and stopping.
looks like it got in through the oil line opening even though i masked it off.

i'm taking it off now to check

**seanf86** · 01-28-2015 01:26 PM

is it ball bearing or journal bearing?, if its journal bearing take the housing off and pull the shafts out and all the guts and clean everything, if you turned it with grit and its journal bearing it may need a new bearing as it may be scored now.

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 02:03 PM

It's a 2871r

Took the housings off. It's definitely the CHRA.

**diagnosticator** · 01-28-2015 02:30 PM

The glass bead particles are inside the ball bearing cartridge. Since the cartridge can't be taken apart, the only fix is to replace the ball bearing cartridge with a new part. There is no way to flush the cartridge to be sure there is no glass bead particles left inside. The correct way to glass bead the CHRA housing is to disassemble everything from the housing first. It is difficult to reassemble the CHRA with the compressor impeller located perfectly on the turbine shaft as originally assembled to maintain the dynamic balance of the rotating parts, without having a dynamic balancer machine. This has to be done on a dynamic balancer when the CHRA is assembled.

Depending on how you manage the exchange, this is at the minimum an inconvenient lesson for you. Sorry.

**Seerlah** · 01-28-2015 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by Furly

i turn the shaft by hand and its grinding and stopping.

Turbo is toast. Probably would have blown as soon as you started the car. When is the warranty up and when will you have an engine? Don't pay if you don't have to. Blow that puppy first...then send it in.

On a side note, I'm pretty much done with Garrett. Had bad experiences with them. But on the flip side, people had bad experiences with the company of the turbo I am running now. Guess luck of the draw.

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by Seerlah

Turbo is toast. Probably would have blown as soon as you started the car. When is the warranty up and when will you have an engine? Don't pay if you don't have to. Blow that puppy first...then send it in.

On a side note, I'm pretty much done with Garrett. Had bad experiences with them. But on the flip side, people had bad experiences with the company of the turbo I am running now. Guess luck of the draw.

If I can find a better turbo that can spool faster for a good price, I'll just buy it now. I want to make sure i have a good turbo for when the engine goes back in.

I have an engine it's just in pieces while I drop rods in and put my built AEB on it.

**Charlie240sxt** · 01-28-2015 03:00 PM

Holy crap dude that sucks......remove the housings next time.

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie240sxt

Holy crap dude that sucks......remove the housings next time.

its my first turbo car. lots of important lessons learned with this one ;)

**Seerlah** · 01-28-2015 03:20 PM

With a built engine, forget that turbo. Go bigger. Journal bearing CT turbo would be my suggestion. I run a CT2 5152 Triplex Ball Bearing unit from them, rated at 530hp, and cost the same as a GT2871R (had this turbo prior, but CT prices have gone up tremendously unless they are inflated on the site below. I paid $1,2xx for mine).

http://www.ringer-racing.com/category.sc?categoryId=216

I personally purchased from CT directly. Tell them your story (don't tell them how you blew it, but just tell them you blew it) and they may give a sympathy discount. It happens. Would not be surprised if they would sell you a journal bearing turbo for like $650. This route, you would actually be able to appreciate and use your built engine.

With a BT, the whole powerband changes and you will basically have to relearn your car (not joking). I mean like a complete 180. With my tune, I have really aggressive timing on the low end so it is rather tolerable for me before boost kicks in. Then when it does, it's just fun. But with BT power and sitting on a built block you will get tired fast. That is why I suggest a bigger turbo now. You will get tired of the GT2871R really quick. Incredibly fun turbo and ideal for those with a stock block (basically at it's limit, safely), but not for those with a built engine and you would just want a more powerful turbo. Ask me how I know.

**BISHILVR** · 01-28-2015 04:43 PM

Do not ever put a turbo on a car if it has any kind of grit in it, especially when you know its sand blasting media! that grit will end up in your oil and destroy your engine, not to mention contaminate your intercooler pipes and intercooler with grit (you will then have to replace the intercooler) AND if that turbo comes apart, it can easily breath pieces of the turbo's bearings or pieces of broken blades into your running engine and destroy your engine in that way too. Bad advice right there.

**Seerlah** · 01-28-2015 04:54 PM

So he would simply need to run an inline filter on the oil drain line. Small hurdle. Intake side would be fine. It's in the chra. Blades would need fod for what you are saying. Oil filter should pick up that crap before it reaches any journals anyways.

edit: just thought about it and he can keep the oil drain detached from the turbo and collect the oil. The turbo won't see much oil by the time he blows the turbo. it's not as big of a deal as you may think. your sump naturally has much more sh*t in it already and it doesn't harm anything...till your pick up tube clogs.

**BISHILVR** · 01-28-2015 04:59 PM

Bad idea all the way around.

**Seerlah** · 01-28-2015 05:07 PM

New idea. Put a power drill with socket on the nut for the compressor wheel and spin it. Now..send it in

. Run a detergent and flush with oil before, to hide the evidence.

**BISHILVR** · 01-28-2015 09:56 PM

Mark the relationship of the wheels, (pull the compressor cover off) remove the compressor blade (nut) pull the turbo apart and clean each and every piece inside of it and re-assemble, otherwise send it in for a cleaning or a new center section, if you want to try to salvage it dont turn it any more at all.

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 10:08 PM

Got a question for you guys.

Will a GTX chra work in the housings of my 2871r? What would I need to turn it into a gtx turbo that would outperform my current one ?
Just seeing if it's an option at all.

**Seerlah** · 01-28-2015 10:14 PM

The GTX is sold with the CHRA and compressor housing for the redesigned compressor wheel. You reuse your old turbine housing.

And for the record, Garrett BB cartridges are fully rebuildable for the DIY guy but the balancing would need to be performed by a specialist. But since you have a warranty, it is much easier to get a free replacement. Seems you are trying to avoid that like you want to pay, which is strikingly odd.

**Furly** · 01-28-2015 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by Seerlah

The GTX is sold with the CHRA and compressor housing for the redesigned compressor wheel. You reuse your old turbine housing.

And for the record, Garrett BB cartridges are fully rebuildable for the DIY guy but the balancing would need to be performed by a specialist. But since you have a warranty, it is much easier to get a free replacement. Seems you are trying to avoid that like you want to pay, which is strikingly odd.

Its not that I want to pay. But more so that I already opened an RMA and dropped the turbo off.
Going back in the morning and taking It back (if they hopefully have not shipped it yet) and then filing another RMA through another shop would be sketchy. Unless of course these shops don't open the RMA directly with Garrett. Then it wouldn't matter.

I know I made a dumb and expensive mistake. but i have too much going on, that I rather not have to worry about it. Really borderline considering parting the car out if shit keeps going downhill like it has the past 6 months.

**BISHILVR** · 02-28-2015 07:23 PM

Ball bearing center section parts are not made available by Garrett or any other name brand turbo company that I know of, I'm sure some chinese knockoff bearings could be bought which goes without saying you should not waste your money on. The bearing rotational assembly is pressed onto the the turbine shaft and then the compressor wheel is added and the whole assembly is then balanced as a whole, there is no way to accomplish this at home and thats why the parts are'nt made available.

**jacobsen** · 03-01-2015 02:35 AM

**Seerlah** · 03-01-2015 03:08 AM

Originally Posted by BISHILVR

Ball bearing center section parts are not made available by Garrett or any other name brand turbo company that I know of, I'm sure some chinese knockoff bearings could be bought which goes without saying you should not waste your money on. The bearing rotational assembly is pressed onto the the turbine shaft and then the compressor wheel is added and the whole assembly is then balanced as a whole, there is no way to accomplish this at home and thats why the parts are'nt made available.

Really? Then what's this? Garrett parts are most likely China made just like eBay replacement parts. From what I gather there are many shops out there that can both rebuild and rebalance bb turbochargers. My current bb turbo has a center housing designed to be opened and fully serviceable.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...R-GT3076R-etc)

**diagnosticator** · 03-01-2015 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by BISHILVR

Bad idea all the way around.

I agree. It would be similar to putting a half teaspoon of glass bead media into the the oil fill and intake manifold directly. Also, the CHRA would show evidence of failure from contamination, when inspected for warranty purposes. I am skeptical the warranty would cover contamination from dirt of any type since that is not a manufacturing or material defect.