Question about failing turbo

jakelauer · 08-08-2011, 11:47 PM

Hi, all. I'm a complete Supra noob (pretty much a car noob in general, actually). But I came across a 1990 Supra Turbo for sale on Craigslist. The post mentions this: Turbo Charger is going out but still runs.

My questions are:

What exactly does this mean (i.e. what needs to be replaced)?
Is the turbo charger necessary for the car to run, or can it work if the turbo charger completely goes out?
How much would it cost to fix?

Thanks!

87hilux7mge · 08-09-2011, 12:25 AM

could mean alot of things for the turbo. it leaks oil/water, the bearings bad, bad wastegate, etc...theres alot of things it could be.

costs of a rebuilt turbo vary as well, but id say 200-400 bux, depending on what you have done to it sounds close. someone with more experience will undoubtedly chime in and provide a better answer.

Green7mgte · 08-09-2011, 03:13 AM

yea you need the turbo on a turbo engine for it to run correctly.
I had a pos sunfire with a busted turbo, we wired the wast gate opened.. ran like shit.

basically you want to check for any shaft play first.. take the accordion hose off and gently try to wiggle the blades side to side. then in and out.. GENTLY!
any movement beyond .5mm (so small its hardly even noticeable) and yes it needs rebuilt. Check your coolant line running into the turbo to see if it's hooked up properly. check for oil collection on the blades.. look for blue smoke comming out of the turbo. these are all signs of it being on it's way out.

El Supracabras · 08-09-2011, 12:46 PM

By the "turbo going out but still runs" what they probably mean is "it smokes like a bitch and has no power".
Expect to do some more work to the car. A good reman turbo is about $500 plus other small parts and labor. You still don't know the condition of the engine, trans, suspension or electrical all of which can kill you in the wallet.
The car can be driven with the turbo "bypassed" but you won't like it since joggers will be blowing past you. It needs the turbo.
I'm not saying not to buy it, just consider the maintenance it will require when you are adding up the price.

Green7mgte · 08-10-2011, 01:28 AM

joggers is right man.
shit when I was trying to pull out into traffic I had to Waite for a HUGE opening.. hell don't even thing about getting up to safe speeds on the highway quickly.. Oh and be prepared to stall at every quick stop you make..
God I loved my first car. I named it Guss..

08-08-2011, 11:47 PM	#1
jakelauer Stock Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 1	Question about failing turbo Hi, all. I'm a complete Supra noob (pretty much a car noob in general, actually). But I came across a 1990 Supra Turbo for sale on Craigslist. The post mentions this: Turbo Charger is going out but still runs. My questions are: What exactly does this mean (i.e. what needs to be replaced)? Is the turbo charger necessary for the car to run, or can it work if the turbo charger completely goes out? How much would it cost to fix? Thanks!

08-09-2011, 12:25 AM	#2
87hilux7mge walbro fp Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: spokane Posts: 479	could mean alot of things for the turbo. it leaks oil/water, the bearings bad, bad wastegate, etc...theres alot of things it could be. costs of a rebuilt turbo vary as well, but id say 200-400 bux, depending on what you have done to it sounds close. someone with more experience will undoubtedly chime in and provide a better answer. __________________ 87 toyota 4x4 single cab short box pickup, 7MGZE.

08-09-2011, 03:13 AM	#3
Green7mgte Supra Forum Moderator Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Green-Ohio Posts: 1,297	yea you need the turbo on a turbo engine for it to run correctly. I had a pos sunfire with a busted turbo, we wired the wast gate opened.. ran like shit. basically you want to check for any shaft play first.. take the accordion hose off and gently try to wiggle the blades side to side. then in and out.. GENTLY! any movement beyond .5mm (so small its hardly even noticeable) and yes it needs rebuilt. Check your coolant line running into the turbo to see if it's hooked up properly. check for oil collection on the blades.. look for blue smoke comming out of the turbo. these are all signs of it being on it's way out. __________________ 92 Ma71 7mGTE Auto. SafcII Supra FAQ Supra MKIII FAQ Classified Section guidelines :

08-10-2011, 01:28 AM	#5
Green7mgte Supra Forum Moderator Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Green-Ohio Posts: 1,297	joggers is right man. shit when I was trying to pull out into traffic I had to Waite for a HUGE opening.. hell don't even thing about getting up to safe speeds on the highway quickly.. Oh and be prepared to stall at every quick stop you make.. God I loved my first car. I named it Guss.. __________________ 92 Ma71 7mGTE Auto. SafcII Supra FAQ Supra MKIII FAQ Classified Section guidelines :

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08-09-2011, 12:46 PM	#4
El Supracabras 3" Exhaust Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Chicago Posts: 240	By the "turbo going out but still runs" what they probably mean is "it smokes like a bitch and has no power". Expect to do some more work to the car. A good reman turbo is about $500 plus other small parts and labor. You still don't know the condition of the engine, trans, suspension or electrical all of which can kill you in the wallet. The car can be driven with the turbo "bypassed" but you won't like it since joggers will be blowing past you. It needs the turbo. I'm not saying not to buy it, just consider the maintenance it will require when you are adding up the price.