Turbo leak

I think I have stuff laying around here to cap off one side then pump in some air.
I have a 0-30 lb gauge. At what pressure should I test with?

mike brez wrote:
Ok I have had my head up my a$$ lately. After thinking about it I'm now sure mine broke on the cold side sence the fins are clean and the other side is sooty.
So what ever it was/ is I'm guessing is in the ata cooler.

Yep. lucky you have an ATA unit. You might want to pressure test it as well (as long as you have everything apart. Pretty easy to to do with a a radiator pressure tester., but, you'll need to seal off one opening and apply pressure to the other and observe the pressure drop (on the gauge. A little is ok but a lot quickly will mean the ATA unit is compromised and you don't even want to know what they cost.

If it is compromised, the boost the turbo makes won't be getting to the motor or at least not all of it.

Lets just say that if the ATA cooler is compromised and you need a new one, you won't be doing much camping this summer....:D

At least you doing it is saving you the labor cost. Most shops are north of 100 bucks an hour now and most shops charge a premium to work on a motor home because if the access issues.

With most, doing the overhead requires removing the back bed, so just a valve adjustment can be costly plus, because it's a MH, no greasy wrench can get in there. We had one tech that all he did was MH's. Had to keep clean and cover everything with plastic inside. Don't want a pizzed off customer because you got grease on their couch... All that equates to more time and time equates to more money.

I know the shop I retired from charges $125.00 per hour labor with an additional 25 bucks tacked on for MH work. Least they did when I left. probably more now.

Most shops don't want to deal with motor homes as a rule. Much easier to work on a Class 6-8 diesel truck because all the components are easily gotten to (except Vo-Macks). Volvo trucks are a royal PITA because of the set back motor and all the shiels Vo-Mack places everywhere that you have to work around. Give me a long nose Star, Pete or KW any time. Just step in between the front tire and the firewall and do it.

They did a ton of MH work including Prevost coaches so I got to look inside some really top end ones.

I know if I could afford one, what I'd buy. I cannot and never will be able to but I can dream. 500 DDEC 60 Series or a 550 Cummins ISX-C with an Allison, self leveling air ride, tag axle, marble bathroom and all the luxury stuff. Cannot do 1.5 to 2 Mil.

They had one customer, his Prevost was all black on the upper half, all polished stainless on the lower half. Big onboard diesel genny and outside cooking area with a big screen TV. Just the ticket for the local KOA....lol

Ok I have had my head up my a$$ lately. After thinking about it I'm now sure mine broke on the cold side sence the fins are clean and the other side is sooty.
So what ever it was/ is I'm guessing is in the ata cooler.

11178adm wrote:
I just looked at your profile and realised i war mistaken about your engine model it is a 40 series not a 55 series as i stated the 55 series was the first version of the MBE4000 Mersedes engine the rest of the info in my post is correct

It's not an MB engine anyway. It's a Detroit Diesel (Michigan) engine, built prior to DDEC being bought out by FCA and/or MB.

Your timeline and assumption is way off.

Furthermore, if the compressor wheel is on the hot (exhaust side) any shrapnel would exit via the exhaust system / muffler. If the cold side (intake side) it would wind up in the ATA unit most likely. You always want any failure on the hot side.

You need to get your parameters straight. I worked on diesels for 35 years, the last 24 before I retired at a Freightliner dealership.

Irregardless, the turbo needs replaced because it has radial play which will at some point in the near future cause either of the compressor wheels to contact the housing and possibly explode.

One thing I always check on my 7.3 when I clean the K&N intake filter is shaft slop because accessing the cold side of the turbo is easy. Just takes a wiggle.

I've seen engines digest turbine wheels and it almost always results in an overhaul.

I just looked at your profile and realised i war mistaken about your engine model it is a 40 series not a 55 series as i stated the 55 series was the first version of the MBE4000 Mersedes engine the rest of the info in my post is correct

the part number on the turbo tag 1824790C91 is a International part number they should be able to cross that number to a reman part.
I would not worry about any further engine damage from the damage to the compressor wheel, it is aluminum and the pieces were small, that damage was probably done quite a while ago and the pieces have blown through the engine and out the exhaust, if there was damage it would have shown up by now.
the type of damage that the compressor wheel has is caused by some type of debris that found it's way to the clean side of the air cleaner either while the filter was removed for service or from a hole or loose clamp on the air cleaner tubing. check the tube where they could rub and have a hole, if the tube is plastic check for being deformed from over tightened clamps and foe cracks
hope this helps

from the pics of the engine with individual high pressure fuel lines you have a Detroit 55 Series engine, it is the same engine as a International DT530 engine. they were also used in some fire engine applications, there should be some International numbers on the data tag on the valve cover that a International truck dealer can cross to get parts

No. Could be a reman turbo. Did you buy the unit new or used?

If you change out the turbo (I assume you will), put some motor oil down the return line and spin it over. You don't want a dry start.

Have to ask, what kind of oil do you use? Reason I ask is, the DDEC engines we worked on all preferred Delo for some reason. If we ran Rotella, they used oil. With Delo, no usage to amount to much. I use Rotella in my 7.3 and my farm tractors however and they seem happy with it.

At least you don't have a Tier 4 engine. Tier 4 ruined diesels. I just bought another farm tractor, only buy used now (pre-tier 4). I got to work with Tier 4 engines in Class 8 trucks. What a joke. What junk. All the emissions stuff is lowest bidder and the failure rate is huge. When I retired, 75% of the shop work was emissions related and most of that was DEF dosing issues. That and DP filters.

I have a Banks kit on my 7.3. Does a good job. Only drive it in the summer. In the winter it sleeps with the RV in the big barn. Nice to be able to keep the RV inside and the truck too.

Planning a Maine trip this summer. We have good friends that live about 15 miles from Bar Harbor or halfway between Bangor and Bar Harbor. Going up there for a week or two. They have an RV as well and stayed with us here in Michigan last year so we need to reciprocate. I get to park in their backyard, no campground needed. Sure like to know how that compressor wheel got chewed up. Usually, the break a vane.

X2 I always idle my 7.3 to cool it down.
Have you ever heard of Stigan turbos?
I found a little sticker painted over on mine it had a part number
1824790C91

mike brez wrote:
Yes I believe the bearings are worn. End play is very little side to side seems a little to much. I have a 2002 7.3 and replaced the turbo compressor wheel with a wicked wheel.
The good thing I believe is the missing peices of the wheel went into the exhaust and are in the muffler or got blown out I hope.

Hot side compressor wheel, no issue, it's along the road somewhere. Cold side could be a big issue.

Garrett uses ceramic sleeve bearings btw so it's imperative to have oil present at all times, which, is why I always idle my 7.3 a couple minutes before I turn it off. Same with my farm tractors which are all turbo-diesel too.