ok i installed a (new) custom 16g turbo kit on my car about 2 months ago, everything as far as i know is going good, besides running a lil rich from time to time but everyone has these issues. today i took the filter off the turbo to check the turbine and it looks good, i than reached in to check for play and sure enough there is play side to side?? the turbo and set up is 2 months old? wtf? is this normal? theres not alot of play just slight movment side to side but if i try to pull on the turbine or push there is no movment just side to side? any ideas? how long before i need to fix it? what can i be doing wrong?

Once oil fills the center cartridge it's good to go, there needs to be some room for oil. In/Out sideplay is bad. Just keep in mind what it feels like now and you should be able to see the difference in 50K or so.

ok thanks for the info, i was wondering cause new it had no play at all no matter how you try but good to know i little side to side is acceptable. ill be sure to check it 50,000 miles from now in 1000 mile intervals ... lol
thanks again
joe

anyone else have an opinion on this? ive been hearing this is all wrong and its the other way around, side to side is bad and in and out is ok as long as its not much? my question is with a brand new turbo from hahn after 2 months of use i would think there should be no signs of wear, side to side or in and out??

It is hard to distinguish the difference between "side to side" and "in and out" when it comes to shaft play. All shaft play is not "good"... I believe the worse end of it would be being able to push the turbine in or pull it out, in other words from the turbine side to the compressor side and vise versa. My turbo had 0 play in it when I bought it and after a month or 2 it had a bit of a wiggle but it runs great so I assume this is normal. Don't take me too seriously though I'm no expert. I've only been turbo for 2 years and only know from minimal experience and word of mouth.

ok so thats score 2 for side to side wiggle, im going to contact hahn and see what they say and i will post my findings

mine had no shaft play at all 3 months ago and now it wiggles just a lil . i think its normal .

Originally posted by joeck76
anyone else have an opinion on this? ive been hearing this is all wrong and its the other way around, side to side is bad and in and out is ok as long as its not much? my question is with a brand new turbo from hahn after 2 months of use i would think there should be no signs of wear, side to side or in and out??

Then you heard from idiots

Side to side play is the less bad of the two, as long as the blades don't hit the compressor housing you don't have much to worry about, since most turbos seem to develop a little side to side play after some good boosting. In and out play (or "axial" play) is the worse one, since that means your thrust bearings are failing and you will either have to replace the center section or get it professionally rebuilt since you can't do those on your own.

ok thats 3 points for side to side ok, thanks alot im learning here, also what did you mean by you cant rebuild those by yourself? you mean the 16g? or the section you mentioned in general? forgive me for the ignorance but im still new to the whole turbo thing. my side to side is very slight and comes no where near the turbine housing so i guess im good guess i was just concerned being such a new turbo but thanks for the feedback
joe

Originally posted by joeck76
ok thats 3 points for side to side ok, thanks alot im learning here, also what did you mean by you cant rebuild those by yourself? you mean the 16g? or the section you mentioned in general? forgive me for the ignorance but im still new to the whole turbo thing. my side to side is very slight and comes no where near the turbine housing so i guess im good guess i was just concerned being such a new turbo but thanks for the feedback joe

You can fix one side of the turbo yourself, very carefully.. I believe the turbine side. The compressor side must be professionally rebuilt if you want it done so it lasts, and if the center section is going, that must be pro rebuilt too.. any turbo is rebuildable, the parts are usually cheap, but labor is very expensive.. it is $500cdn to rebuild a T3/T4 up here, or $200us for a Garrett turbo thru cheapturbo.com

A little side to side play is normal even on brand new turbos. Unless you're pouring oil out one side, or wearing the blades down into the housing, you don't have enough play to matter. Beat it until it breaks.