running a water cooled turbo without water

  1. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Oct 2008 Birtley Posts: 22253 VTR Turbo, 106 xsi track slag, Transit recovery, B
    #1
    right..ive recentley acquired a turbo that has both water and oil cooling..or should i say water cooling oil lubricating...

    long story it looks like the turbo is leaking water? although im not sure this is poss..as it looks like its coming from the cartridge?

    the car its from is an s14..these have inherrant issues with leaky water feeds apparantly..but it doesnt look to me like its come from the feed..as no direct corrosion in that area???

    there is much conflicting info about running the water feed or not..basically i dont really want to "not run it"..but i also dont wanna have to have it rebuilt if i can afford it!!

    i found this from the garrett site..but this mainly focusses on ball bearing turbos..which i already know MUST run water and oil..and mine is journal bearing.

    http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbob...er_Cooling.pdf

    i know not running water can reduce the life span of the turbo..but should i be concerned about not running it?

    its a good clean looking turbo with zero play..so dont really wanna have to send it back..rather take a partial refund and live with it if poss???

    some pics of said leak:



  2. Frequent Poster Joined: Apr 2012 Bradford/Leeds Posts: 775 03 R53 Mini Cooper S with a little extra going on
    #2
    its a pretty simple answer, yeah it needs the water, without it the bearing will deteriorate pretty quickly

    eg


    vs

  3. Frequent Poster Joined: Dec 2011 Thorne+Grimsby Posts: 717 S2GTi / Megane cc
    #3
    From experience with these turbos and nissans they run happily without water feeds connected. I know a few lads who ran the 28 on s13s with no water feeds without issues too. Obviously its water cooled for a reason but as long as your not boosting shit shit out of it, it should last well.
  4. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Oct 2008 Birtley Posts: 22253 VTR Turbo, 106 xsi track slag, Transit recovery, B
    #4
    see this is the confliction

    i know running a ball bearing turbo is an instant no no..and thats what the garrett link focuses on

    hence theis thread lol..but ppl's experience is deof a good shout
  5. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Jul 2006 Somewhere nicer than you Posts: 32356 S2 Exige 240S, CLS63 AMG, Freelander
    #5
    If it's from an S14 your best bet is probably to ask on www.sxoc.com
  6. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Oct 2008 Birtley Posts: 22253 VTR Turbo, 106 xsi track slag, Transit recovery, B
    #6
    cheers tom..if you aint been in gen chat i joined up but need a mod to validate my user before i can post
  7. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Jul 2006 Somewhere nicer than you Posts: 32356 S2 Exige 240S, CLS63 AMG, Freelander
    #7
    Unlucky
  8. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Oct 2008 Birtley Posts: 22253 VTR Turbo, 106 xsi track slag, Transit recovery, B
    #8
    interesting thread:

    http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.p...ning+t28+water

    spoke to the seller who is happy to refund me.. but may just kep it... also looking at some posts in there..it may not be possible for it to leak from where it is..which was half of my initial thoughts??

    where is looks like its leaking from..should surely be oil jacket..as the water jacket should only be round the centre shaft inside the turbo??

    only prob with sax-p..doesnt seem to be any "proper" turbo boffins at present lol
  9. Frequent Poster Joined: Apr 2012 Bradford/Leeds Posts: 775 03 R53 Mini Cooper S with a little extra going on
    #9
    rule I've always used..... if t was designed to use it........ it was designed to need it

    but some people will and do use shortcuts when they can..... and they are usually the ones who have issues and complain when it goes wrong

    i don't proclaim to be a "boffin" but i do have 10 years of building n tinkering under my belt.
  10. Frequent Poster Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 591
    #10
    ran my rs turbo for 30kish on a cossie t34 without the water feed, pretty much on it limit,

    Never had a problem,

    Also my mate has a 450bhp supra powered capri running a holset hx35... No water cooling.

    Most Journal ones will be fine with out.
    1 user thanked this post:
  11. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Oct 2008 Birtley Posts: 22253 VTR Turbo, 106 xsi track slag, Transit recovery, B
    #11
    Cheers for the response folks

    After all the research it would seem that journals are pretty good without water

    But having paid the price for a good turbo, I'm sending it back for a full refund, this has upset the seller, but had he described it correctly i wouldn't have bid

    So it not my problem tbh lol
  12. Established Member Joined: Mar 2006 Farnham Surrey Posts: 1542 AX GT 16v turbo 6 speed with NOS 205 gti6 E 320
    #12
    my T34 has no water feeds neither did my T2/T25 hybrid and that now lives in another ax and has done about 15k now with no faults
    1 user thanked this post:
  13. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Oct 2008 Birtley Posts: 22253 VTR Turbo, 106 xsi track slag, Transit recovery, B
    #13
    its on its way back now anyway

    change of plans..
  14. Established Member Joined: Jun 2009 west mids (dudley) Posts: 1201 cammed 106 flatty
    #14
    i ran my t2 with no water feed. diff turbo but still it didn't cause any problems.

    pm me blackie i wanna know your plans ;d
  15. Saxperience Hardcore! Joined: Oct 2008 Birtley Posts: 22253 VTR Turbo, 106 xsi track slag, Transit recovery, B
    #15
    There aren't any mate lol

    That turbo has no gone