Garrett Literature Section:
The Garrett Turbocharger – A guide to Garrett Turbos: Theory of Operation, Troubleshooting, and Failure Analysis.
Turbo- Frequently Asked Questions
Common Causes of Turbocharger Failure
- Contaminated oil
- Dirty oil
- Lack of lubrication
- Low oil pressure
- Kinks in the oil inlet lines
- Clogs in the oil inlet line
- Plugged air cleaners
- Collapsing hose connections
- Undersized air pipes
- Prolonged engine idling
- Over-fueling
- Hot engine shut-down
- Improperly installed gaskets
- Nuts & washers dropped into exhaust system
Preventing Turbo Failure
- Keep clean oil in engine
- Keep the air filter clean and unrestricted
- The duct work from the air cleaner should be free of holes
- The duct work connections should be tight to prevent leaks
- Warm up the engine for two to five minutes prior to throttling up
- Let engine idle for approximately 2 minutes prior to engine shut down
Installation Checklist
- Pre-installation
- Service air cleaners and eliminate all restrictions and leaks.
- BEFORE installing this turbocharger inspect and remove all foreign material from air inlet ducting and intake and exhaust manifolds.
- Replace all oil pressure and drain lines which are kinked, broken or heat worn. On all automotive turbochargers, the oil inlet line/tube must be replaced. Change engine oil filters if contaminated.
- Replace all contaminated crankcase and compressor filters.
- Installation
- Mount turbocharger and exhaust manifold using new gasket and anti-seize compound on studs and bolts.
- Inspect exhaust system. Remove any restrictions which might cause excessive back pressure before connecting to turbocharger.
- Attach oil inlet line to turbocharger.
- Align bearing housing drain hole to not more than 30° from vertical center position.
- Tighten clamps, capscrews or nuts to recommended specifications.
- Connect air pipage system to turbocharger.
- Pre-lubrication
- BEFORE ATTACHING oil drain line to turbocharger CRANK ENGINE until oil flows from oil drain hole in bearing housing. DO NOT START ENGINE.
- Attach oil drain line to turbocharger.
- Operation
- Idle engine for 5 minutes. DO NOT REV. Check all systems for oil, air or exhaust leaks.
- Always have operator IDLE ENGINE for 3 MINUTES PRIOR TO SHUTDOWN for longer turbocharger life