Turbo blown. Options?
 

So I let a friend drive my 05 STi (stupid idea) and he ended up pushing the car so hard it blew my turbo to bits. One bit of which shot down the exhaust and ended up by the end of my muffler.

My car is a bit of a frankenstein; 05 STi body, 06 WRX Turbo engine w/what used to be an 05 STi turbo.

Lithia says I can't run the car without a turbo, period end of story.

I'm not the biggest car nerd but last time I checked engines can run without a turbo.

My question is if I would be able to get it to run without forking over Big$ for a new turbo by running it naturally aspirated until I get the $ for a nice new turbo or would it just be a rather large pain in the ass by trying to do that?

Thanks guys.

To run an STi motor w/o a turbo, you would basically have to tear the motor down, replace the pistons w/ higher compression pistons, and completely retune it. All to make around 170hp.

You could get the motor to start with some sort of turbo by-pass pipe, and proper termination/routing of the turbo oil and coolant lines. But it'd barely idle, make 40 hp, and probably demolish itself if you tried to drive it anywhere.

The cheapest fix is to buy a used STi turbo and swap it in there, while fixing whatever the broken turbo took out along the way. You'll need to carefully inspect the oil to make sure you didn't get anything in the block that will take out a bearing.

While you're fixing all that, I'd also go and take off any BOV, MBC, intake, etc that's on the car w/o a proper tune, because if the car had been properly setup, nothing your friend could have done shy of crashing it or missing a shift should be able to break it... especially the turbo. I can't think of a way to drive that breaks an otherwise perfectly good turbo unless the car is modified beyond its tune.

Just checking. You sure you did not hurt the block? Turbos usually fail when bits of engine internals hit the turbine.

It is less often that turbines destroy themselves without the block but can happen.

And if something made it all the way to the muffler, I am guessing you have no cats, right? If you do have cats, then it either is not a turbo bit or any cats are likely toast also.

Put up a WTB thread in the classified section for a replacement turbo. Maybe somebody has a spare.

Lack of oil supply to the turbo (oil screen issue?) can cause a center section to seize which will twist the turbine off and spit it out the downpipe. With a little luck, there will be no debris cycling through the oil system to destroy bearings. I'd get oil analysis done on the oil that's in there and if it comes back clean, just replace the turbo with another VF39 (or VF43).

Years ago in an issue of Sport Compact Car they mentioned a turbo rebuild shop that would lend out a dummy turbo for you to use while they rebuilt your actual turbo. It was a turbo that had no wheels or shaft in it. The center section was blocked off. This way your intake, exhaust, oil and coolant systems didn't need to be modified.

But ya......... that car would suck to drive.

Thanks for all the input, I guess I gotta get a new turbo =\

I'll have them take a look at the engine to see if anything in there is busted, I hope to god it isn't...

Don't know how long you have been around subarus, but if you can't find a used one local you can check nasioc.com

Make your friend pay for it. Get upgraded vf34

get a blow dryer and some duct tape and you should be good to go! $30 fix

2003 called, it wants its OEM turbo recommendation back. :p

The VF39/43 is a better choice these days.

I'd take anything that would work and doesn't crack if you look at it funny if I had no money to get fixed.

So I ended up acquiring a brand new T35 from a friend (or at least what I'm told is one, I'll post pics when I'm on my home comp) and the mechanic who is working on it now said some custom work will need to be done to get it in there.

I was hoping you guys would have any suggestions as to where I could take it to get said custom work done. Or if anyone knows of any way to get it on there without tons of custom work that would be awesome as well.

Thanks guys

Um, I wouldn't bother with the T35. You're going to need a custom up-pipe, down-pipe, probably turbo inlet, oil fittings, and coolant lines (is the T35 even water cooled?). Plus it'll have to be tuned from scratch, since I doubt there are any off the shelf maps for a turbo no one uses on Subarus. Also, on a turbo that big, you'll need new injectors, intercooler, intake, exhaust (assuming you're running a stock exhaust), and even then you'll be running below the turbo's sweet spot just to keep from blowing up the motor.

All in all, you're probably spending at least $2000-$3000 *more* than just replacing the turbo with the right one.

I feel like a dumbass. I might be wrong about what kind it is though, I'll know by the end of the night when my mechanic friend gets off work.

Will update later.

Thx for the heads up sperry.

Are you sure it wasn't a Garrett GT35?

With the exception of the flanges, does it really make a difference?

'Course if he just got a brand new GT35, he could sell it to buy a stock STi turbo that would be a bolt-in swap for the busted one.

At least the GT35 is bolt-on, though it would certainly need a lot of supporting mods.

Didn't I just say that? :P

http://www.frsport.com/Garrett-GT286...Ex_p_8074.html

http://i2.frsimg.com/images/detailed...-1-T35B_11.jpg

This looks to be the exact same one as what I have.

What Scott said applies- that turbo is a lot more hassle than its worth. On the other hand, you might be able to sell it for enough to land a good condition VF39/43.

I would think so if that retails for a grand. You just need to find the right buyer with the right car.