Competition "Huffed" Turbo Hall of Fame

[OO]

Bpine how much boost were you running with that turbo? I'm glad I put my wastegate back on after watching one blow first hand. There's a video of it here.



http://www.operation-dreamland.com/projects/project_cummins/



It's John(rabies)emersons' run. That's a picture of his downpipe above.

 

[BPINE]

It was only at 38 lbs at the time but it had been over 50 and that's not good. It is hard to get the waste gate to work just right for towing and thrashing. lol

 

[Brandon]

hmmmmm hope that day aint coming for me, blair ya wanna sell a turbo?

 

[BPINE]

Sorry B I know you liked that turbo but it is done now. I am going to try another one soon we will see how it goes I know it won't blow and if you want to stay with a single it might be the ticket.

 

[Briar Hopper]

Heard about your turbo, Blair, big bummer. Psychostroker told my son about it on the phone, the other night, when we were talking trucks...

I wonder how much longer mine is going to last, think we ought to get a bookie in on this and lay down some odds?

 

[BPINE]

Hey Briar, I wouldn't run an HX-40 with a small housing on it, it is only a matter of time before it is junk. It might be fine if you were about 350 HP or so but after that you are playing with fire. By the way the new bigger badder version is on it's way.

 

[Don M]

Blair,



you got that right. I just shelled another HX40/12 from Kurt.

I lasted about 1500 miles.



Looks like I can join the hall of fame now.



Don~

 

[Briar Hopper]

Sorry to hear that, Don. Guess it's time to get a new one from Piers... Hope it didn't trash your intercooler or engine, how bad was it? BTW, go ahead and send me a PM about that electrical problem you mentioned.

 

[jeff2]

hx 40 blues

I BLEW A 40 AT THE DRAG STRIP UNLUCKY FOR ME THE EXHAUST

BLADES WERE GLUED TO THE VALVES AT THE END OF THE TRACK!

THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU CAN STILL OUT RUN A MUSTANG ON

A TURBO BLOWING APART RUN!

 

[KWIKKURT]

Don M, Call and give me some details, We are trying to figure if it is only the shafts failing or if they are also having blade fatigue. Holset inspected the only one I had "Huffed" during R&D and they said it was blade Failure.



I have some ideas to strengthen the shaft and improve the turbine wheel. I have put most of the R&D time lately into the B-1 now that it is performing so well at the Lower HP range. I plan on still improving the HX40 because they work great but they just don't last. I was hoping we could find a happy range of hp for them because I wanted to stay with the stock Holset center section and wheels. Any time you do more modifications the prices go up.

 

[Don M]

I took the whole mess apart today. It has a broken shaft, but not in the center. More like the exhaust side blades were missing from the shaft. When I first started removing the turbo as soon as I pulled the air hose off the turbo the compressor wheel nut was rolling around inside the hose. The shaft was not in the turbo.

I completly pulled the turbo off and the exhaust blades were gone. Chewed completely off. The shaft was MIA.

I removed the turbo and started removing the bolts that hold the turbine housing on the shaft assembly housing. The bolts were all hand tight. I was able to turn two of them by hand and the other two were backed partially out. It was like they were never tight from the get go.



After thinking about the whole thing I wondered if the nut that holds the compressor wheel to the shaft was loose and just let the shaft slide reward causing the blades to be chewed from the shaft. When I found the bolts that hold the turbine housing on I thought it possible the final torque may have never been applied to the bolts.

I really dont know what happened. I may send it to Holset to take a gander at it and give me an opinion on the failure.



The intercooler is full of oil as well as the exhaust pipe.



BTW, I found the shaft in the last six inches of the exhaust pipe just before it enters the muffler



What a day. I have some pictures I took as I was pulling it all apart. I will try to resize them and post 'em for you guys to see.



Don~

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Too bad. Now you have to remove the intercooler and pipes and flush them out. then there is the cost of the turbo. . . I'm sure the day will live on in infamy.

 

[KWIKKURT]

Don, When the shafts fail on most Hx40 turbos they fail at the back of the turbine wheel that is the weakest point because that is where it is friction welded together not in the middle. When they fail in the middle it is from bearing failure. When the turbo shaft fails the turbine is turning thousands (50,000-100,000) of rpm. This causes several things. One is the Compressor nut comes loose or off completely, the Turbine wheel is rolled up into a little ball or it is gone out the exhaust and missing pieces of blades. Sometimes the Compressor wheel also blows apart - It is always loose and ready to fall off with this kind of failure - unless it is one that has left handed threads. I have seen this nut come off from barking a turbo and this is possible but the Hx40's don't usually bark much. . And when this type of failure occurs it is very evident in the appearance of the Compressor wheel.



Most of the time there is oil in the exhaust because the engine oil flows right in During/after the turbo fails. Even if the engine is shut down immediatly oil will flow from filter pressure and add to the mess. Also when the turbo huffs Apart it can blow off the exhaust pipe and sometimes the whole turbine housing comes off. If loose turbine housing to bearing housings bolts would cause a failure they would have to be backed all almost all the way out or missing completely. Plus then the Turbine wheel would rub on the housing. Did they get tightened after porting & Clocking?



(edit) All things considered I think your truck is the highest HP truck that has ran this setup and with the high Rpm kit and your added porting it was spooling even faster. It doesn't surprise me now that it failed. The hx40 shaft just won't take the instant boost/spool at this hp. The big hp numbers many of us are approaching is my driving force behind the B-1.



I need the turbo sent back so the Builder /Machinest so he can inspect it. These come from a shop that builds hundreds of turbos every month I think they can analyze this better than either of us. Although they did send mine back to holset. I can have it looked at and / or get a replacement out asap. We only have one working day left before Xmas holidays.



Just give me a call so I can help you get this solved. Thx Kurt 505-534-0434 (shop) 602-525-5990 cell

 

[BPINE]

Hey Kurt I got around to taking apart my HX-40 tonight and the shaft was broken right behind the compressor wheel. It looks like a total loss as I suspected.

 

[KWIKKURT]

BlairP, Was your HX40 stock? Nowell and I are sendind out some shafts for special treatment. It will be great if we can stop the Hx40 shaft failures. It can be the perfect setup for under 425-450hp. Above that and we are limited by the compressor side anyway.

 

[BPINE]

Yes, it was stock but with a 12 housing, I agree it is a very good turbo but just lacks reliability. I think the turbo would be ok with the 16 housing but is no good in that trim for towing.

 

[C. Harlan]

I got one last winter/spring at the drag strip with my 01, I guess running over 50 psi with a HX35/12cm





I guess I do not hold the record afterall..... I thought 48-49 psi out of a stock HX35-12 was THEEE top... Oh well, I take a close second!! Just wondering why that dang thing "huffed"







-Chris-