Turbo Whistling

[Astro Bear]

Hi everybody ,

Just noticed the other day that my turbo has started to whistle when on boost. It sounds like an air leak of some sort, coming through the intercooler or something, i'm really not too sure. The performance hasn't really differed. It still makes a full 12 pounds and holds it well, it's just making a whistling sounds the whole way through. As such, i'm hoping to god that the turbo isn't rooted.

Can anyone give me any ideas as to what it could be? I'm hoping it's just an exhaust gasket or something, but i'm not sure.

The car has a return pipe intercooler, turbo tech boost controller, 12 psi, pod filter etc.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,

Astro.

[deano27]

My car made this noise also when one of the hoses popped off my boost tap. So i'd say it's definately a cut in a vacuum hose or a hose that has popped off.

Hi everybody ,

Just noticed the other day that my turbo has started to whistle when on boost. It sounds like an air leak of some sort, coming through the intercooler or something, i'm really not too sure. The performance hasn't really differed. It still makes a full 12 pounds and holds it well, it's just making a whistling sounds the whole way through. As such, i'm hoping to god that the turbo isn't rooted.

Can anyone give me any ideas as to what it could be? I'm hoping it's just an exhaust gasket or something, but i'm not sure.

The car has a return pipe intercooler, turbo tech boost controller, 12 psi, pod filter etc.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,

Astro.

[SLEEPR85]

How long you been running 12 psi for? Stock turbo yeah?

[Astro Bear]

Been running 11-12 psi for a few months now with no dramas. I put a pod filter on it a while back and it started to spike to 13-14psi when the foot was planted, so i've stopped doing that and have been pretty much babying it ever since, rarely going past 10psi. The whistling only started happening about a week or two ago, no change in performance, just the noise, which makes me think the turbo isn't rooted, and it's just an air leak somewhere. Thoughts?

[Astro Bear]

I'm really worried now : (

[R33Matt]

Hey Mate,

My turbo started doing the same thing about 6 months ago. Started whistling really loud but still making boost. I thought my turbo was stuffed but it ended up being the bolts.

Check all the bolts around the turbo. The ones that bolt it onto the manifold. After I tightened the 4 bolts that connect the turbo to the manifold the whistling went away and hasn’t come back. Just make sure they are all really tight.

Hope that helps ya

Maybe also check the dump pipe bolts, just make sure everything is nice and tight.

[217/r33]

Hey Mate,

My turbo started doing the same thing about 6 months ago. Started whistling really loud but still making boost. I thought my turbo was stuffed but it ended up being the bolts.

Check all the bolts around the turbo. The ones that bolt it onto the manifold. After I tightened the 4 bolts that connect the turbo to the manifold the whistling went away and hasn’t come back. Just make sure they are all really tight.

Hope that helps ya

Maybe also check the dump pipe bolts, just make sure everything is nice and tight.

lol i cant believe that happened to you too!

one of my mates r33 had the same issue, he took it to a few places and no one knew what was wrong and said your turbo is gone (wont mention workshops) he even went out and got a second hand stocker to replace it. i ended up pulling it apart and found that all 4 bolts on the flange were lose! so it was an easy fix.

but it does sound like an air leak/whistle or like your turbo is about to shit it self, but it still boosted..

the cause of the problem is that if your exhaust/dump pipe doesn't have brackets holding it steady, the weight of the exhaust will rattle it lose. common cause with aftermarket dump pipes.

-alex

[WAN73D]

basically this is already answered

but its usually a leak between turbo and exhaust manifold and/or a leak between turbo and dump pipe. Gaskets may need replacing, or it's just the bolts have come loose.

I've had it happen twice before (2 skylines) and fixed it twice. Not a massive deal. And it sounds much like this.

hope this helps.

[TRB-001]

check all ur intercooler joiners and hose clamps are tight....

[JezzaR33]

Mine has been doing this also.... I have a jjr dump/front and turbo tech boost controller @ 12 psi. Makes this whistle occasionally at high boost. will check my bolts an gaskets. i had to tighten them up when installin the dump pipe so maybe coming loose again. But have recently noticed it after installin my trust fmic.

[RAnee B]

yea most likely the exhaust components have loosen up

[Moshi]

Hi everybody ,

Just noticed the other day that my turbo has started to whistle when on boost. It sounds like an air leak of some sort, coming through the intercooler or something, i'm really not too sure. The performance hasn't really differed. It still makes a full 12 pounds and holds it well, it's just making a whistling sounds the whole way through. As such, i'm hoping to god that the turbo isn't rooted.

Can anyone give me any ideas as to what it could be? I'm hoping it's just an exhaust gasket or something, but i'm not sure.

The car has a return pipe intercooler, turbo tech boost controller, 12 psi, pod filter etc.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,

Astro.

Its definetly one of the hoses leaking....i have a r32gtst after upping the boost to 14psi i heard this whistling noise...i thought turbo was gonna blow and i got advice of my mate and he rekoned it was intercooler piping

I started tightning down the clamps and sure enough it was a bit loose.....i tightened almost all of them and now no more whistle on 14psi and boost comes on quicker and much harder

Go through all your clamps and tighten them down as much as you can and also inspect hoses

Since you are running 12psi it cannot be the turbo because standard skyline turbos can handle 12psi all day everyday...i am running 14psi which is right on the edge not good lol i should run 12psi to allow space for boost spikes but since i use an electronic boost controller it eliminates boost spikes

Give it a go and lemme know if it is solved

[gotRICE?]

standard skyline turbos can handle 12psi all day everyday...i am running 14psi which is right on the edge

Not entirely true..

Edited June 18, 2009 by gotRICE?

[Moshi]

standard skyline turbos can handle 12psi all day everyday...i am running 14psi which is right on the edge

Not entirely true..

to clarify my statement my mate that i got advice of has run 12 psi everyday for 4 years and he hasnt had a single issue with it...and what i meant by 14psi on the edge was that after 14psi the ceramic exhaust wheel can come off....you can boost more than 14psi but what i meant by edge is that 14psi should the maximum for the turbos health and your wallets wealth

My other mate had boosted his 32gtst to 14psi and was running all day everyday but he didnt take boost spike into account and the turbo is gone now...he had massive spikes and didnt bother changing to electronic boost controller and just used the tap....

You can run 14psi including or excluding boost creeps....variables always have to be taken into account....i recommend electronic boost controllers

so far my 14psi is going good....but the thing is i am used to the power now....that the thing after driving around with power upgrades...after 2 weeks its like normal...lol

Aye i need you guys honest opinion on this.....i wana get more power on my rb20det so what turbo u rekon i should get? r33gtst standard, gcg high flow, hks 2530, gt28rs, or the t70 turbo on ebay lol

Cheerz

Mosh

[Kinks]

10-12psi is generally regarded as the safe limit for an R33 turbo.. If you run 14psi on the street and only do the odd traffic light grand prix then sure it'll probably handle it but try half a dozen laps on a track and you'll be limping back to the pits to lick your wounds.

[bozodos]

aha I had some whistling, after 3 loose hoseclamps, replacing the hose between crossover pipe and throttle body and its clamps, adjusting the clamps so the hose dosen't have a tendency to want to slide off over 14 psi, replacing the V-band clamp and turbo gasket, I have now touch wood successfully eliminated all whistling from the car other than the induction noise.

[Moshi]

10-12psi is generally regarded as the safe limit for an R33 turbo.. If you run 14psi on the street and only do the odd traffic light grand prix then sure it'll probably handle it but try half a dozen laps on a track and you'll be limping back to the pits to lick your wounds.

Mate iam not sure about r33 turbos....i was refering to r32gtst turbo......and yea ur prolly right since 14psi is my max for daily driving, going on tracks with 14psi is definetly a no no

As i said before variables always have to be taken into account...so for tracks i would prolly run 12psi

By the way will r33 turbo be a good upgrade for my rb20? how much power diff?

[RT33]

When i had my R33 it started to whistle more like whine really loud. Some guys said it saounded like an angry vaccume cleaner on boost. It ended up being a blown turbo seal not a leak.

Something to be aware of if there are no losse bolts/clamps.

[Ultimategtr]

I had a similar issue.. turned out the turbo's bearings were shot. I could hear the whine at idle especially.. Glad i have had it rebuilt now.

[LANDSCRIBBLE]

I had a similar issue.. turned out the turbo's bearings were shot. I could hear the whine at idle especially.. Glad i have had it rebuilt now.

Hi, ive just started to hear a whistling sound, or almost a really high pitched ZZZZZZZZZ noise coming from somewhere though not that loud.. yet, hopefully one of the turbo gaskets/manifold joins or something simple.

Anyway i was interested, when you say you got it rebuilt, did you get your stock turbo "highflowed"? if so what is the deal, do they replace it with steel turbines and was it expensive? cheers.