| Author | Message | ||
     Lluís Gimeno-Fabra Prolific User Username: lluís Post Number: 111 Registered: 8-2007 |
Dear all, My dear Benley is in for a service, which includes pumps o-rings, brake pads, spheres, etc... I was very surprised when the technician at my favourite specialist told me that the turbocharger has some play in the axis. The car has 36000 documented and serviced miles, has no turbocharger whine and only produces the slightest smoke upon very hard acceleration, so I am bloody surprised. I did not ask for the play measurements. What concerns me the most is the quote I got to get it replaced: 4000 Euro (that's 5500USD). Intocars will give me a reconditioned charger for 1000 Euro and according to Bentley it takes about 6 hours to replace. Am I being raped or is there something I do not understand? I checked the Tee One topics, but did not find an answer to my questions... Normally I would have said go ahead and replace the damm thing, but at present, despite economy going significantly better than last year here in the EU, I am worried that the specialist in question needs to fill in the purse after the crossing of the desert in 2009, in case you get what I mean, and that the fault is insignificant. As usual, thank you in advance. Lluís | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 568 Registered: 6-2006 |
I'd leave it for now, especially if you aren't getting any problems. Then get a recon one if you need one. Don't they have axial movement? Radial movement is what you get with wear. And any play there would use oil. | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 2113 Registered: 4-2003 |
Take it easy as Paul says. In any case, the turbocharger is a standard Garrett AirResearch T04B used in lots of trucks. Spares are plentiful. There is no need to pay premium prices from specialist spares shops. There are a few variants on the housing. For example, early Bentleys differ from those with intercoolers (ie cars from 1988 onwards) - the outlet is downwards rather than sideways. A brand new complete one sells in the US for around $1,000, however, if the housing is fine the innards can be replaced for far less. The housing only really suffers if the gizzards disintegrate. Incidentally, the turbocharger on your car is extremely understressed and reliable. End play is fine up to a point. These units have solid bearings force lubricated by the engine oil pump, and are supposed to have play. Your bloke is probably used to an IHI turbocharger or the like with roller or ball bearings. They should have absolutely no play at all. Ball and rollers are fine, especially with high speed turbochargers as on most cars. However, when they let go, there is no prior warning. A standard unmodified T04B will give plenty of warning if it is on its way out. Some T04Bs are fitted with roller bearings: a very poor idea I may say. RT. | ||
| Lluís Gimeno-Fabra Prolific User Username: lluís Post Number: 112 Registered: 8-2007 |
Thank you very much for the answers, I hope to get the car back today or tomorrow. | ||
| Lluís Gimeno-Fabra Prolific User Username: lluís Post Number: 114 Registered: 8-2007 |
Just to finish the information. I got the call from the Garage to tell me that the Continental is ready. A long list of regular service items has been replaced, and as I requested not the turbo. I then asked to talk to the mechanic who did the job about the turbo: he could feel a minimum play on the turbine and preventively decided to ask whether I wanted it replaced. Asking is free and can bring thousands... No comment. I Lluís | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 2116 Registered: 4-2003 |
By the way, the earliest warning of a really bad T04B is a cloud of blue smoke whenever you start the motor. In that case, oil has seeped into either or both the turbine or compressor chambers while the motor has been stopped. However, beware of a false diagnosis. It should by now be well known that if you use the normal garage exhaust gas extractor directly onto the exhaust pipe while running the motor in a garage, as when doing the regular CO test, oil sucks into the turbo's turbine, so the exhaust goes blue. No damage is done, but it can upset owners as the smoke can last for a few minutes afterwards. That's a feature of the solid metal bearings, high temperature sealing system, especially at the turbine, and notably with forced lubrication. Normally the turbine and compressor are both under at least some positive pressure and they seal off fine. However, the sealing works in one direction only. The exhaust extractor creates a vacuum in the turbine instead, and the oil flows freely into the turbine, and loads the whole exhaust system with unburned oil. The unburned oil burns off, but it takes considerably longer to clear than if the motor itself were temporarily burning lots of oil. Rumour has it that one reason for the dual exhaust outlets side by side on the Turbos is so that it is difficult to have a tight seal between the exhaust extractor vacuum pump and both tailpipes. RT. | ||
| Lluís Gimeno-Fabra Prolific User Username: lluís Post Number: 115 Registered: 8-2007 |
Indeed, I read the postings on this. I have no smoke on start-up even after a relatively prolonged rest. I need to start doing the maintenance myself on this one, but my wife is a bit upset about the time I spent with cars already. When I see how much I am going to pay for labour that I could have done myself in the Bentley and actually do in other cars to great satisfaction I do get dizzy. Lluís | ||
| Udo Hoffmüller Frequent User Username: udo Post Number: 58 Registered: 2-2008 |
At about 210.000 km the turbocharger of my TurboR had a lot of play so that I showed it to a workshop specialized in overhouling turbochargers. They told me that the play in my case was too much. So they overhouled it completely for 220 Euros. The overhouled unit had some play too. So I asked them if this was okay. And I have been told that some play must be left because the oil has to pass and the pressure of the oil when the charger is in use will eliminate this play. Now, some 40.000 km later, the unit is still perfect. I had to refit the clamp to the exhaust (it was leaking and noisy) and checked the play of the axis just for fun - there is some play, but I guess that is exactly the play the unit has to have as I have been told by the workshop. Just some thoughts ... Udo | ||
| Lluís Gimeno-Fabra Prolific User Username: lluís Post Number: 116 Registered: 8-2007 |
Dear all, Thank you for the replies. I have after my original post completed a 5000 Km holiday trip around France and Spain without using a drop of oil or seeing any smoke, so my turbo stays hopefully for long. What a brilliant travelling machine. Best regards, Lluís | ||
| James Feller Prolific User Username: james_feller Post Number: 147 Registered: 5-2008 |
Lluis, Not quite your 5000klms but I have just recently returned from a 2000klms round trip in my Turbo RL. The car went without a hitch. It sat on 115klms ( yes I know pitifully slowly compared to what it can do ) without a problem. The fuel consumption was very good too. I worked it out I was getting about 13ltrs to the 100klms travelled. The greatest thing about cruising in these old brutes is the endless and effortless torque. It simply ate any hill or overtaking request made of it. I went from Sydney to Ballarat in regional Victoria in 9hrs. Yes there were a few occasions where the right foot went into the rug ' just to give her a blast'... Wow what i would not give to be able to let the old girl have her head for a while... but my license is too crucial, and goal just does not appeal to me... Cheers J   | ||
| Lluís Gimeno-Fabra Prolific User Username: lluís Post Number: 117 Registered: 8-2007 |
Thank you for the beautiful pictures. We are expecting a baby for late summer, so it was the last time during a while that we could do such a long trip with a high degree of freedom. We went through Beaujolais, Catalonia, Aragon, Basque Country, Aquitaine, Aveyron, Burgundy and back. I did not and could not speed this time. French are so intolerant with this, so it was 130 with cruise control on in the highway. About the fuel consumption, we did not not measure it precisely, but indeed close to 12-13 on highways, closer to 20 l/100 on B-roads. I am going to Munich in three weeks, I guess we will not measure the fuel consumption then... The only thing that makes me stop in this journeys (call me vulgar) is the lack of a toilet seat and the need to fuel. Does Mulliner offer a solution for the first? :-) Best regards, Lluís |
