sunny5280 Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 As some of you know I just purchased a 2005 Outback XT with approximately 127K miles. Several of you recommended checking the turbo for play as well as removing the oil filter in the banjo bolt. This weekend I embarked on removing said filter however I didn't get very far (things came up). However I popped of the engine cover and what do I find? The picture shows what I found. For those who may not know or are unable to tell from the picture it's a shiny, brand new turbo (I didn't know that was the turbo until I spoke with the Subaru mechanic). What a nice surprise as the seller did not mention it had been replaced (though I doubt she knew as it was likely replaced before she bought it). So I'm thinking to myself "This is a good thing". I just bought a car with a new turbo, new timing belt, new water pump, and new head gaskets (among other things). Basically all things which, at this mileage, might require attention. For the most part I've just bought a car with some serious work recently put into it. For that I am happy. So why the question? Well, one can't help wonder why all this work had to be put into the car. Without knowing why one is left to ponder all kinds of reasons. And why the previous owner (not the one I bought it from but the one before her) would want to get rid of it after putting so much work into it? I can think of several reasons and I just did something similar myself with my 1997 (I just put a lot of work into it and I'm selling it). The car is running great. I am not experiencing any issues with it and I don't see anything which would lead me to think I will. I'm very pleased with the purchase and, assuming all the work was done properly, I should have a car which, with proper maintenance, shouldn't require any serious work for a while (knock on wood). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-VO Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Don't worry. Be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz517 Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Could be either haha. For me I know def do a compression and leakdown test just for peace of mind. Boost Leak test couldn't hurt either. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTris Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 As some of you know I just purchased a 2005 Outback XT with approximately 127K miles. Several of you recommended checking the turbo for play as well as removing the oil filter in the banjo bolt. This weekend I embarked on removing said filter however I didn't get very far (things came up). However I popped of the engine cover and what do I find? The picture shows what I found. For those who may not know or are unable to tell from the picture it's a shiny, brand new turbo (I didn't know that was the turbo until I spoke with the Subaru mechanic). What a nice surprise as the seller did not mention it had been replaced (though I doubt she knew as it was likely replaced before she bought it). So I'm thinking to myself "This is a good thing". I just bought a car with a new turbo, new timing belt, new water pump, and new head gaskets (among other things). Basically all things which, at this mileage, might require attention. For the most part I've just bought a car with some serious work recently put into it. For that I am happy. So why the question? Well, one can't help wonder why all this work had to be put into the car. Without knowing why one is left to ponder all kinds of reasons. And why the previous owner (not the one I bought it from but the one before her) would want to get rid of it after putting so much work into it? I can think of several reasons and I just did something similar myself with my 1997 (I just put a lot of work into it and I'm selling it). The car is running great. I am not experiencing any issues with it and I don't see anything which would lead me to think I will. I'm very pleased with the purchase and, assuming all the work was done properly, I should have a car which, with proper maintenance, shouldn't require any serious work for a while (knock on wood). FWIW, mine came with a new turbo, too - Keep up on the maintenance and check your oil and you should be just fine. But hey, while you're there, go ahead and check the turbo for shaft play, and if you can get to the banjo bolts, go ahead and pop out the screens for good measure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BX77 Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 so did mine and then......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redryan98 Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Might be a good idea to drain the oil and, if possible drop the oil pan. If the original turbo failed, it may have failed before doing any harm to the engine. If so you should be good. If the issue was caught too late and did spew metal through the oiling system than you may find some evidence in the oil you drain. Also, contaminants, if any, found in the banjo bolt filters will help determine if there are further issues. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Send a oil sample off to Blackstone Labs. Take a look at the bottom and see if the oil cooler has been replaced. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FknBoss Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 The compressor housing will stay pretty new looking for a while. The key way to tell is look at the exhaust housing. If it's still gray then it's pretty new. If it's rust colored it's older. Depending on area usually take 8+ months to be fully rust colored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny5280 Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 Might be a good idea to drain the oil and, if possible drop the oil pan. If the original turbo failed, it may have failed before doing any harm to the engine. If so you should be good. Unfortunately I don't have the original oil from when the turbo failed. I believe the oil has been changed a few times since then. I know it has been changed twice in the past week (once the day the seller sold it to me and then a couple of days later because the seller did not install the crush washer on the drain bolt so I had to have it changed again in order to install the crush washer). If the issue was caught too late and did spew metal through the oiling system than you may find some evidence in the oil you drain. Also, contaminants, if any, found in the banjo bolt filters will help determine if there are further issues. Good luck! I called the service center who performed the head gasket work and they have no record of replacing the turbo. But he did mention there was a notation there was an oil leak around the turbo and they recommended removal and inspection of the turbo. However since there was no work record he's confident they didn't do any work on the turbo. Here's what I suspect happened: The car developed a leak in the head gasket (not unusual for Subaru cars) and they performed all the head gasket, water pump, and timing belt work.At some point there was a leak around the turbo and it was recommended further investigation was warranted. I believe the owner, having just recently performed the head gasket work, lost confidence in the car and traded it in.The dealership where the vehicle was traded discovered the turbo issue and replaced it. The only bullet I can be sure of is the first one. Aside from the oil leak having been discovered I can't be certain of the remaining two. But it seems reasonable this is what has happened. I may contact the individual I purchased the car from to ask which dealership she purchased the car from. At this point I have no reason to believe the turbo failed catastrophically. From discussions with the service center I get the impression they were knowledgeable about vehicles and performed the work properly. Everything looks to be in good order. The vehicle is running great and there's no subtle indications of potential problems. Finally there's nothing I can do about it. I've purchased the car and if something pops up down the road I'll address it at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny5280 Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 Send a oil sample off to Blackstone Labs. Take a look at the bottom and see if the oil cooler has been replaced. The service facility did tell me they replaced the oil cooler at the time the head gasket work was performed. This was many miles before the turbo replacement so I do not have reason to believe it was replaced as a result of a catastrophic turbo failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny5280 Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 The compressor housing will stay pretty new looking for a while. The key way to tell is look at the exhaust housing. If it's still gray then it's pretty new. If it's rust colored it's older. Depending on area usually take 8+ months to be fully rust colored. Thanks...I'll check it out this afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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