jasqi Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 Bought this vf52 for like $100, seller said no shaft play and he just wanted to get rid of it, there’s no in/out play but a very small amount of side to side. I’m thinking this is just because the turbo is dry, but wanted to get some more opinions. There’s no signs of the turbine hitting the wall either. It’d be great if somebody with some insight can tell me whether or not this is fine to throw into my new build or if it’ll be a rebuild project, also whether or not I can feed oil into it to test shaft play with oil in her. Did some research beforehand and found some very mixed opinions on this specific topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NORULZleggy Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 Never trust anything that's 100 bucks turbo wise. Have it rebuilt PLEASE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitexc Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 What does the new build consist of? How much money do you have into parts and labor? You scored a good deal on a VF52. Send it out and pay the few hundred for peace of mind. Or do this whole process a cple times. Your call. Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 PM member JmP6889928 He is the go to guy for rebuild these turbo's. Also, one of the best Tuners can do it. tuningalliance@gmail.com Do not put a used turbo on your engine if not 100% sure it's good. It's not worth the $5000 to replace the engine. 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...
awfulwaffle Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 That looks normal to me. A journal bearing turbo will always have some shaft play, until you pressurize it with oil. Here's a comparison: https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/journal-bearing-turbo-shaft-play-without-oil-pressure-285914.html?t=285914 The 16G in the video was still choochin just fine when I pulled it off to go with something bigger. About 30k miles after the video was taken. But, as others have said, it's cheap to rebuild a turbo compared to building a motor. If you don't feel confident that the turbo's OK to run, have it checked over by someone more experienced and rebuild if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasqi Posted May 5, 2022 Author Share Posted May 5, 2022 Alright those are all fair points. I snagged it off some dude building a drag wrx, he said it only had around 30k miles on it before it was pulled. Hell I didn’t care how many miles it had, it’d even make a good wall piece for $100 lol. I’ll look into rebuild, powder coat, and port/polish. Thanks everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xt2005bonbon Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 As Max said, PM member JmP6889928. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdcvg Posted May 8, 2022 Share Posted May 8, 2022 If You decide to run as is, please advise Us here so We can get a decent "when will it blow" pool going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awfulwaffle Posted May 8, 2022 Share Posted May 8, 2022 (edited) ... or he could pressurize it with oil and make an informed decision based on real world data, instead of just being told 'cheap turbo bad car gonna go boom shaft play scary' op, I think all you'd really need to make that happen is to find a local engine builder with a pressure priming tank and pay them a few bucks to use it to check your turbo that or find somebody with a decent dial indicator to actually measure the radial and axial play and see if it's still acceptable just a thought... Edited May 8, 2022 by awfulwaffle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NORULZleggy Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 ... or he could pressurize it with oil and make an informed decision based on real world data, instead of just being told 'cheap turbo bad car gonna go boom shaft play scary' op, I think all you'd really need to make that happen is to find a local engine builder with a pressure priming tank and pay them a few bucks to use it to check your turbo that or find somebody with a decent dial indicator to actually measure the radial and axial play and see if it's still acceptable just a thought... I just telling people to do it the right way so they have piece of mind and have no real issues down the road. People need to know these cars will break your heart and wallet. My shop an tuner always tell me how I can do it the cheap way and come back to spend more money or add a few more bucks up front and be fine. To me it's cutting corners, but to the OP it might not. It took me three years and saving money all the money and parts so I could build the car I wanted debt free. Just do not be in a hurry to do things. I have seen to many people by these subies and then say they hate them cause the motor went a year later. People need to know when they buy these cars, they are not the typical run of the mill sedan. You have to be good to these old gals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awfulwaffle Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 Yeah that's true. Similarly, though, I hate seeing folks spend money they don't necessarily have to. I've bought 500 dollar turbos that ended up being unusable, and 100 dollar turbos that were completely fine. New is always better though for sure, peace of mind and all. I think I'm more reasonable when I'm not in one of my rare persnickety bitch moods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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