How can i check to see that my turbo shaft isn’t jerking around and is in perfect place? Is there any video that shows where to look? What to unscrew?

 

The K03 turbo in our cars runs on bushings not bearings so it will always have a little axial play in the shaft. It should be as little as possible while still spinning freely and not making contact with the compressor housing. To test this, remove the intake hose between the MAF and the turbo then reach in with your fingers and grab the nut on the shaft. Give it a spin to see if it spins freely and then wiggle it laterally to see how much axial movement there is. If it allows the compressor turbine to rub the housing, the turbo is done and should be replaced asap.

This is where you can get hold of the shaft.


If you need to remove the turbo, you can undo the clamp, the cooling lines, the oil pressure and feed lines and separate the turbo line this while leaving the exhaust housing still attached to the car.



You end up with the compressor and center section on the workbench which looks like this,


From here you can remove the compressor housing, which leaves you with only the core of the turbo. If you really want runout numbers for the shaft you can mount this in a vice and use a dial indicator to measure that dimension. I can't find acceptable numbers anywhere so it's kind of pointless. This is a core that I installed in my 07 last week.

 

So when not running in bearings but bushings does that mean that it can have the tendency to jerk around?
Also if those bushings are worn out, does a CEL come up?
Any picture of those bushings?

Also just to let you know, when the car is cold and i press on the gas pedal, when car is stationary i do hear a metallic sound, as if the tourbo fan is touchings something. When i drive the car for 5min and the engine gets heated up i cannot hear the sound! Does that make sense?

 

This is a picture of a rebuild kit for a K03 turbo.
http://g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1OPA6H...-b-rebuild.jpg

As you can see the bronze colored tube thing is the bushing that the shaft spins in. It is softer metal than the shaft so it tends to wear as time and use passes. When new it fits the shaft very well so there is minimal play but that play becomes more and more with wear. This happens faster when the oil isn't replaced often enough. You also can get oil coking in the turbo if it is run hard and shut off without a cool down period.

What you describe may be compressor rub caused by worn bearings. I suggest that you pull the intake hose and see if you can feel it rub as you spin it with your fingers. It could be rubbing when cold and then when things heat up it may run true because tolerances change as the metal parts heat up.

 

NB Cooper... RESPECT for the very detailed explanation, i wish there was a like button here!

 

My pleasure! I hope you get her sorted out soon..

 

very nice write up, where did you purchase just the core?

 

Rock Auto,
http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/m...gle.ca+URL+%2F