Could you just try two simple separate tests? I know that you have measured pressures, but.

Disconnect the inlet turbo pipe. Drive it up a hill. Does it make a difference?

Disconnect the small pipe from turbo to wgate and injection pump. Drive it up a hill. Does it make a difference?

trax said:

guess you've done the normal. done tappets, changed fuel filters (use a brand not cheapy as they are known to leak) give it a service.

have you ran some clear pipe between the filter and pump yet to look for air?

did you say it smoked under load going up a hill?

does it breathe heavily via the oil filler?

Click to expand...

Yup, I've done all the usual things. I haven't put a bit of clear pip between the filter and pump yet but I will try and do that today.

It smokes a bit more than I would like under load up a hill but it smokes a lot and has very little power (foot on the floor and lots of clutch) to set off on any sort of a hill from stand still.

I've checked for pulsing air at the filler cap and there isn't any at all.

boguing said:

Could you just try two simple separate tests? I know that you have measured pressures, but.

Disconnect the inlet turbo pipe. Drive it up a hill. Does it make a difference?

Disconnect the small pipe from turbo to wgate and injection pump. Drive it up a hill. Does it make a difference?

Click to expand...

I've tried the inlet pip to the turbo and that didn't make a difference. I will try the small pipe today and check that out.

Just a note too, when I took all the intercooler pipes off to check for holes and degradation I must have not put the bottom intercooler one back on properly (very fiddly in there with the big intercooler) and 5 minutes into my drive to work I heard a big woosh and it disconnected. All turbo power was lost and it was so slow. Couldn't get above 35mph. So luckily had a screwdriver with my and put it back on properly. So surely that means the turbo is doing when it should?

Forbes said:

I've tried the inlet pip to the turbo and that didn't make a difference. I will try the small pipe today and check that out.

Just a note too, when I took all the intercooler pipes off to check for holes and degradation I must have not put the bottom intercooler one back on properly (very fiddly in there with the big intercooler) and 5 minutes into my drive to work I heard a big woosh and it disconnected. All turbo power was lost and it was so slow. Couldn't get above 35mph. So luckily had a screwdriver with my and put it back on properly. So surely that means the turbo is doing when it should?

Click to expand...

did you see my edit? 'also, on the 300 i'd plumb the gauge into the blank on the intake. it's on the back of it towards the bulkhead. that way you get the pressure just before it enters. m12 x 1.5 banjo iirc. 4mm hose will do'

you seem to have checked the simple things. get the clear pipe on and check for air in fuel.

if no joy, you say it's new to you. assume the previous owner was a muppet.

go along the fuel lines and make sure nothing is kinked or badly bodged to restrict flow.

has the pump been tweaked? look for a marked/missing cap.

has the PO done the timing belt recently? have they ballsed it up?

injectors worn? fuel pump worn?

is the exhaust blocked?

take a pic of the exhaust hitting the mount

Forbes said:

I've tried the inlet pip to the turbo and that didn't make a difference. I will try the small pipe today and check that out.

Just a note too, when I took all the intercooler pipes off to check for holes and degradation I must have not put the bottom intercooler one back on properly (very fiddly in there with the big intercooler) and 5 minutes into my drive to work I heard a big woosh and it disconnected. All turbo power was lost and it was so slow. Couldn't get above 35mph. So luckily had a screwdriver with my and put it back on properly. So surely that means the turbo is doing when it should?

Click to expand...

The two tests.

Good. Go ahead and disconnect the small pipe and go for a drive.

Intercooler pipe. Your accidental test might prove that the turbo is OK, but which end of which pipe came off? If it was an upstream end then it could collapse on itself or attach itself to something convenient in the same way that dropped vacuum cleaner nozzles do. That would have a big effect too.

Personally, I doubt that there is anything wrong with your turbocharger.