Question:
that was the sound of the turbo when it gave up.i was "gathering" speed to make it the next hill, loaded to 85k i would need every mph,and that sucker let loose.first reaction was to grab to steering wheel really tight. the sound and the direction it came from, i thought i lost a steer tire.and thought it was over for me.
well anyways, on the two lane road i was driving the only place to pull off was about 500 feet up.the smoke was extreme and the traffic behind me had to pretty much come to a stop. could've been a real mess
is there anyway to check the life of such things or is it just deal with it when it happens kinda thing? the truck is a million mile old mack. thanks.
lilbean

Answer:
There ar every tight specs on turbos. A measurement of endplay and side gap will usually tell the tale of life expectance. There are nonstatic tests also, but someone more knowledgeable than I will have to step in for those.
There IS a maintance forum here too.

Answer:
Well, it helps to keep the boost down (I try to limit it at 20 psi on hills), and just ease over the hill. It's amazing how much fuel you can save by running this way and keeping the top-speed down. Age of the turbo and maintainance habits have a lot to do with life as well.

Answer:
Just knowing about turbos on Diesel generators, they are ways to check the gap of the blades but that does not tell the whole story. Alot of times the turbos will just give up the ghost. Under extreme loads the turbo is forced to pump harder than usual and that could have disastorous effects. When working on any kind of Turbo/Turbine balance is the key.

Answer:
the best way to tell if it's worn out is to take the intake and exhaust piping off. Grab hold of the end of the shaft and move it up and down if you can feel it move up and down it's worn out. There should be only about .050" movement. So if you feel the movement it's done in. Also rotate the shaft by hand if you hear any noises the bearings are worn out.