Loose Turbo Bolts - growing problem

[Eddy]

How hard do you want the bolts mate, they are 12.9 already.
Cheers
Jmac

Hoyhoy.

Jimmy, how can ya tell, I've been curious as to what grade they are.

[Jmac]

Hoyhoy.

Jimmy, how can ya tell, I've been curious as to what grade they are.

Eddy the bolts are stamped mate, if not they will have pips on them, these pips are code for the bolte strength, 99% the VW supplied ones are stamped 12.9
Cheers
Jmac

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.

Mine are the same as what Guy had with the same writing as the far left one in the pic, but no rating stamping or pips.
http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newf...9&postcount=15

[Jmac]

Mmm i see wht you mean, ive bought a fair few and have some here now and they are 12.9. I would expect if they are VW supplied they will be 12.9 mate, the codes on the bolts would relate to something i would expect but yeah Eddy fair call mate
Cheers
Jmac

[Timbo]

Me don't know whats next.

You buy a new car...that's what's next! If it ain't the turbo bolts, it's blowing intercooler hoses

IMO, the turbo set-up on the Polo (and I guess, similar cars, is a poor design.

Most people won't notice a problem, but if you decide you want to "enjoy" the car, it's a limitation. Shouldn't be

[Eddy]

You buy a new car...that's what's next! If it ain't the turbo bolts, it's blowing intercooler hoses

Hoyhoy.

Tim, me is without an income & me is stubborn.

[Timbo]

Hoyhoy.

Tim, me is without an income & me is stubborn.

Eddy, I'd prefer to think of you as "patient"

[abreut]

Well I can join the list of people afflicted with this problem as well now. I actually have a mk1 golf with a 16vt so my scenario is a little different, but essentially its the same thing happening and it has happened at the last 2 trackdays now. I have been searching for a reason and I stumbled on this thread with great interest.

Last time I made sure everything was 100% tight before the trackday but by run 14 I blew the turbo to manifold gasket and it sounded like a tractor. The turbo was loose, I could actually rock it slightly.

I actually have m8 x 1.25 studs and nuts holding my turbo on but I don't think it is the nuts or studs coming loose so much as the studs stretching. My theory is that they lose their tensile strength through heat and then the yanking of the substantial exhaust is stretching them. I am going to check the length of the studs compared to an original set to test this theory, but I find it hard to believe that not 1 but 4 proper exhaust-grade lock nuts could come loose in 14 timed runs of Oran park just through vibration. The last 2 times I have bought crappy single layer gaskets and I think that this may have exacerbated the problem too, maybe a multilayer gasket would take up some of the load instead of the studs.

From reading this thread I have gathered that this problem mostly happens to polos but not to the same engine in the mkIV golf, and that they may have different exhaust setups. I think someone suggested it could be a difference in the exhaust setups which was interesting to hear. I have also noticed that its not just us but heaps of turbo-ed miatas, nissans, lotuses, xr6 turbos report issues with turbos coming loose especially when used at trackdays. People wonder why some people never have a problem and others are plagued by it.

I have only one brace going from the downpipe to the block which only really braces in one plane. I am going to strengthen it so that it provides support in all three planes. I have a flex joint but it is just under the car not near the turbo, maybe it would be a good idea to fit one closer as well. I am looking forward to hearing more developments in this thread, I really want to sort this issue out before the next track day!

[mikepologti]

were all hoping jimmy releases his invention in the near future no doubt if you wanted somthing similar , maybe jimmy could help you out.

[Jmac]

Ive now seen a couple of AGU golf with loose bolts too, un modified too so there really isnt a trend. The K04 i wirelocked recently doesnt get tracked now and it still came loose. I seen it recently and the bolts are still good and wire locking intact. The invention i have has come to a bit of a halt as it needs some fine tuning, in practice the last part didnt come into place the way i wanted it too. If it works it will stop the heads turning but wont stop stretch as such and i tend to agree that they must be stretching. Be nice if you could put a dab of weld on the bolt to manifold, and if the bolt ever need to be removed the dab of weld would snap off no probs. Hmm the problme is universal really , affects buses, trucks and all sorts of cars, back when i was doing my apprenticeship the Audi 80 TDI were bad for it and i also looked at a Sierra Cosworth that came loose. The Cossie had a poor result mind u
Still thinking
Cheers
Jmac