Wastegate Actuator Rod!?

[lucasmxz440]

So i have this faint rattling noise on deceleration, its most noticable around the 3000-2500 rpm mark. Its coming form the wastegate actuator rod which has some freeplay from side to side. I believe this is affecting my boost. Is there a way to tighten this up or can this problem come from a failed spring inside? If i continue to use my car but drive it resonaably with low boost if any can this cause further damage?

[lucasmxz440]

anyone?

[Skym]

I had a internal wastegate actuator like that on my cars engine, where actuator arm moved freely from side to side instead of being solid as spring had failed inside actuator bulb. Same symptoms as your describing, made wastegate on back of turbo rattle at idle (didn't pull it closed at idle) and peak boost level can drop. Eventually replaced with internal wastegate actuator from same engine and problem solved. They do fail due to age, so might be worth upgrading both of them to adjustable actuators (HKS, Garrett, etc) if you can retune stock ECU to suit the higher boost level.

A temporary trick used on my car was to drill the mounting holes on failed internal wastegate actuator mount to look like slots and slide actuator forward (took a few attempts to set it correctly). It worked for a while until actuator spring got worse. Then replaced the actuator when wastegate on back of turbo rattled again.

[lucasmxz440]

The red circle is the end of the rod that moves from side too side

[Skym]

That part inside red circle (wastegate arm) moved on my car at idle when internal wastegate actuator was stuffed. The pressed on hat on end of that arm (covers the wastegate hole on back of turbo) makes the rattling sound. If wastegate arm on back of turbo is pulled on by internal wastegate actuator, no rattling sound.

[lucasmxz440]

Its sliding against the turbo and bolt, left to right not up and down, does this make a difference at all? If i put my finger on the end of the rod the rattle stops, how can i test my spring if there is a way?

[lucasmxz440]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYktexvWlng

See how thats moves left to right, mine moves up and down right at the part where his finger is and thats where im getting my rattling. Is it just loose or the spring is starting to go?

[Skym]

I think if there's no round type disc / clip holding together the end of actuator arm, wastegate arm, there could be play.

The area I was talking about -

If you look at this photo below, you'll see the wastegate arm and hat that covers the hole on back of turbo. That hat is what makes the rattling sound -

http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobygarrett/images/tech_center/tech_101/Internal-Wastegate.gif

The internal wastegate actuator is supposed to pull on that wastegate arm / hat at idle, etc to stop it from rattling around. If it's rattling around internal wastegate actuator spring inside bulb part is stuffed and internal wastegate actuator needs to be replaced.