I think i know the answer to this already but i just want some more imput. Last night a buddy of mine and i were on the highway crusin at about 70mph. and you know what happens next...we floored it, his 2000 ram pulled away a bit but when we hit 80mph and i started to gain on him and pull away, by 95mph my tail pipe was at his front tire. When i let off he said that all kinds of sparks came shooting out my tail pipe.-:t Now this sounds like my turbo needs some bearings. Does this sound right?? By the way when we got to where we were goin he also said that his box was cutting out on him, and that was why i pulled away.....So tell me what you think. Thanks

Sounds like you smoked him fair and square and he's just making excuses ;)

Oh, you were asking about the sparks...
I've never seen a turbo failure blow sparks out the exhaust.
I guess it is possible that your exhaust wheel is dragging on the housing, and thats about the only way I know you could be getting sparks, you must have straight pipe then right?

I think it's funny. LOL
But seriously Do you have play in the trubine shaft? If it's play is excessive it will eat the shaft and the exhaust wheel. I have one I took 10* off of inside the housing when the bearing wore out.

I recently mutually accelerated alongside a z71 gasser 1500 uphill from a dead stop and I didn't pass him till 65 mph.

Mines kinda the same way as yall describe, runs good, pulls hard, but on the highway, when she kicks up to OD, Locks the TQ converter, it pulls hard all the way up the speed limiter (~100MPH on mine). I really want to try a 0-100 run, I think it does 60-100 about as fast as it does 0-60.

I've had sparks coming out the stack on my father's non turbo international 2400B tractor. Happened under heavy load and I only noticed it because it was night time. My only conclusion is that it was soot precipitating from the stack and getting ignited by high egt.


Do you have a pyrometer on your truck? What was the reading when you dusted your buddy? If you don't have a pyrometer, it sounds like you should... I'm assuming no soot trap on your truck? Or, if you still have the kitty, things were heating up under heavy load, high heat and blowing out hot soot that glowed once it reached some oxygen upon leaving your tailpipe.

Eitherway, a pyrometer will help you keep an eye on things before you cook something.

Sounds like he was trying to get your attention off of beating him! I used to see sparks coming from the exhaust on my old Cat D4 when running it in the dark. If you are really concerned, expose the input of the turbo and move the shaft up and down and side to side, as long as the turbine wheel doesn't hit the housing you're OK. Try to do this test after the truck has run for a few minutes to make sure that there is a film of oil on the bearing.:cool2:

I've had sparks coming out the stack on my father's non turbo international 2400B tractor. Happened under heavy load and I only noticed it because it was night time. My only conclusion is that it was soot precipitating from the stack and getting ignited by high egt. ...

:exactly: i think that is most likely what your problem was if you even want to call it a problem

I really dont see it as a problem cause there was no funny noises before or after. I have an EGT it was at just over 1000*F. so not too high. another exeuse he had for loosing was his cummins is an auto rather than a manual....haha I think hes still a little mad i pulled away!!!!! Thanks for your guys imput and i will check my turbo shaft

I have seen a fire truck responding one time to a fire. It had a full blown fireball coming out the tail pipe. This is about 20 years back now, pre-electronic anything.

Post-turbo 1000deg EGT would be 1300deg PRE-turbo EGT, if the post-turbo probe was close to the turbo.

Greater distance between turbo and probe = lower EGT reading.

Primary thermocouple in driver-side exhaust manifold rear, 3" above flange
Secondary tc in downpipe, 1" below turbo flange
Two ISSPRO EGT gages

Demonstrates differences in EGT, where some cool-down is resulted because crossover pipe is located in direct road draft.

I really dont see it as a problem cause there was no funny noises before or after. I have an EGT it was at just over 1000*F. so not too high. another exeuse he had for loosing was his cummins is an auto rather than a manual....haha I think hes still a little mad i pulled away!!!!! Thanks for your guys imput and i will check my turbo shaft
WOW! I checked EGT at the top of the hill after my hard WOT acceleration and it read 650*F.

1000 is getting close to piston cracking temps.

WOW! I checked EGT at the top of the hill after my hard WOT acceleration and it read 650*F.

I wish my post turbo EGT's were that low. I can easily get them up to 1000*F (towing), and way more then that if I let it get that high. I hope removing the muffler helps, and may need to swap to a 4" tailpipe.

That's a pre turbine EGT.

A free flowing exhaust is a must for lower EGT's. Soot traps, mufflers and axle bends are inline restrictions. Plus the sound is unmistakable. After meeting several members with bigger pipes I can deciededly say 3" straight sounds just like 4" over the axle. accelerates the same too.

4" straight/short has a loud bass drone that will drown out the radio.

QM, something is ammiss with your numbers. Any WOT application should net at least 900 pre turbo. Check you connections, clean and tighten, something is wrong.:eek:

That number was a few days ago and I am still trouble shooting my IC and I did find a leak along a weld seam that didn't penatrate both pipes, that's fixed now. the peoblem I'm having is I can't make more than 12 psi WOT and 10 psi is what Ive been testing IAT's at. 10 psi = 140*F intake air at 70*F ambient, seems hot right, My feeling it's the turbo overspooling and making heat not boost. First, I was thinking it must be leaking somewhere and I'm been all over the compression fitting tightening the clamps and looking for the taletale signs of oil seapage, and nothing. I even pulled the IC core and looked it over for oil and looked inside for a blockage, nothing. I'm starting to think a gm-4 can't push enough air at 3000 rpm to make more than 10 psi with my IC.

I just installed that IC but my EGT's have always been lower than any member's on this forum. I was seeing 450*F avg. on the freeway (empty) and 650*F avg. towing before with 10-15 psi boost.

If you're still using that Type-K gage, you need a Type-K thermocouple, with leads long enough to reach the gage.

Type-K is Yellow and Red insulation

Type-J - WRONG! - is White and Red

If you splice any other type of lead wire, such as copper, into the circuit, the readings will be highly inaccurate.:badidea:

FIguring ~15% normal for analog gages, your readings could be ~50% off:help2:

Yes,
I have red and yellow leads going to 16 awg copper wires. EGT's seem right to me. When I floor it they rise. I've seen 900 *F but that was when the vac pump was failing.

On Edit:
I found the Upper plenum gasket was askew and leaking some boost, I'll have to retest.