Can ongoing turbo failure be determined with the UOA?

[parshisa]

Title says it all. Any thoughts and suggestions? Would anything be seen at UOA? Any metals expected to be elevated?

 

[A_Harman]

Turbine wheels are nickel-based, but if they have tip rubs, most of the particles go out the exhaust.
Most turbos have floating hydrodynamic bearings that are copper-based.
Some are ball bearing, which would be iron-based.
Compressor wheels are mostly aluminum, as are compressor housings. Tip clearance at the inducer is most often tighter than on the turbine, and would lead to aluminum particles going through the engine cylinders.

 

[RayCJ]

FYI: Many turbocharger bearings are pure ceramic or hybrid ceramic. ... Not sure if (or how) that would show-up in a UOA.

 

[Kestas]

Any ceramic elements breaking up would show up as silicon nitride.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted by Kestas
Any ceramic elements breaking up would show up as silicon nitride.
No UOA will indicate "silicon nitride" in the report. Silicon will be reported but as the element only and may be present from multiple sources. Nitrogen from the nitride will not.

ICP breaks every compound down into the elements, even stable oxides and nitrides, and since they are ions it has no ability to report compounds.

 

[Kestas]

I know. I also knew most people would be smart enough to know silicon nitride is made up of Silicon and Nitrogen.