Turbocharger cover over the ambient air inlet

Tiny
LIGHTSEEKER121
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 SUBARU WRX
  • 4 CYL
  • TURBO
  • MANUAL
  • 133,031 MILES
Hello, my friend brought the vehicle listed above used. It has a turbo with cover/cap over the ambient air inlet. Basically, the cap is covering the vanes or the blades of the turbo. Is it supposed to help protect the blades from foreign objects? Is this cap supposed to be there or is it bad for the turbo? Thank you very much.
Friday, April 26th, 2019 AT 6:37 AM

5 Replies

Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,897 POSTS
Hello,

Usually the intake air pipe is what goes on the front of a turbo. The waste-gate should allow exhaust gas on the backside to spool up the compressor wheel, air enters the front, compressor wheel slings it into volute where it stack up before leaving volute for intake manifold. I am not sure why there is cover over the turbo. Where does the air that is coming into the engine come from?

Thanks,
Alex
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Friday, April 26th, 2019 AT 10:55 AM
Tiny
LIGHTSEEKER121
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Hi, thank you very much for the reply. These pictures are from under his hood. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the cap on the actual turbo, but I also included some other pictures that resemble something similar to that cap that covers the blades. Although the cover does not protrude out as much. Hopefully this helps a bit? Thank you very much.
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Friday, April 26th, 2019 AT 11:10 AM
Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
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Hello,

Wow. That looks awesome. Is that an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) setup or aftermarket? Follow the intake air tube from the air filter and let me know if it feeds into the cover, or continues on into the intake manifold, please.

Thanks,
Alex
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Friday, April 26th, 2019 AT 12:57 PM
Tiny
LIGHTSEEKER121
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Hi Alex,

That's a total aftermarket setup. My friend sent me some pictures of the turbo and turns out it wasn't capped after all. The turbo and engine was still just too hot and dark at night to see or touch and feel around too far. It was the intake tube (I believe) but it doesn't seem to run straight to the turbo. Here's pictures of the car again and the turbo pictures he sent me. The intake looks like it continues on into the intake manifold but then curves and goes to the turbo? I'll have to see the car again in person when it's not hot so I can follow that tube and see if it is indeed the short ram air intake. I'll keep you posted. Thanks you very much.

Sincerely,
John
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Friday, April 26th, 2019 AT 1:10 PM
Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
  • MECHANIC
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Hello again,

Now that I get a good look at it, it looks like he has two air ducts that he is collecting into one. Then into the turbo, out to probably an air to air inter cooler, then up and into the throttle body/intake manifold. How many horses is this vehicles producing?

Thanks,
Alex
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Friday, April 26th, 2019 AT 8:48 PM

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