shaft play

[1988gte]

So what is Shaft play I have been reading and not really understanding. Is it the compressor wheel moving up and down back and forward? I know its bad and there should be a very slight amount for oil clearnce, but does it go away when you get a rebuild? Or do you need a new turbo. Just wondering

[TONY!]

Lucky for you I have insomnia heheh

Yes, there should be some slight up and down motion because of the oil clearance.
But when people say 'shaft play' they mean excessive shaft play in that the compressor wheel is is getting closer to the point where it will rub or grind in the compressor housing, which is a bad situation.

Turbos that are wearing have shaft play because the bearings and or shaft has/have worn down a bit and so excessive play results.

Here is a picture of the parts all apart. Notice the bearings. These were really OK but you can get the sense of what wears to cause shaft play.

The bearings are all the way at the bottom next to the divider with is a metal sleeve-like thing with the holes in it.

[1988gte]

great pics TONY makes lots more sense now I saw some rebuilt kits on ebay, not to many parts in your pic I wonder how hard it is to rebuild

[TONY!]

heh If you like that pic and think it helps you to understand the guts of a CT26, here is another one for you showing the other side of some parts.
That pic along with this link should give you a better sense of how this turbo is constructed:
http://www.alltrac.net/tuning/turborebuild.html