turbo failed today, pre-purchase inspection, reserve fund, etc...

[jeffw]

Made it to NJ without any problems!

[jkennell]

As mentioned, a Turbo failure is...spectacular. This last fall I was out combining in the field. Now, you need to know that this field has a view overlooking an old railroad bed, that I love trains, and remember seeing them running there when I was real little. The road parallels the old track bed. So I'm sitting in the combine and look up and see off in the distance this...Grey BLack CLOUD. Moving...BILLOWING. And my first thought was actually: "Huh, I didn't know they were running a Steam Engine thru here....WAIT...the tracks are gone! " (GHOST TRAIN!!) About that time over the hill comes this semi. All you can see is the cab. Twin stacks "blowin' black as coal." He's moving about 20...and slowly goes by. I'm a 1/4 mile away...the cloud is drifting my way. It gets there and I literally have to stop...I can't see the header or crop in front of the combine! After the cloud passes by I continue on to the end watching as this guy turns and heads into the local elevator. I jump in my truck and head that way with a load...you can see exactly where the other truck went by the oil streak on the pavement! He made it thru the elevator, dumped, and parked it off the side.

 

Also as mentioned, you really can't tell if/when a turbo will fail. No test is gonna catch it. I had a brand new turbo on a tractor that got oil-starved when the oil plug fell out. The bearings were loose, but otherwise OK. I figured WTH and ran it. Its still on the tractor running fine...burns a bit of oil thru the loose bearings but works fine. The reason I replaced it in the first place? The OEM turbo grenaded in the field for no apparent reason.