In preparation of doing a timeing belt replacement I pressure washed the engine. Almost didnt make it home due to car sputtering and blowing stuff out the tail pipe. Upon inspection, I found the wire harness and especially the wire to the coil had lost it's sheilding and things were shorting out. Long story: replaced wire harness. timing belt, water pump, cleaned intake manifold, removed and sent out turbo for rebuild. Put it all back to gether and it started right up. but turbo wasnt boosting. Suspected clogged catalytic converter. removed cat. Still turbo boost only up to 12 O'clock. TIming is spot on. Removed turbo again. Found bad rebuild and bad bearings. Sent it back for another rebuild. Got it back and reinstalled.( filled with oil. cranked engine a few times to prime. started and allowed to idle for 20 minutes ) . Drove car about 30 miles at speeds of no more than 40 MPH. Then sped up to 60 or so and STILL NO TURBO BOOST PAST 12 o'CLOCK.

Could the waste gate be blown apart inside the exhaust manifold? We've checked for vacuum leaks and collapsed tubo hoses.

Thanks for any insight

Please do not forget the lesson to be learned here -

Don't wash your engine!

I have read many, many posts, both here, and especially at AWD of sad tales after washing one's engine.

I use a spray bottle of kerosine and rags to clean up metal parts and WD 40 and rags to clean rubber and plastic parts.

Putting an old sock on your hand is great for reaching into nooks and crannies.

Volvo parts are WAY too expensive to splash with water!
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'96 855R,'64 PV544 driver, '67 P1800 basket case, '72 Yamaha Rd400, '68 Honda 350-4, '12 XC70, the first 5 are mine, heh, heh, 525,000 miles put on 10 bricks James A Sousa

I don't know what's going on but we know the turbo is spinning, the air is getting boosted and reaching the manifold, all good.

I know you checked vacuum hoses, but did you check the hose that goes to the boost gauge? I once had mine split inside the dashboard. My boost gauge behaved much like you described. and that little leak makes all the difference, turbo system is sensitive to *any* loss of pressure...

Does the car feel like it's getting boost but the gauge isn't working by not moving past 12 o'clock?
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Try the easy to search Expanded Style FAQ Index. I own a Volvo or Does Volvo Own Me?

o kay. I have played with the waste gate. I tied it in the open position. drove areound the block. no boost past 12 O'clock. I then jimmied it shut. drove around the block. same thing only boost only up to 12 O'clock. So now I believe my problem is a blown out waste gate. Can you replace these things?

O kay, are you ready for this? Things just weren't making sense. I removed the turbo again, stuck a mirror inside the manifold and viewed the waste gate. It looked good to me!. I could manually open and close it and it appeared intact. So, I took a hack saw and sawed off the muffler and glass pack.( Remember now, I have already removed the catylitic converter), and with no muffler or glass pack, this car is a ROCKET. Great boost to 2O'clock position with little pressure on throttle. You sink down in your seat on accelleration!. So tomorrow, I'm taking it in to the muffler shop for a new muffler/ glass pack.

Has anyone seen both a clogged catylic converter AND glasspack and or muffler?

Great! Makes sense now, a perfect example of how exhaust back-pressure can kill a turbo. Don't tell Gpop!
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Try the easy to search Expanded Style FAQ Index. I own a Volvo or Does Volvo Own Me?

I had my cat blow out and the debris traveled down the tail pipe where it goes up and over the rear axle. That bend got all clogged and got me into a now start. Only found it when trying to spray starting fluid and the throttle wouldn't suck in.
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Post Back. That's whats makes this forum work.

Is the wastegate actuator attached to the wastegate arm? (Just thought I'd ask, I had the same symptoms when it fell off). And if so, make sure a clip is attached to keep it from falling off the wastegate arm (I use a keychain ring). Check your housing as well. Sometimes a hole can be burned through the exhaust part of a turbo, which may cause that effect (unable to build boost). Double check all hoses and make sure everything's airtight. You may need to adjust the wastegate arm by loosening the nut on the rod, then turning the end of the rod (after taking the rod off of the turbo wastegate arm) to make it shorter or longer, adjusting the boost range before the wastegate opens.

I have no idea if the wastegate is replaceable short of a new turbo housing. Perhaps someone else would know.

Hi all, I have a Merc 320CDi (as well as a 760 turbo) which had loss of power and after much trouble and investigation the cats were hollowed out and hey presto! mucho power all through the range. Even the indie doing the work reckoned it was as fast as a 4.0litre engine, and it's still going!

If in doubt, empty the cats!

Ric