VNT 17 fitment issues...

So a while ago I bought a used VNT 17 from a club member. He claimed it was on his fathers car for 10k miles before he upgraded to something else. I bought it and the turbo sat in my garage for a good year. I just installed it on my 2002 Jetta. Along with the install I added a 1.8T pancake pipe.

When carefully examining the turbo, the shaft play felt (in both directions) felt the same as my outgoing VNT 15 which is in fine shape. I reclocked the VNT 17 and noticed an area on the intake housing area that looked like the turbine wheel had come in contact with the housing. Light scuff marks. Seemed odd, but I'm no turbo expert. Wheel spins freely and all seems well. I install this thing, pop off the Inj pump wiring and crank for a bit to get oil to the turbo. Fire it up and it is silent at idle but makes quite a whine above 1400 rpm. Not really a whistle, definitely more of a whine. According to my boost gauge, it supplies 5 psi at 2000 rpm under no load. I have not yet driven it.

I find this troubling. I'm unsure if it is a normal VNT 17 sound or a bad omen. Everything else appears normal.

Is there a way to check the condition of the turbo?

What does the collective wisdom of the forum say?

Thanks in advance.

After you started the engine was there any shaft play left?Make a log on 011 on vcds in 4gear wot from 1800 ro 4200 rpm.

You mean I should remove the intake hose and see how much shaft play there is just after shutting it off?

yup,preferably check on both sides if you can..but it's easier to make a vcds log i can tell from that if the turbo is in good condition or not.

Thanks for the assistance with this, 570. I drove it around a bit today and got a feel for the new turbo. Hard to tell a difference from the old, really. I've go,t RC3 Sprint 520's, 10mm pump, pancake pipe, larger DP and high flow cat. With the 15 I would get 18-19 psi. This will hold steady at 20 or 21. Very little spike, even when poking at it.

Still sounds like a bit of a siren at 1000-2000 rpm and light throttle.

Here is the log:

Group A:,'011,,,,Group B:, Not Running,,,,Group C:, Not Running
,,Engine Speed,Boost,Boost,Charge Pressure,,,,,,,,,,
,TIME,(G28),Specified,Actual,(N75) Solenoid,TIME,,,,,TIME,,,,
Marker,STAMP, /min, mbar, mbar, %,STAMP,,,,,STAMP,,,,
,0.01,1869,1081.2,1285.2,39.8,,,,,,,,,,
,0.27,1890,1101.6,1295.4,39.8,,,,,,,,,,
,0.58,1890,1152.6,1305.6,55.0,,,,,,,,,,
,0.90,1911,1213.8,1275.0,53.8,,,,,,,,,,
,1.21,1932,1315.8,1254.6,46.6,,,,,,,,,,
,1.52,1953,1448.4,1264.8,41.4,,,,,,,,,,
,1.84,1974,1754.4,1336.2,37.5,,,,,,,,,,
,2.15,2016,2101.2,1499.4,24.7,,,,,,,,,,
,2.48,2058,2172.6,1815.6,37.1,,,,,,,,,,
,2.79,2100,2213.4,2152.2,58.6,,,,,,,,,,
,3.11,2184,2244.0,2223.6,58.6,,,,,,,,,,
,3.46,2226,2244.0,2203.2,57.8,,,,,,,,,,
,3.81,2289,2244.0,2213.4,58.6,,,,,,,,,,
,4.16,2352,2244.0,2244.0,59.8,,,,,,,,,,
,4.52,2415,2244.0,2274.6,61.8,,,,,,,,,,
,4.87,2478,2244.0,2325.6,63.0,,,,,,,,,,
,5.22,2562,2244.0,2356.2,66.1,,,,,,,,,,
,5.55,2625,2244.0,2366.4,67.7,,,,,,,,,,
,5.88,2688,2244.0,2346.0,69.3,,,,,,,,,,
,6.20,2730,2244.0,2346.0,70.5,,,,,,,,,,
,6.52,2793,2244.0,2356.2,71.7,,,,,,,,,,
,6.83,2835,2254.2,2346.0,72.9,,,,,,,,,,
,7.14,2898,2254.2,2346.0,74.5,,,,,,,,,,
,7.45,2961,2254.2,2335.8,75.7,,,,,,,,,,
,7.76,3003,2254.2,2335.8,76.9,,,,,,,,,,
,8.08,3066,2254.2,2325.6,77.7,,,,,,,,,,
,8.38,3108,2254.2,2325.6,78.1,,,,,,,,,,
,8.70,3150,2254.2,2315.4,78.9,,,,,,,,,,
,9.01,3192,2254.2,2325.6,79.7,,,,,,,,,,
,9.33,3234,2254.2,2325.6,80.9,,,,,,,,,,
,9.65,3297,2254.2,2325.6,81.3,,,,,,,,,,
,9.96,3339,2254.2,2335.8,82.1,,,,,,,,,,
,10.29,3360,2254.2,2335.8,82.9,,,,,,,,,,
,10.63,3402,2254.2,2346.0,84.5,,,,,,,,,,
,10.98,3444,2254.2,2356.2,85.7,,,,,,,,,,
,11.34,3486,2254.2,2356.2,86.9,,,,,,,,,,
,11.70,3528,2254.2,2356.2,87.7,,,,,,,,,,
,12.05,3570,2254.2,2366.4,88.9,,,,,,,,,,
,12.39,3612,2254.2,2366.4,90.4,,,,,,,,,,
,12.71,3633,2254.2,2366.4,92.0,,,,,,,,,,
,13.03,3675,2254.2,2356.2,92.8,,,,,,,,,,
,13.34,3696,2254.2,2366.4,94.0,,,,,,,,,,
,13.66,3717,2254.2,2366.4,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,13.97,3738,2254.2,2366.4,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,14.28,3759,2254.2,2366.4,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,14.60,3780,2254.2,2366.4,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,14.91,3801,2254.2,2366.4,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,15.22,3822,2254.2,2366.4,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,15.53,3843,2254.2,2376.6,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,15.84,3864,2254.2,2376.6,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,16.15,3885,2254.2,2376.6,94.0,,,,,,,,,,
,16.47,3906,2254.2,2376.6,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,16.78,3927,2254.2,2376.6,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,17.10,3948,2254.2,2376.6,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,17.45,3969,2254.2,2376.6,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,17.80,3990,2254.2,2386.8,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,18.14,3990,2254.2,2386.8,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,18.50,4011,2254.2,2386.8,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,18.86,4032,2244.0,2386.8,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,19.22,4053,2233.8,2397.0,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,19.57,4074,2223.6,2397.0,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,19.88,4095,2101.2,2397.0,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,20.20,4074,1621.8,2203.2,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,20.52,4053,1285.2,1713.6,74.5,,,,,,,,,,
,20.83,4032,1152.6,1417.8,94.4,,,,,,,,,,
,21.14,3990,1081.2,1193.4,79.7,,,,,,,,,,
,21.46,3948,1081.2,1081.2,72.5,,,,,,,,,,
,21.77,3906,1081.2,1040.4,69.3,,,,,,,,,,
,22.08,3864,1081.2,1030.2,67.7,,,,,,,,,,
,22.40,3801,1071.0,1030.2,67.7,,,,,,,,,,
,22.70,3780,1071.0,1020.0,67.3,,,,,,,,,,
,23.02,3759,1071.0,1040.4,48.2,,,,,,,,,,

sounds like that mostly because wheel's wings are bended a bit or vnt is stucked or actuator is stucked or u have a small hole somewhere in the pipes/ic
looks like vnt/actuator is moving very poorly/stucked?...duty cycle over 80% will make the turbo to boost almost without restriction, yours, for now, make only 21 psi max,i assume that will make much more in the next few days.
What you can do right now:disconnect the actuator and try to move the vnt arm see if it moves freely completely then take off the actuator ,see if it moves, if it does,press it down as much as you can and put your finger in the vacuum hole while is still pressed ,actuator rod should remain in one position and once you release youir finger should go back on original position.

I think the actuator adjustment is within spec.
Letting something sit for a year is always questionable unless it is stored properly.

Looks from the numbers that there's a little hesitation in a couple spots.
You need to determine if it's the actuator or the veins being sticky.
Most likely the veins not responding to the actuator due to not working and a little corrosion.

Sitting could have had an effect on the internal workings of the actuation and it may need to driven out.

You will not get much more from a vnt17 than a 15 without a tune to tell it to do more.
This is actually why the 17 is considered more reliable as it doesn't have to work as hard to maintain the same boost.

The markings I cannot say anything about as I have not seen them, nor do I know the manufacturing details.

I would move the actuator lever and see what they say and if it's a little restrictive in a couple spots I would probably give it a few good runs and see if it clears up.
Just be sure to watch the boost and not let it go to high.

150 mBar is fairly common and acceptable overage.

Pushing down on the actuator from above, it moves freely back and forth through its stroke.

I'm still thinking about the spot in the housing where it looks like the turbine wheel made contact. Afraid I got a turbo with problems from a TDIclubber.

Just bought a new one.

ofcourse turbo was no good since u said that but i thought maybe it might work for a while.

Thanks for the help though! Glad it didn't pop and send shrapnel through the motor.

Sorry to hear the used turbo turbo turned out badly. The VNT-17 with the RC3 tune should theoretically live forever, keep us posted.