Yeah a couple have gone bad, some have lasted over 20k with no issues. Shit happens.

 

that is what I am finding out is that the turbo craps out early.

I read that the clearance on the turbo is really tight...so tight that the blade is slighty hitting the housing

 

It only craps out early if you don't take care of it. Like it has already been mentioned, some last 20K+ w/o rebuild, others much less. All the turbos are built by Mitsubishi to the same spec—it’s the owners and how they take care of them which is the largest contributing factor to the life of the turbo. The most important things to consider when using a mitsu turbo is using the correct type of oil (FULL synthetic), weight (too thin will result in premature wear), and changing oil regularly. This is what I’ve gathered from rebuilding many mitsu turbos and talking to many people who have used and are still using greddy/mitsu turbos. Remember these turbos are oil cooled, so using a good oil and weight is VERY important both for proper lubrication and efficiency.

There will be people that say they are crap because their turbo blew or started leaking, but most of the time something was done wrong to cause it, they just don’t want to say to make themselves look bad.

As far as the clearance between the blades and the housings, there is actually a good amount—roughly 1mm or so. The only times the blades would touch the housing is when you forcibly push with your finger or if the turbo parts (cartridge/shaft/bearings, etc.) are damaged, compromising the clearance. With no oil pressure, a turbo that is not worn, will still have clearance between the blades and housing.

This is probably a good time to mention how a lot of people thing BNIB mitsu turbos have shaft play when they don’t. There is side to side play b/c it is a journal bearing w/ no oil pressure in it to keep it rigid and centered. What should be scrutinized is the in and out play. If there is any in and out play, something is worn, like the thrust bearing, thrust plate and center cartridge for example. This type of wear will result in leaking.