"Weird symptoms call for weird suggestions. What if the turbo was loose, or the pedestal cracked/broken? It could still make the boost, but it could also flop around. This flopping around could not only pull the boost tube off (both OEM and Banks), but could have cracked the exhaust leading to the exhaust leak. Probably unlikely, but you never know."

Would I be able to move the turbo by hand then?

 

No, I know guys running with NO turbo mount bolts holding the turbo to the pedistal, literally the only thing holding the turbo in place is the up-pipe clamps and the down pipe clamp. As well as the drain tube somewhat orienting it. Seriously. I wouldn't recommend it, but I've seen it done.

Can you get some pics under the hood of your truck? Take some close ups of the connection etc...

Karls on to something though, what condition is that clamp in? I know some of the updated clamps had springs on them too.

bustedknuckles... why not just replace the one lock nut? Double-nutting works I suppose. I know the nut/bolt section of my clamp on my downpipe is fubar, it's all stripped and goobered up from removing it so many times. I bought a new one directly from Ford, waiting to put it on when the cab comes off.

Something isn't making sense here, there is absolutely no reason your boots should be blowing off.

As for the exhaust smell, probably a cracked up-pipe... which isn't uncommon at all really. However, the boot constantly blowing off is not common, especially on a stockish truck. What I find odd is that it's the same connection blowing over and over...

 

Ok I can try to post a pic, but I have been thru half a dozen clamps and a dozen boots both factory and banks. And 3 different down tubes. Just talked to a perfomance shop near me and they said something about the stock turbo wheel housing vibrating. Causing it to blow. Said banks makes an after market housing to fix that. I'm probably going to just drop it off with them and say "fix it". And see what happens. If I'm going to be spending a few grand anything in particular I need to do? I was going to put the banks intercollegiate back on but try and get the sct tunner. See if they will nix the egr somehow. Did I miss anything?

---AutoMerged DoublePost---

Have you ever seen this? CAC Tube Brace - TCN Enterprises

 

Sounds like a huge waste of money to me, but it's your money to waste. I've gone back and forth with two different factory CAC tubes on mine, one was the original for the dual alternators (squashed down in the middle) and the single alt one (since it fits with dual alts anyways) same boot, never even cleaned anything, pushing 35+ psi through it and never once had it pop off. There is something else going on with your truck.

The shop you talked to sounds like they don't have a clue either. Stock turbo wheel housing? The turbo isn't vibrating any more than the rest of the engine, since it's hard mounted to the damn block. I wouldn't spend a dime on anything Banks makes to begin with, and I've never heard of them making anything for a stock 6.0 turbo. They're probably confusing that with a wicked wheel upgrade for a stock 7.3 turbo.

How mechanically inclined are you? There are some relatively simple ways to fix this. You might need to do some fabbing....

That $50 brace kit looks cheesy, but I guess it might solve your issues. I'd buy that long before adding a banks wheel housing at the cost of thousands.

There is something else going on here. There is no rhyme or reason for a stock turbo'd truck to be pushing new boots/clamps off like this....

Please try and get us some pictures of the engine bay. Specifically that joint, and the other intercooler connections.

I'd just really hate to see you dump all that money on NOTHING.

 

http://m1153.photobucket.com/albums/LargeMargw/Snapbucket/?src=www?pbauth=1_uLEBonVPfaLdh1h3YMYz2Q6w7zMYBJ1RT160YjHyE%2F1OBYFDlNs1mWXb%2BFNc5mz1mR6dyk2qkf6%2B8uj5hkApxNbHbu0TwDpllj8oUsGwy%2FyoLiFgGmg1ma%2FJQVFl8JNVZEOHxTHJ%2BZ42bXPFl%2F8e6VTdOKG3MquOT8zMu0Avet8%3D

See if that works

I also spoke to another person at oc performance diesel, he sounded better then the first guy. I think the first guy was just an operator. Diagnosis $200, install banks crap $400, install sct tunner $180. Not sure of any other costs yet

 

$180 to install SCT? It plugs into the OBD port and you hit a few buttons and it's done... that's it. WTF kind of shop is that?

Banks list absolutely nothing turbo related for a 6.0 on their website... NOTHING.

Pics work if you click on the box.

D2747F14.jpg?t=1328737575

Dude, that doesn't even look like it's on all the way... This is why I wanted a picture. I just went out and took a picture of mine for reference... this may be part of your problem here bud.

 

Thats how I installed it this last time, all the way snuged up, but then went to get on the freeway and BOOM it poped off, so I tried to line up the ridge inside the boot and the dimple on the tube, it stayed on then, and yes I did clean them both the first time right before I went on the freeway, no towing.

as far as I can figure what the first kid was talking about was for a 7.3 turbo housing. I think he was confused.

My options are very limited for performance shops around here.

 

Because OEM and Banks use the same type spring loaded bolt, I have to wonder if it's not a fastener issue. What if there were a crack in the turbine section (or VGT malfuntion) allowing the turbo to make a ridiculous amount of boost? I am guessing at this point, BTW.

Has there been any OBD scan done? What codes are popping? I didn't see that in the thread.

That CAC brace does look kind of hokey. I wouldn't call that the hot side of the turbo, the hot side is the exhaust/turbine section.

At any rate, because 2 different inter-coolers are doing the same thing, it's time to quit looking there, quit looking at band clamps that have been chnaged over and over, and look to something else. Codes, turbo, turbo mounting, something.

 

You said you tried a different CAC tube too right?

 

is the CAC tube the metal one going to the intercooler? if so, its blown off with 2 diffrent banks ones and the stock one. Ford has looked at it several times, I'm sure they would have seen a code. When I had the pda on I think the only code I ever saw was low/no turbo pressure(after the hose blew off). If it did make an insane amount of boost, it was fast enough for it not to be recorded by the tuner. I think the highest I saw when the entire banks system was on there was 34 psi, that was when I wasent towing, but racing it. I have a feeling that this is going no where, its extremly hard to diagnose a problem without getting your hands on the truck. If I ever do find out what the problem is I'll let you know. Its only been 5 years. I'll have to take a look at the sct tuner instalation, but the price might be with custom tunning too, not sure. Did you have a chance to look at their web site? Orange County Performance - Corvettes Mustangs and Hot Rods