[Vwdiesel] Is my turbo shot? broken? or should I look elsewhere?

[Will Taygan]

Oh, my. '91 eco Jetta.  200k.  Leaky headgasket last winter.  Sat a few
months. Snapped a head bolt trying to tighten it down.  New headgasket,
head milled, ARP studs in.  Drove car 1000 miles, blew the heater core.
Sat a few months.  Pulled dash, new heater core.  Drove car 150 miles.

TODAY, on hard acceleration I was hearing a noise like leaves stuck in a
fan.  It's either coming from the cam area, or the turbo.  Doesn't
happen at idle.  For a while I thought it was a loose bolt.  Now I'm
worried it's the turbo.  Bearings?  Fins scraping?  ARGH!  It
progressively got worse on the 20 miles home.  I can definitely hear
something spin down.  Maybe even some exhaust gas blowing behind the
engine?  Hard to say.

Car drives FINE.  Great power.  I just don't want to break something for
real.

Can I check the turbo while it's in the vehicle?  What do I look for?

If I remember correctly I've got to get the turbo off before the
manifolds will come off (at least the bolts have only been on there a
1000 miles or so.)  Not looking forward to scraping my arms up reaching
for them though.

Any source for a eco-turbo?  Rebuilders in the Northwest?  DIY?  Maybe
I'll just throw a NA manifold on there for the winter (We already had
some snow flurries and this is my wife's commuter.)  I assume the NA
manifold will hook right up to the exhaust?

THANKS!

Will in Alaska.