question on turbo bolts!

[mcglsr2]

so i just put my turbo back on the exhaust manifold. i've sort of tightened the bolts down. 1 was easy to get to with a ratchet, one was okay with a wrench. the other 2 are a real PITA.

does anyone have a method, tool, or suggestion on a good, easy way to tighten these bolts? on one, i can get a wrench in there but not really enough room to turn it. on the other, it looks like i will have to remove the coolant line from the turbo to get it. any help? all my current method is wrenches and curse words, and i'm not getting very far...

tia!

[BadAssPerformance]

Snug them up evenly with the others a bit loose... run the difficult ones in first. Then when they are all seated. torque them down

[mcglsr2]

Snug them up evenly with the others a bit loose... run the difficult ones in first. Then when they are all seated. torque them down

wait...what? are we talking the same bolts here - i'm talking about the ones that fasten the turbo to the exhaust manifold. if you are also talking about those, then how do i get at them? a socket for sure won't fit on 2 of the 4, and a wrench pretty much doesn't fit on 1... what do you do?

sorry, i should have also clarified, stock T03 turbo, stock manifold.

[BadAssPerformance]

Ooops, I was thinking SV housing bolts, but really, same thing i said applies to the turbo to mani nuts.

Yes, two will require a combination wrench. What size hex are the nuts you are using? 17mm? or the smaller ones? The larger ones are a PITA cuz the wrench head is big on eth open end... need to use the box end.

Oh, and.... is the intake off the head? it really gets in the way, LOL!

EDIT: a crow foot helps on the one too.

[Mopar318]

My suggestion is to build your own header so that you can do it without anything getting in the way!! lol

[Chris W]

Get yourself a cheap 15mm wrench (or whatever size nuts you are tightening), put it in a vice and bend it until you can get around the obstructions. Keep it in a safe spot should you need to use it again in the future.

Good Luck!

Chris-TU

[turbovanman²]

I think 2 nuts you can get at with a flexible socket and inbetween socket, the other 2, you just need to use a wrench and take your time. I think I had to remove the coolant pipes and fittings.

[mcglsr2]

Ooops, I was thinking SV housing bolts, but really, same thing i said applies to the turbo to mani nuts.

Yes, two will require a combination wrench. What size hex are the nuts you are using? 17mm? or the smaller ones? The larger ones are a PITA cuz the wrench head is big on eth open end... need to use the box end.

Oh, and.... is the intake off the head? it really gets in the way, LOL!

EDIT: a crow foot helps on the one too.

yah, 3 of them are the 17mm variants. the other is the stock size because the 17mm nut wouldn't fit. not enough clearance lol. thanks for the suggestions!

My suggestion is to build your own header so that you can do it without anything getting in the way!! lol

haha, well that might be ideal, but i'm not there yet. thanks though

Get yourself a cheap 15mm wrench (or whatever size nuts you are tightening), put it in a vice and bend it until you can get around the obstructions. Keep it in a safe spot should you need to use it again in the future.

Good Luck!

Chris-TU

good suggestion, i'll have to look into that. however, part of the problem is that the wrench part itself, like the tines on the open end, are too fat and hit stuff, not letting it turn. it's almost like i need a thin-headed 17mm wrench. but i will have to look into bending one. that's not a bad idea at all.

I think 2 nuts you can get at with a flexible socket and inbetween socket, the other 2, you just need to use a wrench and take your time. I think I had to remove the coolant pipes and fittings.

it looks like i will be removing the coolant fittings to get at that one as well. i was able to get to the 2 "easy" ones

[Chris W]

good suggestion, i'll have to look into that. however, part of the problem is that the wrench part itself, like the tines on the open end, are too fat and hit stuff, not letting it turn. it's almost like i need a thin-headed 17mm wrench. but i will have to look into bending one. that's not a bad idea at all.

You can grind the head down as well. That's why I suggested getting a wrench that was cheap

Chris-TU

[mcglsr2]

excellent idea

[SUPER60omni]

I normally use a regular 15mm combo wrench for the lower 2 then the top ones I use my impact gun with a extension and a 15mm.

[TopDollar69]

A good SnapOn wrench fits on the boxed end. You should not install the lower cooland fitting until the nuts have been tightened as it gets in the way of the wrench.

[TurboDan]

I use a strong 1/4 inch ratchet extension. Put the short socket on the nut first then connect the extension!

-Dan-