I am just curious if anyone here has attempted rebuilding a turbocharger. I don't think it would be that hard, but want to be sure that if I do decide to rebuild one (for my upcoming boostedslant project) I want to make sure I can do it right.
Isn't there also a final balancing that you have to do once you have it back together? Can I do this myself or do I have to have a pro do it? Thanks.
Michael
i hear the hardest part is drilling and tapping holes for the bolts that you break,just hit everything with some pb blaster and some heat and stuff should come right out...
Heres a link to a FAQ guide that DodgeZ put together:Originally Posted by BoostMonkey
http://boostedmopar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1843
If there's 1 thing I could add to the disassembly instructions on BM it's that heat is your friend. Using a torch to heat the turbine housing around each bolt makes the bolts super easy to get out. As for balancing, the story as I understand it is that if the parts are still in balance from the original assembly, then they don't have to be rebalanced. The problem is that without balancing there's really no way to be 100% sure. the best advice I can give is to look for any signs of wear or damage to both wheels. This could be damage from contact with debris, pitting, bent blades, etc. If you find any of this, do yourself a favor and have a professional look at it.
If everything looks ok and you decide to do the rebuild yourself, make sure you measure the shaft and bearing bores in the housing. If your turbo has been rebuilt previously, there's a good chance one or the other may have been machined making it necessary to order the proper size bearings. Also, be sure you order a kit with the right compressor seal for your turbo.
Those are the major points I can think of. The rest of the rebuild process is pretty straight forward.
HTH,
Thanks. I'm pretty sure I can do it. Maybe I should practice on a mitsu or something. That way I should be able to not screw up a nice turbo.
Michael
Balancing is th key I did garett t1 of a 86 lancer right after I got out of high school and I didnt have the money for a new turbo at the time,It worked a couple months and due to it being out of balance it started leaking oil so make sure you get it balanced.
Call around town to some turbo rebuild shops and see if they offer balancing. Some of the larger diesel repair shops have machines to balance them. If not you can send them off to places like turbo city to have them rebalanced. The actual rebuild is a piece of cake, once you get the turbo apart. Get yourself a nice clean spot and wear gloves putting everything back together.
So, I can rebuild the turbo myself, then assemble it until it is 100% back together, and even though it's back together they are still able to balance it? Thanks guys, I'll get on the phone today and see if I can find a place to balance it.
Michael
Thats what I did, bought a rebuild kit and tore it down and rebuilt it myself, then sent it off to be balanced.
Here is my opinion on things:
If your dealing with a stock T1 turbo, and you just need to get it to stop burning oil, or what ever. Try it yourself. Its cheap enough, and if it works great.
If you have a high dollar hybrid, or custom, its probalby best to let the pros take care of it vs. totally scewing up.
You need to balance dollars to rebuild vs. dollars to replace.
T1 cost = any junk yard in america for $25 -> $50
hybrid cost = $600+ "stock"
Clay
1986 GLH-T - Flat black......... learn it, love it, LIVE IT!
1988 LeBaron GTC Turbo
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I'm probably going with an HX35 from a cummins diesel. Should be able to pick one up in a JY for less than $100, then rebuild kit = $75, then balance=?. Better then buying one new for $500.
Michael
Not for CA nor AZ.
$100 here.
Had to get a member ship me a used TII--no junk yards within a hundred miles had one--bobr19
If you shop around a little bit, you should be able to find a low mileage
take-off from someone who has upgraded. I got an HX35 like that from a friend. As far as wear is concerned, it might as well be a new turbo. Had $100 in it.
Thanks I'll look around. Might even put an ad in the local paper for it!
Michael
I just talked to Precision turbo and they said all Garrett wheels are balanced individually so balance is not an issue when rebuilding turbochargers, as long as there was no significant wheel contact with the housings. I believe what they told me since I rebuilt a T2 turbo a few years ago and it seems to still be running strong... 30K miles later!
Now this begs the question, where do you buy the kit? Ive got a couple of TIs and TIIs I would love to play with!
clay
1986 GLH-T - Flat black......... learn it, love it, LIVE IT!
1988 LeBaron GTC Turbo
SDML Readers Rides
C/S Registry
Stuff For Sale
Complete Kit $78.00 "Buy It Now"
Basic Kit $47.00 "Buy It Now"
$8.50 shipping on both.
These guys are also really good about working with you if you need specialty parts like odd size bearings or substituting a dynamic seal for a carbon seal.
Just e-mail them and let them know what you need.
HTH,
Although, as Chris W has stated many times, there is a very small ammount of pitting etc. that would be considered normal wear for a comp or turbine wheel. It does not take much for the wheel to become excessivly out of balance when spinning at 150KRPMs....
+1Complete Kit $78.00 "Buy It Now"
Basic Kit $47.00 "Buy It Now"
$8.50 shipping on both.
These guys are also really good about working with you if you need specialty parts like odd size bearings or substituting a dynamic seal for a carbon seal.
Just e-mail them and let them know what you need.
HTH,
I agree, they are really good to deal with.
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