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Topic: turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20 (Read 1646 times) previous topic - next topic

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Car is a 86 XR7 and from what I know it is a t3/4 turbo(whatever that means). Anyhow drove it today and it made a rather horrid noise. Shut it down and pulled the tube between the turbo and the VAM and found it had oil in it. After further inspection I found in the tube a nut which looks identical to the one on the end of the propeller shaft. Of course this nut did wonders for the blades as they are now all jacked up. My assumption is the turbo is trashed, are these things rebuildable, and if so anyone know who does? If I search for a replacement what should I look for? Any insight/suggestions/direction will be greatly appreciated.

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #1
Quote from: Dansbirds;287190
Car is a 86 XR7 and from what I know it is a t3/4 turbo(whatever that means). Anyhow drove it today and it made a rather horrid noise. Shut it down and pulled the tube between the turbo and the VAM and found it had oil in it. After further inspection I found in the tube a nut which looks identical to the one on the end of the propeller shaft. Of course this nut did wonders for the blades as they are now all jacked up. My assumption is the turbo is trashed, are these things rebuildable, and if so anyone know who does? If I search for a replacement what should I look for? Any insight/suggestions/direction will be greatly appreciated.


1st off, you're going to need to know the model of your Turbo. Mine on my diesel project was a H1C. You can buy most rebuild kits from online (mine came from e-bay) for cheaper than the local shop. However i believe that your standard rebuild kit is only for seals and the such. Vanes you're probably going to need to buy seperatly, either from the local shop or online.

If your vanes are messed up you might want to take it to a shop to ensure that the shaft itself is still balanced properly or you might end up ruining the new vanes (if they bounce around in the housing because the shaft's not balanced).

Just my 2 cents.

4BT Panther

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #2
Thanks for the reply, do they stamp the model on the housing somewhere or how do I know what this is?  I am leaning towards sending it out for someone to rebuild just so I know what comes back will bolt right back on. Does anyone know of places that rebuild them? I live in rural western NY and dont have anyone near to do this.

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #3
Can you post a pic of the trashed turbo? A true T3/T4 hybrid's compressor side will look huge compared to the turbine side.  You should find an AR number cast into both the compressor housing and the turbine housing. Find them and post those up also. A new compressor wheel is going to cost a little coin along with a full rebuild, which it sounds like it needs. If its an ebay knockoff turbo, throw it away and start over with a genuine Garrett. Some people have had success with the ebay ones, but I personally wouldn't chance it.
88 TC 5speed, 168000+ miles, stock 2.3T long block, ported RFE6 exhaust, Evergreen T3 running 15#'s.
Up next: FMIC, fresh air intake, ported intakes, ported big valve head.

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #4
I will get the numbers in the morning when I can get a pic with better light. Here is the only pic I took today which was after I removed the hose. The nut I found in there is identical to the one on the end of the shaft in the pic. Should there have been 2 or where might this have come from?

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #5
Ouch that doesn't look so hot. Make sure you tear down the intake track and clean all the metal outta there. Install a magnetic drain plug and change the oil. I do believe that there should be 2 nuts one acts as a Jam nut. From the looks of it that appears to be a factory T3 from AR research . But the pic is blurry. You can get rebuild kits from many places but really should send it in and make sure it is balanced. Don't want your turbo flying apart EVER! Look over at turboford but most will tell you Evergreen turbo. They do alot of ford 2.3t's also you contact Turbocity. That is where I got mine from and its been a good one. I even upgraded to the t3-t4 hybrid and it wasn't really to bad of a price.

Stuckman
84 Turbo coupe 2.3T Modded with 88 upper and lower intake, 88 injectors, E6 manifold, T3-4 AR.60 turbo, 31X12X3 FMIC, Homemade MBC , Greddy knock off BPV.
4 eyes see better than 2! 
Da Bird!

FreeBird

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #6
If you dont mind me asking what you paid for your t3/4 hybrid? My thoughts originally was that getting this rebuilt will allow me to atleast put it back in and have everything fit right where it was, but the 1 place I checked for getting it rebuilt was 300 unless there was damage to internal pieces. Well I believe I fit in the damaged internals program.

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #7
Ok here is a pic of the turbo from the top down, maybe someone can help identify it from this. The only markings on it I found were Turbo ZY, , A/R 50, and M12. Next question is what is the easiest way to remove it?

Heres a quick synopsis of what I know about the car. Car had a re-man motor put in it and was driven approx 1000miles and started smoking. P/O quit driving it and stopped messing with it. I bought it and upon its arrival I found the pcv valve hose had come off. I reinstalled it and within seconds the smoking issue ended. Car ran fine but wasnt licensed so I didnt drive anywhere under any real acceleration while I was fixing it. licensed it yesterday and went to the gas station but never made it that far. 1/4 mile down the road developed a horrid noise which brings us to now. Could that nut I found have jammed the turbo causing back pressure that blew the hose off the PCV  valve or ius that just another issue

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #8
thats not a factory T3, atleast the intake housing isnt.  looks like a stock T3 with an ebay turbo inlet housing. this could be why the nut came off...  last owner could of tried to "upgrade" the compressor housing and wheel and not put the jam nut back on.

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #9
Quote from: 88turbo;287303
thats not a factory T3, atleast the intake housing isnt.  looks like a stock T3 with an ebay turbo inlet housing. this could be why the nut came off...  last owner could of tried to "upgrade" the compressor housing and wheel and not put the jam nut back on.


Thanks, do you think I am better off replacing it outright(if so with what, a t3?) or should I try to get this rebuilt. If its sort of cobbled together now I dont know if I want that.

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #10
Quote from: Dansbirds;287276
If you dont mind me asking what you paid for your t3/4 hybrid? My thoughts originally was that getting this rebuilt will allow me to atleast put it back in and have everything fit right where it was, but the 1 place I checked for getting it rebuilt was 300 unless there was damage to internal pieces. Well I believe I fit in the damaged internals program.

Well it was some time ago but my ticket says that I paid $659.09 for it that included shipping cost. That was from Turbocity. The date on my ticket is 2/6/01 so things might have went up since then. As for fitment not a problem there. You just need to tell them what you want. You want a T3 with an 86 SVO front housing. Then you can start talking upgrades and such. You could also send them yours and have them rebuild it mine was for one out right not a rebuild.  I was worried about the fit too. All that was for nothing. Bolted right on and with a quick spin of the housing had it lined up and ready to rock. I will add that is without the waste gate I reused the factory unit. Never know the PO might have installed one of the Kits and not had it balanced then it could have shaken that nut off. Then  when you say smoking what color was the smoke? Black mean you are running rich, Blue-gray mean burning oil. White is water. With at PCV hose off makes me think black and rich. Extra unaccounted for air in the system so the 02 sensor says lean so the ECU adds lots of fuel.  But that is just a guess. Talk to the turbocity guys get online with them and even show them some pics that will get you a really good quote I would think.

Stuckman

P.s. Its cheaper to upgrade the turbo now when you need a new one than buy one now and then upgrade that later.
84 Turbo coupe 2.3T Modded with 88 upper and lower intake, 88 injectors, E6 manifold, T3-4 AR.60 turbo, 31X12X3 FMIC, Homemade MBC , Greddy knock off BPV.
4 eyes see better than 2! 
Da Bird!

FreeBird

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #11
Well I have emailed turbo city and await there response. As far as the smoke, it was a lovely grey with the aroma of burning oil.
 
Now on to the next problem. How the heck do you get this thing off?? I started to remove it from the elbow and have 4 of the 5 bolts out but I still need to get this off the manifold. What size is that? and there sure isnt much room between the center section and the manifold.

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #12
Oh by the way, the oil return line coming from the bottom side of the turbo, is that just a rubber hose? This one looks like a piece of hose clamped on a couple fittings. Its leaking and looks like

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #13
Whoa you don't need to take that Exhaust side elbow off. You unbolt the pipe from it on the under side. Then to remove the turbo from the manifold is easiest when the manifold is off the car. Those lower nuts are a bitch to get to  when its still on the car. That oil return line from the factory is a metal flex line kinda like what they use for Natural gas line on hot water heaters and such. They make a  so you can install that rubber style hose. Maybe you hose has a hole.

Stuckman
84 Turbo coupe 2.3T Modded with 88 upper and lower intake, 88 injectors, E6 manifold, T3-4 AR.60 turbo, 31X12X3 FMIC, Homemade MBC , Greddy knock off BPV.
4 eyes see better than 2! 
Da Bird!

FreeBird

turbo replacement questions. PIC ADDED 8/20

Reply #14
Ok, here is a little update. Didnt get much time on it till this evening but had soaked everything with some pb blaster this am. I have all the manifold bolts loose except 1, its hidden behind the a/c comp bracket which doesnt want to come off.  Any tips??  I have yet to go under the car and remove the two nuts at the exhaust  but dont forsee a problem there.

I did hear back from turbo city and it looks like the turbo is going to cost more than the car did. Should I consider just replacing the thing with a new one since I am uncertain as to what it is anyways? Also I know I will need to get a new exhaust manifold gasket but what other gaskets should I get ordered? Also I am not real keen on this gypsybob looking oil return hose so where can I get the correct one. I did speak with a local place today and saw a turbo(dont know what brand, prolly chinese) and although it appeared the same the oil feed and return ports were off center and not directly on top and bottom like I have, is that a issue where you can turn the center housing or is it the wrong turbo?  Thanks again and sorry so long