Turbo replacement

Been pondering about my turbo for the last year or so and some of my mates who have seen it reckon its knackered. Also read the other topic by houghy 1 and ive got the same amount of play if not more.

Did speak to bob about a year ago about where to buy a turbo but cant find the PM, so where do you lot reckon is the best place to get one from and am I right in saying I need or would be best getting a GT2871R?????

I would risk the old turbo just for running in but it looks a shit of a job to replace once in the car

cheers Tom

I didnt find changing a turbo that much of a job, cant remember how long it took but isnt too bad a job.

took me about 40 minutes last night with the engine out of the car on pallet (turbo and manifold), just looks like a hell of a job once the altenator and radiator plus other things are in the way

It is a bit tight in places but i removed the rad fans to free up some space, cant remember if i removed the rad though.

I removed rad & fmic to give me more room, took me about 3 hours on my first attempt

Its the oilfeeds on the block I found a pain getting back in, 1 nearest altornater I think it was

I'm changing mine at the moment for a 2860 i got off bob and its more fun than the y bracket that's for sure. But if you remove the radiator access isn't a problem and i've not even got it on ramps at the mo!

would be easier changing it now than later for sure.

its not a bad job at all but like gaz said i found the oil pipes the most difficult part just couldnt get them to thread in for some reason. Also be careful with your manifold studs that another common problem

turbo relatively easy to change, don't try and 'speed things up' strategically removing very few items, just get stuck in and remove lots, you'll be grateful of the space when waving your spanners around...

Note - some of these things you'll find easier if you jack up the front of car and put on axle stands.

not necessarily in this order but roughly speaking:
1) remove oil and coolant.
2) remove bumper, radiators fans, slam panel, grille.
3) remove front mount/topmount intercooler.
4) remove exhaust down pipe from turbo elbow.
5) remove lambda sensor from elbow.
6) remove air intake side pipework from turbo.
7) disconnect actuator pipe.
remove oil cooler catch can thingy (black square box).
9) 19mm long ring end spanner - loosen water return (or feed?) pipe bolt on back of turbo.
10) 12mm small spanner - loosen oil feed pipe bolt on top of turbo.
11) jubilee clips - loosen oil return short black pipe on bottom of turbo to engine.
12) 19mm ring spanner - loosen water feed (or return?) pipe bolt on front of turbo.
13) 17mm socket on ratchet long reach - loosen oil feed pipe bolt on engine block.
14) 19mm spanner/ratchet - loosen water feed pipe bolt on engine block.

now with all these pipes loose carefully remove all and keep hold of copper washers, there should be two per bolt. take lots of photos all the time.

remember how all the short hard feed/return pipes line up, take photos, hard pipes are a bit tricky to get back in place later...

the oil feed bolt on top of the turbo is part of the oil feed hard pipe. bit of a bitch to budge and get back in place, use small spanners, small movements and patients (plenty of swearing required).

i remove the manifold from the engine by undoing all the manifold studs and the whole lot lifts out with turbo attached.

manifold studs are notoriously strong, the head soft metal, if you over tighten them when putting it back together you fook up the thread and need helicoil.

i did all this two weeks ago hence it's fresh in my mind

i bought:
helicoil - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290897329581 - amazing!

remember to block up the exhaust/oil/water holes in your engine with cloths etc because of the swarf that is produced. drill slowly with plenty of oil. if you need to drill stud number 1 then you may need to remove alternator.

gasket - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360651753461

washers - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370784906516

studs/nuts - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180910455687 - fitted perfectly, short end in head first, use a pair of pliers for grip to hand tight them in.

torque wrench required to put head studs back on properly, there is an order something like 4/7/3/6/2/8/1/5 and torque i cannot remember, all you can find in service book i believe, i read something on canada-gtir but can't find it just now.

i have no idea how to tighten up stud number 5 as you cannot get a torque wrench in place, i just used a spanner judging how tight the other bolts were first by giving them a yank and then used 'the force'...

maybe you can buy torque spanners?

refit = reverse of above, all took a whole day about 12 hours i was packing up with a torch...

good luck!

Adam

oh yeah - george at http://www.turbodevelopments.co.uk/ was a great help when my turbo fooked up, twice! they can send out courrier to collect and return turbos quickly.

they do a quick turn around, and for sensible money i got an upgraded T28, 360 thrust bearing with some other something bearing greatness - i can't remember exact details it was a while back, 40,000+ miles still strong with no shaft play - phone them

thanks mate, good right up for anyone else also thinking of changing turbos

Great write up mate what sort of price for a rebuild ?..... also tom check out gaz's links for turbo rebuild in the useful links section seems really reasonable price wise .

Not realy nessorsery to drop oil if your not ready for an oil change or turbo hasn't collapsed or broke up.

If its just seals that have gone, then leave oil as it is as you will not lose any as engine is switched off & oil is not under preassure, you will prob get a dribble our of oil lines but that's it

I didn't have a problem anyway

Changing the turbo is piece of piss I didn't remove front bumper, rad or fans

Took down pipe off top intercooler pipe off whipped coolant and oil lines off, take induction pipe off, undo oil return, manifold nuts and the pulled it out through the top

Probably took couple of hours at the most

no worries new turbo came this afternoon and its almost ready to fit back on the engine

What tubby did you end up going for ?

disco potato GT2861RS or something like that been a couple of hours swapping over parts and re-adjusting the housings. why on earth you cant buy something and it fits first time I will never know...

Where did you get the tubby from ?

owen developments

Oh right was it pricey was looking into going down that path or getting a 360 chucked in my t28

Is the sign of a fooked tubby that of when you take off the airfilter and tmic the inlet to the tubby from the air filter side i.e the tube sticking out of the side of the tubby and also on mine its slightly coated the samco hose pipe going to the tmic I hope its not the sign of a shagged tubby

possibly or it could also be sign of a shagged engine that's breathing heavy, in which case the turbo would be the best scenario

I thought it was quite reasonable until they put the vat on it

What price we talking then mate ?

£850 inc vat and delivery