[Extratx]

I am looking to rebuild my turbo on my car. Need to buy a rebuild kit as I have a friend who has done a number of them before. Does anyone know the model of the turbo off hand? It is an external wastegate model garrett with "A/R 42" on the compressor and stamped in 409115 and after that 12.

Trying to find a rebuild kit but these numbers don't match up to anything and there is no data tag on it like i think there is supposed to be.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mieczkow]

I recommend sending to a professional rebuild service. They need to be high-speed balanced and you need some pretty special equipment to do that.

 

[carbuff]

X2 what Tom said. Is Majestic Turbo in Waco, TX convenient to you?

Majestic Turbo Waco


But if you are determined to do it yourself, PM sk2seven. He knows what it takes. I assume you know the "generic" type, a Garrett T3.

 

[Extratx]

Yeah I can send it to Majestic, but it doesn't need to be rebalanced, just new seals and bearing(s). As long as it is put back together the way it comes apart and the compressor wheel is put back on the shaft in the same orientation, the original balance is retained. It hasn't rubbed the housing or lost any metal. I would prefer to put that extra $400 into other stuff.

 

[amanda11270]

Doesn't the turbo say "Garret" on it? I thought the Esprit used a Garret T3-4, I might be mistaken though, I had a turbo motorcycle last summer that I actually rebuilt the turbo on easily after finding the correct kit for it. Not too hard to do I thought.

 

[Beerman]

Yeah I can send it to Majestic, but it doesn't need to be rebalanced, just new seals and bearing(s). As long as it is put back together the way it comes apart and the compressor wheel is put back on the shaft in the same orientation, the original balance is retained. It hasn't rubbed the housing or lost any metal. I would prefer to put that extra $400 into other stuff.

It's called dynamic balance. The repositioning of the compressor along with the new bearing race (dynamic weight) will, in fact, change the balance. Consequently, a proper dynamic balance is required to ensure smooth operation. We're talking tenths and hundredths of a gram here to get it right.

You might get lucky and not be too far out, but then you might not be. Worth a shot I guess.

 

[Extratx]

If the compressor or turbine wheel need to be replace I will send it off to get balanced, but there is no bearing race (just a shaft riding in a bushing) so no parts have to be replaced on the rotating assembly unless something is worn or broken. As long as the removed compressor wheel is assembled back onto the shaft in the same orientation it came off, nothing in the balance will have change from when it came from the factory. Of course this is assuming the balance was correct in the first place, which I am going to assume is since it just leaks oil but works perfectly.

The turbo is a Garrett T3 but there are different variants of the T3 with multiple seal types.

Once I get it pulled and determine exactly what it is running I will post back here for future generations. I just don't like having vehicles out of commission while waiting on parts, so was hoping to to get the parts in before disassemble.

 

[jdickey]

I can speak very highly of Majestic if you decide to go that route. Know lots of guys locally that use them exclusivey for their race cars and boats.

Small shop and right behind my old high school.

 

[esprit888]

I have gone the 'DIY' rebuild route a couple of times on the M100 Elan/Impulse RS and learnt that in the end its not worth it. Things change when you take them apart. The kit includes a new lock nut, which you should use. The problem is marking the orientation of the turbine and compressor wheels prior to disassembly is useless as the balancing is actually achieved by fine shaving metal from the nut, which you could also mark, but should be replacing (and if you try to refit the identical position it will not be tight enough). What happens if the seal lands on the shaft are worn? what happens if the bearing surface of the shaft are scored? or the cartridge is scored? Watch a couple of you tube videos on how they are balanced ( and you can see that its not just the compressor wheel and shaft that are needed to accurately balance a rebuilt turbo, you need to include the new thrust and the nut, which are now different from the one you removed) Turbo shops balance the shafts by grinding away a very small segment of the new lock nut (the actual turbine and compressor wheel are balanced individually, but then need to be fine tuned as a unit) At the very least if you are determined to do it yourself then just send the shaft, wheel, thrust and nut to the shop and ask them to dynamically balance it (Up here its $50) Keep in mind that these smaller turbos spin at around 200,000 rpm, the newer ones up to 250,000. On the small turbos they are prone to what's known as 'stackup unbalance' which comes from the new thrust and nut. I can change a tire on a rim, but I wouldn't leave the original balance weights on there. The web is full of guys who say they rebuilt their turbo no problem, but they seem to disappear when it comes to the 'how long did it last' question. I Just paid $200 to have an IHI rebuilt for my Impulse as I purchased the correct kit and had them install it (stay away from these:BEWARE of the DIY Turbo Rebuild Kit myth ! | eBay ) I get a full warranty and peace of mind.