Rebulding a turbocharger
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi,

Has anyone here rebuilt their own turbocharger? or is there some black art to it? or can you not buy the parts?

I did rebuild one for a freinds Uno about 5-6 years ago but he sourced the parts and sold the car shortly after so I don't know how long it lasted.

If anyone has rebuilt one could the advse where i might be able to get the bearings and seals.

thanks,

mini13

send iain a pm he can get the re-build kits for you,

i think the only point i'd be against re-building one is that you can balance it the same way as turbo specialist can, unless you have access to a vsr machine

i guess you could talk to a turbo company to see how they would feel about just balancing the turbo? don't think anyone else has tried this approach.

if u mark and note the impellor positions before dissmantling, that's about as good as u can get for a diy balance. no?

indeed your right mike

but it'll never be spot on like being professionally balanced,

tough call tbh,

i'd go for professionally built one, but i'd go for just the cartridge and use my exisiting comp & turbine housings

Well a proffesional balancer will be doing the turbine and wheel on a machine. He will then mark and dissamemble it, then build it into the core... so marking and doing it yourself will be ok, so long as it was balanced originally. Swapping out different turbine wheels will need a re-balance however...

Thanks guy's that pretty much what I wanted to hear.

Also them's some proper fine chav mobiles on that link TurboDave, there was much hilarity in the office!

We rebuild turbochargers http://www.reman-tec.co.uk
Don't afraid rebuilding turbochargers.
We replaced many turbos and they always worked.
Remanufacturers use balancing and testing machines.

Edited by tommyturbo on 17th Mar, 2016.

Well done Tommyturbo. I'm sure we will all be jumping straight to you for a rebuild after that post, you total rat BAC.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Byeeeeeeee!

just fwiw, I have rebuilt turbos wth rebuild kits and compressor and turbine wheels and full VNT assemblys off ebay for my own cars and never an issue, done 4 to date. that said I refuse to do it for customers due to liability, the local turbo rebuild place is only 295 for your run of the mill unit so not worth the risk there.

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

If the balance of the assembled shaft and impellers were balanced as one, then the compressor wheel would be keyed onto the shaft.

As it is, the turbine and shaft are balanced as a single unit as is the compressor wheel. The two are then balanced as a complete assembly with the retaining nut taking the final balncing.

So long as the original nut is done up to the same torque when its put back together, the original turbine and compressor are re used, and the stack height of the thrust discs are the same, there should be no issue.

Actual balance is subjective because the turbine always cokes up and the compressor always gets oiled up (in OEM applications anyway)