TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

No,no,no... Just remove it, not disassemble it.
SEND IT INTO PRECISION.

2x0

Ohhhh okay, thanks for clarifying. I thought I was checking for the damage. hehe

2x0

I got the contact info at PTE and I am feeling much better knowing that I will just send them the turbo and get it repaired properly. Sounds like it should only take em a couple of weeks. With any luck I'll still get to drive the car a little bit this year. Yay global warming!

Thanks for all the help and guidance. I'll let you know what I find out from their inspection.

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

Do you happen to have a photo of the turbo now? Do you know what year you got it?

2x0

I don't have any pics yet, but will get lots of detailed ones once I get the turbo off tomorrow. I believe the previous owner put the turbo on this car around 2010 or 2011, but I do not know whether it was used or new at that time.

My feed line is 1/4" O.D. so that would be a -3 line, correct?

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

Yessir, that would be the case. Hmm. The GT3255 never had an "upgraded" compressor cover when it was coming from Precision. It is a possibility that you have a Garrett unit, which is why I was curious to see photos.

2x0

Still working on this. Removing the turbo turned out to be a huge undertaking. I literally could not reach any of the bolts, and still am not sure how I will get at them but I just starting disassembling everything around the turbo.

Right now I am pulling the radiator. Everything is disconnected from the turbo. I did get my new restrictor fitting from ATP and it fits my feed line. I also got the 1/4 NPT adapter with it.

My compressor housing does say "Garrett" on it. I don't have any up close pics yet. I think the turbo is shot. While there is no up and down or "axial" play in the shaft, I can slide the shaft in and out parallel to its axis about 1/4". This does not seem right to me

Can't believe how cramped it is in there! At first I thought I'd have to pull the engine just to get at it.
This is as far as I got with it.

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

Well. A compressor cover could be machined to anything. Perhaps its not a Precision. either way, it may be time for something more "up-to-date" so to speak, anyway.

Keep at it. You'll get it all out, eventually.

2x0

Alrighty, so what do we have? Is it really a Precision even though it's labeled Garrett everywhere?

Looks to be in good condition overall, except the in and out shaft play is concerning. You were correct about the 1/4 NPT oil inlet

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

Oh no. Absolutely not. This is a true GARRETT, and you can have it rebuilt with Garrett internals and even upgraded compressor wheels if it's not too bad. Worst case, you keep the turbine housing and can literally swap in a good supercore with much better efficiency. You don't have to send to Precision. In fact, after seeing this, I wouldn't. But since it is only Oil cooled, (and probably not using a timer or cycled down well), could possibly be internally rebuilt, just won't know until it's apart.

2x0

Well hey, who would have known?

I wonder if the guy I bought this from really even built the car, or if he somehow came to own it and made up everything else every part identified has been different than what he claimed it to be.

But a Garrett is good yeah? Where do I send this bad boy to get inspected and rebuilt?

And is it worth it or is this old technology that I should replace with something better?

Thanks again for all your expertise, I would truly be lost here without it.

2x0

I just found some videos for how to rebuild a t3/t4, didn't look too difficult. Is this safe to try myself?

Rebuild kits like $40, and if the shaft is discolored looks like one can be had for fairly cheap.

Are there differences in the quality of the rebuild kits that are available?

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

Absolutely there is a difference. Getting a cheap shaft/turbine means trouble. They usually aren't balanced, the thrust bearings are substandard, usually only 270*, and the journal bearing holes are usually smaller than standard.

$130 kits are the better ones, but you're problem is that the turbine shaft/wheel had to be rebalanced to match.

2x0

After doing some more research, really not sure I want to rebuild it myself. Maybe disassemble to assess the damage, but the kits available online look like mostly cheap chinese replicas, not oem quality materials. Also with internal wear wouldn't it possibly need over/under sized seals and bearings, not universal ones?

Plus it would not be rebalanced properly.

So I'm debating if I should send it somewhere for the rebuild, and who would be the best choice for this. Anyone have experience with Midwest Turbo Connection?

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

The Bearings are a completely surround the shaft that you're planning to use, there's no "oversized" or "undersized" bearing selection.




Honestly, if you want the full benefit of upgrading something that you have. Just purchase a new Supercore, keep your turbine housing, and not waste time guessing with other rebuild companies. By the time you get your turbo rebuilt/balanced with newer hardware, you could get an entire supercore that can work with your existing turbine housing for just a little more, and then have a warranty to work with it to boot.

PM me for options, I don't want to threadjack here.

2x0

PM sent, will be interested in weighing the options on this one.

I called a couple places this morning, it looks like having a professional rebuild and rebalancing the shaft assembly will run around $375. Then another $100-125 for a new shaft and turbine if needed.

With that, if I decided to just do a rebuild I would likely do it myself and then get it rebalanced. Not sure yet, still have much pondering to do.

TheShodan

iTrader: (14)

That's about average, about $530 or so, then you still didn't get a better designed wheel... Super core time.

Autoworks

Nice! Definitely a straight Garrett there. (late) As Shodan suggested, the idael thing to do here would be to replace the core. You would at that point be dropping a brand new turbo into your existing turbine housing for only a little more than what it would cost to rebuild what you have with upgradable options. A drop in CHRA new (same as a super core, just reusing both the old compressor housing and turbine housing...no upgrades) in your case would actually be less than a rebuild.

2x0

So here's the plan. I am going to probably get a whole new turbo so I can keep this one on hand as a spare or sell it. As soon as funds are available, which they are not currently.

In the meantime, I might try my hand at rebuilding this one with a kit myself. For the experience, and that way it might be in good enough shape for someone else to install and run it for a while. Anyway I think it will be interesting, I like taking stuff apart to see how it works, and most rebuild kits are only between $60-100. If I end up botching it, no big deal.

H22Honda98

Good luck. Take pics and post here. I'm curious myself

2x0

I may have found another contributing factor to my oil drippage. I have the Moroso 4qt oil pan, which I've heard is notorious for causing oil to back up in the drain line due to it's baffling.

My bung is as high as possible on the pan, but with the return line off I set the car on the ground and an entire quart of oil came out of the drain bung. This is with it filled to just under the full line on the dipstick before the spillage.

So either it allows the oil level to sit above the drain because of the baffle and angle of the pan, or the reading on the dipstick is off.

B and B

iTrader: (3)

Some of that oil goes into circulation when the engine is running...
Your bay has wood
That drain looks tiny, bro
Watch some vids about drains and go big.

2kdrift

This is normal, when your car is not running there is more oil in the pan, make sure you are using correct dip stick for the motor but other then that this is not an issue

looks like you are missing a fastener where the drain is

2x0

Sorry I know the clamp is missing because I just slipped the line back on for the pic, to show how it sits. The turbo is out of the car so everything is disassembled.

The drain line is as big as any I've seen. It's 5/8" i.d. I think.

The problems I've read with the Moroso pans is that oil sits on top of the baffle and pools towards the front of the pan due to the angle, so even with it running the level doesn't go down by the return.

But you are right, maybe it's not the problem since mine isn't using the original drain location, they had put a new one in. I guess we'll see.

Oh and the wood in there is a board I found that sits perfectly between the block and lower rad support, to hold the turbo up while I get it unbolted

Autoworks

The oil drain should be 5/8 I.D minimum. Double check to make sure that is a 5/8 hose and not a 1/2" hose.