Alright guys. Throw love or spears or whatever, but here is my Junkyard 'budget' turbo build. This wasn't really expensive (obviously) but I made a few mistakes that cost a little extra $$$ in the long run.

Not too terrible for a first time build, and I learned a lot.

The Goods:

TD04-14T off of a 2007 SAAB 9-3 (B207R)
Ebay Cast turbo manifold
Walbro 255 pump
550cc Injectors
CXRacing intercooler and pipes
DNA motoring (Tial knockoff) Wastegate
OBD2B -> OBD1 harness adapter
Chipped p28 ecu
Custom Flange
Other various hardware and hoses

I'll spare some details as this could be a long story, but I ripped out the turbo back in early April from the donor at a Daytona Beach LKQ. Didn't realize how hard it would be to find a flange adapter from T4 to this 3 hole whatever that seems to have no name, I have only seen it referred to a 3000GT turbo flange or something similar.


Get home eager to work and realize my error. Settle on calling a machine shop to fabricate the adapter, and wanted to keep the orientation so I could retain the built in wastegate. told him I would need an elbow made. so thats what he made me.



Now I'm no engineer, nor a math major but I argue you wouldn't have to be to already see that this probably wont work. But heck i'll try anything twice.


Don't even need to tell you how this turns out. ***pause for the crowds laughing to stop***

so I give in and rotate the assembly, ruining the chances of keeping the internal waste gate. have the flange cut now to aim straight down.

but OF COURSE, it turned a little during re welding so now the turbo wont sit perfectly horizontal. just. my. luck.


but not all is lost. i can finally run the lines, connect the piping and finish the rest, then worry about a downpipe later.



bye-bye to AC.

ok so I retain parts of the old coolant lines and oil lines, and run my hoses to those after a few snip snips.



These little guys came in real handy


and put on this big boy of a wastegate. I used the grommet from the old wastegate and a part i had around the garage to secure the old wastegate door to the cars frame.

pretty resourceful, but ratchet. I'll ponder a better way or just have the door welded shut if i really need it to be down the road.
Ran the vaccuum lines, other tedious jobs, and the oil return to the oil pan. I am not crazy about the small climb it has to get back into the pan though. should have just had that welded too.


I'll keep an eye out for oil or smoke. I did use RTV which i know is a no-no, but i made sure the pathway was very clear after it had dried overnight.
button everything up, install the ECU with a baseline hipshot map (dodging spears left and right) and ready for the first ride, and it started up and drove just fine.
small coolant leaks that were fixed with a tighten of some clamps, but no leaking oil, no leaking fuel, and no vacuum leaks. the spring in the wastegate is rated for 7lbs and the gauge showed about 7 lbs on the drive which was a good feeling.

I need to have a downpipe fashioned and joined back to my exhaust, install the wideband, have it tuned properly then I should be good to go! Like I said, this story has many tears and frustrations, you all only got the "Reader's Digest" version. hope this provided a chuckle or two. The win for me was getting my first turbo build knocked out, I didn't die or get hurt, I didn't blow the motor or set the house on fire, and now I'll beat up on more cars in Daytona!

 

video of first short drive

 

exhaust leaks...

 

You're probably right, my wastegate door security doesn't quite work as I had thought it would.

Curious - how do you know?