On a watercooled turbo, can you just cap the coolant ports, or is it best to hook it up to my coolant lines? This is for a junkyard turbo.

 

You can put bolts in the holes (plastic caps will melt). If you do this, you'll have to let the thing idle for a little longer than if the coolant lines were hooked up. To hook up the coolant lines, just get some brass barbed hose connectors, some 1/4" rubber hose, and extend one of the 1/4" coolant hoses on the intake manifold up to the turbo, and then run a line from the turbo back to where the hose was connected to originally.

 

Yes and no. Or at this point in time, most likely yes.

I've been told non-Garretts need the coolant supply. I'm really not entirely up to speed, so I can't verify that - just passing along some hearsay.

The Garret T-series water cooled turbos got aluminum bearings which have problems dealing with the heat soak of a non-water cooled setup. The oil cooled ones have brass bearings. 99% of all rebuilt T-series are rebuilt with brass bearings, so most junkyard water cooled T-series turbos are non-water cooling friendly as they are 10+ years old by now and almost certainly rebuilt once.

Take a peek up the oil drain, you should be able to see part of the bearing.

 

I've talked with majestic turbo about this, and it's been revealed to me, that you definately can run them without the water lines hooked up. just as stated, let the thing idle down longer after you do a run. probably in the 2-5 minute range, as to avoid oil coking on the shaft,bearings etc.

Brad

 

A good synthetic oil will help also, as will an aftermarket oil cooler. You shouldn't even need to plug the ports. Like Lazarus said, turn clock up on your timer!

 

This is supposed to be a garrett T3 out a volvo and if it will be to my advantage, i will hook em up. If its too much of a pain, screw it.

 

My .02 cents on whether or not to hook up the water lines:

HOOK 'EM UP! It's probably the easiest part of the whole install! I don't know why people skip such an easy step and risk the longevity of their turbos when it takes about 5 minutes to route a water line. Even with the water lines attached, I still idle for about 30 seconds before turning the car off...

 

Why would you want to NOT hook them up??? Anything that helps their longevity would be worth doing IMO.

 

were is the best place to hook em up so they will flow well?

 

someone once told me that the older t3's off sabb's etc that have water and oil holes are water cooled,and oil lubricated..dunno how true it is, but i am gonna use my water

 

run it from the heater hose line