Need turbo help quick
Asked by Adrian Oct 12, 2009 at 10:38 AM about the 1989 Saab 900
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Hi everyone, need some help, my 1989 t16 has failed it's emissions test for it's mot,(aarrrggg...) the oil seals have gone on the turbo and I think this is why it has failed the emission. Any one know where I can get a cheapish new turbo from? all the t3's in the range of AR.42 - .5 are oil feed only with no water cooling. Or is there some way of blocking the water pipes off? and would I need to get a larger oil cooler?
13 Answers
blocking off the water feed and return to the turbo is not a wise idea, you would cut the banjo fittings and run a peice of hose between the two, that is also not a good idea though. seals are inexpensive to replace, the seal and bearing repair kits are cheap and theres lots of diy info freely available to you, try google. im assuming its a garret turbo? as rebuild kits are plentiful as they are a reputable turbocharger manufacturer.
oh yea are you sure its your seals that have let go? does your car run an intercooler? the piping and cooler should have excess oil in them, ie enough that it can be poured out. otherwise get a compression test/leakdown test done, could be burning oil due to worn rings. high mileage??
hi, not quite pouring out but an awful lot of oil in the pipes and intercooler, and the apc valve is pouring oil out too as well as the wastegate. though I have thought it could be rings also 190k mileage. I will see if I can get a compression test done over the next couple of days to try and rule that out.
im assuming its internally gated? if oil residue is around the wastegate flap then its game over for your seals :( if its t3 flanged and a garrett unit, why dont you run a t-25 from a nissan 180sx/s13/s14 silvia or a t-28 from a nissan pulsar gtir/s15 silvia? your saab would haul some arse then!
yeah internally gated, and is totally coked up, when I say pouring out of the wastegate I mean if you take the pipe off of it and move the plunger up and down oil pours out of the top where the pipe was. I didn't realise t-25s were t3 flanged gives me some more options to look at :)
oh i think your talking bout the wastegate actuator, the little round device attached to the outside of the turbo compressor housing correct? it there is oil in your vac line, which is pipe connecting to it is, then you have a serious problem with oil been blown past your intercooler, an past the trottlebody, into the intake manifold where all your vac lines are sourced from and through all your vac lines. nasty because your brake booster will have a vac line attached to it and oil in there can be troublesome ie unsafe. get onto this asap mate.
::slaps forehead:: yeah sorry, ok so get a pressure test done first, then through the turbo out if it comes back fine. Or bigger problem like get a new engine only have a few hundred quid to try and sort it, or the wife says I'll have to scrap it. As we don't have anywhere to keep the car in 3 weeks time so I have to get this done fast.
Oh yeah forgot to say done the head gasket the other month, and it all seemed ok internally ,no scraps ect. in the bores. no oily deposits
yeap pressure test done first, if you do a leak dwon itl tell ya if your valves are leaking, but that wont explain burning oil... are you handy at spinning spanners? get in there a get the charger off, google the manufacturer/serial number/model of the unit, track down who supplies parts for it where you live (uk by the sounds of it as you say quid) and diy the bastard if your keen! bearing and seals installed cost me $700 NZD parts and labour on my garrett t-28, you should scrape in!
yeah handy with a spanner aslo have a mate how doing his last year of mechanics at collage that can help me out. I'll grab the serial number of the id plate but I know it's a garrett not a mitsi one. I have another turbo i took of to replace with the one thats one there and had a bit of trouble stripping the thing down.(the shaft has major play in it and the seals have gone one that one too.)
ok found a tester at my local halfords going to get it in a few days and test the engine fingers crossed it's ok. Thanks for all your help luke I'll let you know how I get on.
Hi mate, just done the compression test and the results are not good, or good if you look at it that way. cyl1 8.5 , cly2 7.5 cly3 8.0 cly4 7.5 , the book says around 9.0 to 10.0 bar so I'd say there fooked