rodo wrote:Stay tuned for more excitement.

Great work so far, and I can't wait to see how this ends.

-Bryan

TURBO ON HOLD

The saga continues....got it all put together, everything buttoned up and good to go. Started the car, drove it out of the garage, and watched it start to smoke a bit. Backed it back into the garage. Realized I needed to take all apart. So I did. Turbo is off. Good move, lots of bum gaskets. When I had it on the bench I noticed oil dribbling out the intake side. This is surely a bad seal issue. Good...only no. There are no seals. I'm not in limbo to see if any turbo shop in America has messed with this specific turbo (an odd duck, to say the least) and to see if AR will come through and start to offer turbo parts. No parts, no turbo. Sad day.

You may need a center hub rebuild kit. Most turbo suppliers should be able to match one up for you.

Or put a real one.

Alas, there are NO turbo replacement parts. I've heard that from Richard Ridge, guru of the turbo, as well as from IHI, manufacturer of the turbo. Yeah, could go for a different turbo kit, those are out there, but there is something fun/historic/crazy about having the original.

You might be able to match up something close from the IHI catalog and modify the flange to take the new cartridge. Its just a hub with a shaft going through it.

You may want to reach out to TurboTurbos as they may be able to source the individual bearings, seals, etc to make up a repair kit to rebuild yours using generic turbocharger parts.

https://turboturbos.com/collections/repair-kit

And...turned out too good to be true! TurboTurbos said they did have parts and I did not believe them. Heard from the turbo guru, Richard Ridge, that that could be the case IF my turbo had been replaced. I'm like, "what? Why? When?" So I sent Ridge the turbo numbers and he said it was a replacement from the nineties. Then I emailed the PO and he confirmed: it had been serviced in the nineties. He had no idea that it had been replaced with an updated (so to speak) version. Lots of other details but the upshot is that parts out to be available. Now to determine if I actually NEED turbo parts. Might be just the actuator. So lots of testing and inspecting to be done. But, wow, never thought I'd get to this place. Some day the turbo will live again!

And...but I've got a big old crack on the manifold. So, as typical with our cars, one step ahead, one problems sorted, five more that follow. But at least i see a way forwards now.