How To: Taking apart a turbo

[cszakolczai]

Thought I would post some pics as I took apart a turbo I had lying around.

tools I used were,

Matco ratcheting wrench 10mm and 13mm
Craftsman open ended wrench 10mm and 13mm
Vice grips and socket/ ratchet


Your typical Garrett T3 Turbo





Remove the nut at the end of the turbine, I used a 12 point socket, and a pair or vice grips at the other end.


once nut is off undo the bolts holding on the brackets on the cold side





picture of the cold side after it was seperated from rest of the turbo.





remove the turbine from the turbo by just pulling straight up, but be careful not to chip a fin or anything. Use your hands only, no tools to pull it off.


part of the gasket that gets broken once the halves are seperated.


undo hot side bolts, you should be able to turn the turbo to get to all the bolts. I had to heat mine up with a torch because it wouldn't turn or seperate.





remove the hot side turbine by just tapping on the shaft with a very light hammer or end of a wrench or something.


undo the bolts from the center section. I wrapped a 10mm wrench around them and they came right off. Its handy to have a set of ratcheting wrenches for this. Matco makes a good set which I have, but you can get a set of gear wrenches for much cheaper.







thrust bearing and inside of center section.










There ya have it, just don't do it with a good turbo, if you can find a junk one that would be awesome. But you might have a little trouble getting it apart due to the amount of dirt or whatever else buildup is on the turbo.

Chris

[Loserkidwac]

Nice write up, kinda of taught myself when I did it before...what are the plans for that turbo? You want to sell it? its a T3 .60/.63 correct...Matt

[cszakolczai]

no real plans for the turbo, just letting it sit around for a little right now. I think I am going to rebuild it fully than sell it off or whatever. I'll let you know if your interested.

Chris

[Loserkidwac]

Originally Posted by cszakolczai

no real plans for the turbo, just letting it sit around for a little right now. I think I am going to rebuild it fully than sell it off or whatever. I'll let you know if your interested.

Chris

I'm interested in taking in peices like it is right now if you are willing to let it go for cheap, PM what you'd like for it...Matt

[xEJ20x]

Great.
Now you have to get the turbo rebalanced if you wanna sell/use it.

[Twinz]

good write up...me and my friend were ripping his apart to rebuild it and came into a problem getting 1 bolt off the hot side...i'll tell him to try to heat it up and move it around to get to the bolt...thanks

[lude98SH]

I have heard a standard porpane torch will not work very well. Oxy-Acetylene torchs i have heard are much better for better rusted bolts. But they are expensive a cheap one (harbour freight) was around $250.

[Loserkidwac]

Hot side bolts can really suck, heat and some WD-40/PB Blaster should do it along with a box end and miny sledge...I also use the bolts to push the hotside housing off...

[Loserkidwac]

Originally Posted by xEJ20x

Great.
Now you have to get the turbo rebalanced if you wanna sell/use it.

Well if you mark the wheels and shaft you can reassmble it an not worry about balancing, thats if you didn't have a major bearing failure, just reassmble with the wheel at the same spot on the shaft and you are rebalanced...

[sponsored1]

Originally Posted by Loserkidwac

Well if you mark the wheels and shaft you can reassmble it an not worry about balancing, thats if you didn't have a major bearing failure, just reassmble with the wheel at the same spot on the shaft and you are rebalanced...

I was going to say the same thing, but you also have to mark the relationship of the nut on the end of the shaft because that is whats normally used to balance it

[cszakolczai]

thanks for all the replys and when heating it up, you have to get it really hot, I wouldn't just go around heating up the hot side, it takes an amazing amount of heat to get that part to expand. I had one of the guys at my shop hit it with the torch while I tried to undo the bolts quickly before it cooled off. And as for the balancing, its a pain in the neck trying to mark everything, if your gonna strip a turbo apart, might as well rebuild it than have it balanced and do it the right way. Thats how I see it.

Chris

[Loserkidwac]

yea the only problem with sending it somewhere to get balanced is they will charge you out the a$$ for it, usually cheaper just to have them rebuild the turbo too...and i believe some places won't blance it if they didn't rebuild it...