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If the Garrett is loose and making contact with the housing, do not waste your money rebuilding. I have a 2001 Saab 185hp with the GT17. It was blowing oil more than usual as it's never been very good since new. I purchased a $150 rebuild kit with total seal ring. Kit was great, but turbo was shot. I figured I could limp it through the summer with the kit while I looked for a Mitsubishi TD04HL-15T which will bolt right in. The GT17 needs rebuilding every 20-30K, according to several rebuild manufacturers. The TD04 needs rebuilding every 100K on average. My daughter's TD04 has 150K and does not burn oil. Mine started leaking at 2500 miles right out of the gate. Dealer refused to rebuild it until 35K, but that's another story. Garrett makes top notch turbos, the GT17 isn't one of them.... But this is what i discovered. The rebuild kit only lasted about 2 weeks, so the $150 may as well be thrown into your fireplace. Instead, do what I did the second time around. If you can't find a good TD04 match immediately, there are tons that fit Subaru, etc., but they need mods on the intake and exhaust sides, then do the following while searching for the TD04 of your dreams. Go to your local hardware store and grab a hardened 5/16" x 3", or metric equiv., bolt, a 1/4" hardened washer, just fits inside the lip on the exhaust side, a fender washer to secure the heat shield, a couple more hardened 5/16" washers, a 5/16" nut and lock washer, and a hard fiber washer for the compressor/intake side, and a cotter pin. It helps if you take the entire turbo with you to the hardware store. Pull apart the impellers and discard. Pull off the intake plate and remove the steel spacer that looks like a "T" from the side and holds the compressor side ring/seal. Bearing and thrust washer can remain. Take your bolt, slide on a 5/16" washer, then the fiber washer, a small amount of high temp sealant, push through until the threads stick out the exhaust side. Wipe all excess sealant from the intake side. Next fit the 1/4" washer into the lip (I had to grind very slightly) with high temp sealant in lip. Then one or two 5/16" washer as spacers, then the heat shield, then the fender washer, then the lock nut (use some lock-tite), and tighten don't over-tighten and damage the compressor side aluminum housing as it's fairly thin. Be sure the 1/4" washer is firmly seated on the exhaust side and can not spin. I used a small screwdriver to test. When through I could just turn the heat shield, but the bolt was tight. And for good measure, I drilled the bolt and inserted a cotter pin on the exhaust side. Don't bother with a self locking nut with nylon insert, it will melt. Not sure the cotter pin will withstand the heat either. Regardless, the nut is on the exhaust side for a reason. If it were to fail and come off, out the exhaust it goes. I can't image the damage should that happen on the intake side and it somehow made it through inter-cooler and up into the engine. It's an unlikely and long journey, but why take the chance? I left off the turbo bi-pass solenoid and simply flapped the pop-off open. I figured the more air relief the better. Next I plugged both ends of the oil feed with old short drain plugs and copper washers and a dab of high temp sealant. Reinstalled the unit in the car, hooked up the coolant lines and viola, there you have it, one neutered turbo with no chance of oil leakage while you find your TD04. And the total cost was under $5. Learn from my $150 mistake. My only warning is that you'll have to resist the occasional challenge to embarrass an A4 for 3xx BMW owner until you get your TD04. Power is good, but it ain't a turbo. It took me an afternoon to get used to it. I'm on the prowl for a TD04, but at least I'm not going through 1qt of oil every 100 feet. I was beginning to think I was Walter Mitty as I flipped open the center console of my DB4 and tried in vain to find the smoke screen cut off switch.....
posted by 71.234.23...
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