T3 rebuilding, need help/advice

[AdAm84]

There should only be one piston ring right by the turbine wheel. Ring 1 should go in groove 1 as you have labeled correctly.

The other will most likely be the one that seats in your backing plate. It installs on the thrust bearing (at least thats what i call it). But make sure to be carefull installing it into the backing plate. **this is also a place for wear so make sure that it isn't all screwed up. If its in good shape be carefull installing the ring so that it doesn't mess it up** The aluminum backing plates tend to get chewed up by the steel piston rings.

The clip holds the wastegate actuator on the pivot.

I don't know about that crack. If it was only the one by the swing valve i would say its good. But that one in the turbine wheel area, thats pretty questionable.

[flapjack]

I didn't come across that smaller ring when taking the thing apart.
Holding the thrust bearing in place on mine is a piece that looks like a bike sprocket, that sits in the backing plate.

In the "how to" I got a little lost reading the part about the different types of seals (no pictures )

Now, you have almost completely disassembled the turbo.
The last thing you must do on a dynamic seal turbo is remove the piston ring from the thrust collar,
or on a carbon seal turbo, remove the carbon seal , o-ring, washer, and spring from the backing plate.

Is the piston ring for a dynamic seal ?
I am guessing I have the carbon seal, and the bike sprocket piece is the spring?
sorry about the bad picture

[subsonic]

Found some cracks and some welds that weren't ground down, keeping the wastegate from closing completely. Cleaned it a little, took some off with a file, thinking it was silver solder, but it isn't.  Considered milling it, but I think between setup and cutting, I may be better off just putting some sandpaper on a flat surface and doing it by hand.

Doesn't look like a big deal to me. Anybody think differently?

I do.  Those suckers are not small by any means.  If you dont get a good seal at the wastegate valve seat you will be pissing out boost.  I Dont see how you will be able to seal those up short of welding.  
Is picture #2 the turbine housing?  Looks like you had contact with the turbine and the housing.  Thats a pretty good crack there as well.  You get that bad boy nice and hot from running big boost long enough and that fracture will not remain stable  :shock: IMHO.  Perhaps you should do some searching around for a turbine housing that is not so..........whooped on looking :wink:

[flapjack]

I don't think the turbine hit the housing. Can't find the same evidence on the wheel. I think it was a poor attempt at grinding a weld.
If I can't find a cheap housing, maybe I'll weld the cracks around the wastegate, but the ones in the housing, I don't think they'll go anywhere.  If they do, I'll post pics of the carnage.

[jtanguay]

I don't think the turbine hit the housing. Can't find the same evidence on the wheel. I think it was a poor attempt at grinding a weld.
If I can't find a cheap housing, maybe I'll weld the cracks around the wastegate, but the ones in the housing, I don't think they'll go anywhere.  If they do, I'll post pics of the carnage.

getting those cracks welded in this recession shouldn't cost you more than $20-30 bucks.  i know a guy around here that welds cast and does a good job for about that price.  of course if machining is required afterwards then its more.

[flapjack]

This turbine housing is for sale.  Anybody seen this flange before? The one that mates with the exhaust manifold.
SOrry I don't have a better picture. Looks like there is a round recess in it.  I'm wondering if I could mill off the flange, make it flat.

[UnderPSI]

No carbon seal, just the standard piston ring seal on each end.

[flapjack]

I just got the shaft and impellers back from Gpop
balanced, beautiful
they made both impellers ******* beautiful.
they look new.
Gpop is awesome.
I had taken the assy to the local balancing shop that I use to balance the high pressure and transport blower impellers I build at my day job, but tey didn't have a machine small enough to fit the turbo parts. So i sent them to gpop, and I'm glad I did.

Found a hot side housing. Should be here Tuesday. Coming from canada. Best I could find was one with a "small crack that souldn't affect performance" I'm hoping it aint that bad, I couldn't see it inthe pictures the seller sent me, so I am very hopful, but whatever the crack is, it can't be as hard to weld as my old one.

Bad news is I measured the compressor impeller and figured out its a 50 trim.
I assumed it was 40, but alas, it ain't. I'm considering looking for a vnt, but for the moment I'm going to go ahead with the T3 and wait for Andrew to point and laugh when I complain about lag.

[kendalwoolf]

Hey flapjack, how long did it take for Gpop to get the shaft done? I have a shaft I need balanced and would like to give them a try if the turnaround time is short enough. I am also going through a turbo rebuild, thanks for the great documentation, keep the progress updated.

Thanks,

Kendal

[flapjack]

Not counting shipping, I think it was 3 workdays. I don't remember exactly.
I'll post more pictures when the used turbine housing gets here.
Glad the thread is useful thanks to the people answering my questions!

[flapjack]

Been working 2 jobs for the last month, so I haven't had much time to mess around, but I finally got the T3 rebuilt and back on the car.
Got a new (used) turbine housing without any cracks at the wastegate.
Machined the flange that bolts to the manifold and also the two faces on the wastegate side of the turbine housing.
It had some shaft play after assembly, but after running the car for a few minutes, there was no shaft play at all. None.
I don't understand that completely...i'm assuming it's got oil in it now, but why wouldn't the oil just move when you try wiggling the shaft?

So everything is great. Even got my fancy new braided SS oil return line installed.
It sounds really nice, but I still can't get over 10 psi, even with the wastegate shut.

Should a stock pump, with the fuel screw turned 1 turn, boost pin rotated to the steepest part, 2.5 downpipe be able to get more than 10psi out of a T3?
How much would it be affected by running on about 20% gas? Would the gas in the fuel be to blame for all the smoke when I floor it?

Here are some pics of the impellers after gpop cleaned and balanced them

[Rabbit on Roids]

did you makr your turbo wheels so you can keep them at the same clock? turbos are balanced, and the wheels need to be as close to the same position on the shaft as they were from the factory. usually make lines that point up on the compressor and turbine to help you line them back up when you put it together. i messed my turbo up bad when i rebuilt it.

[flapjack]

Yes, I marked up both impellers, the shaft, the nut , the center section, everything I could was marked or scribed.
now I remember I asked the same question a month ago, about getting over 10 psi . . . my mind . .   . ..
I must have a leak somewhere.