Restoration R1028

[prop]

PMd reply

[prop]

I bought a rebuilt turbo off EBay a couple of years ago. The guy I bought it off had it rebuilt by a company near to him but he didn't get around to fitting it. He told me it had different parts in it to make it work better on a mini and that he didn't know what had been done exactly and would send me the details. Needless to say he never did.
So out of the shed comes the turbo. As I am curious as to what is inside this unit I took it apart to have a look and also to change the thrust bearing for a 360 bearing and split stainless steel thrust collar from:-
http://www.turborebuild.co.uk/p/product ... build+kit/
The blurb states
If you want to run over 15psi on your turbo this is a must to prolong unit life.

At the moment I am not planning to go that high but who knows in the future.

So with the turbo in bits I checked it against the one I took off the engine that was in the car. Everything was identical so it is a standard Metro T3 unit. I found that the rebuilt unit had side to side play in the bearing which worried me at first. There was no end to end play which is correct. Because the bearings are oil filled under oil system pressure, the side to side play is taken up when running, and also when it gets hot. So a little play is correct. What is not correct is if there is so much play the turbine touches the casing and if there is end to end play.
I have to say taking the original one apart was a nightmare with the seized bolts. If it hadn’t been for my oxy acetylene kit to give me white hot heat I think I would have given up and slung it in the bin.
I think Darren can confirm what a pig they can be.
So anybody contemplating taking one apart be prepared for a struggle.
Hopefully when this unit is on and spinning it will be almost indestructible.

[prop]

When I got to looking at the exhaust manifold I found the centre outlet had receded. When I offered it up to the surface of the head the two outer flanges were sat up against it with the centre one about 25thou off. I had the same problem with the studs as the bolts on the turbo. All seized.
I have 3 exhaust manifolds one is really scrap. The other 2 OK so I picked the best to do last. I practiced with the scrap one and sheered a stud. So knowing what I did wrong I tackled the good one. It takes a lot of gentle easing, and I let it go cold overnight and started again in the morning. It did more damage to the studs than the threads in the manifold. I will replace the studs.
So it is off to the machine shop for refacing on head side and turbo side. Speaking to the guy at the machine shop he said the studs were not a problem they would drill them out and fit an insert (a bit like a helicoil but better) to bring it back to good. I will need to reduce the thickness of the inlet manifold flanges to match the exhaust now.

[G96LUE]

Yes my turbo was a bit tricky buy my manifold studs were the worse, just like yours.
I may have to do what you did with yours on my spare manifold. I could do with the details of your machine shop as no one i called by me were able to hold the manifold in order to do the surfaces.
i picked up 10No new studs off ebay for less than £10 if i remember right. I had to cut 2 down by 5mm as i had to guess the size due to having to cut them off and drill them out.
As i couldn't get anyone to face the manifold i filed it flat as best i could but i think there is a tiny leak under heavy boost as i get a strange sound over 5k revs, however i can't see any signs of soot.

[prop]

This is the website
http://www.locksideengineering.com/index.php
It cost £40 to do both sides. An hours work so its about right. It was cleaned up as well.
The studs are M10. Rimmer want £11.24 each!!!!!
EBay it is.

[G96LUE]

I think these should do the trick.
Mine are 45mm long and as i said a little too long.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MANIFOLD-STUD ... 53ebfeef03

10No struds for £5.20 delivered, bargain. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the link above

[prop]

I am still working on it but progressing very slowly. I seem to be doing a lot of little bits but not really getting anywhere. I have decided to fit a Turbo Boost Air Temperature Gauge. It will fit nicely into the ash tray slot. I am also fitting an AEM air fuel gauge but I haven’t worked out where to mount it as I don’t want destroy any original trim. I will need to weld a boss onto the exhaust pipe to take the pick up for it.
I have sorted the outlet out from the bottom of the new radiator. I will post some photos of it later.
Just a couple of the engine bay for now.

[arrian]

Looking good to me. Where do you think you'd mount the oxygen sensor in the exhaust? A good place might be near the gear linkage under the car as you don't really want the wide band oxygen sensors too close to the turbo. I've got an Innovate LC-1 wideband in my Morris 1100 which works great and the sensor is in the start of the exhaust tunnel under the car.

[prop]

I thought around there. The fitting instructions recommend 18" from the exhaust port so that makes it after the flexible joint on the down-pipe just before the joint to the rest of the system. I suspect that it could go just before that flexible joint at a push. I cant see me running at flat out for long periods but you never know. I can run the wires through the reversing switch wire grommet. I will set the exhaust pipe and check for room and position. I don't want the speed bumps to attack it !

[robr1006]

Well done! R1028 is looking really good. I am impressed with the alignment you have achieved on the front bodykit join. Did you use the rubber strip from Phoenix or the original item? If it is the Pheonix reproduction item can you post a picture of how it looks around the wheelarches?