Is it as easy as slapping a new wheel on it? If so I might can handle that but I'm not sure if I have the gumption to rebuild it.

Mine are ARP studs, my thoughts are if they don't come out, reuse em. The OEM ones are bad about coming out when you loosen the nuts.

Welp,



now we know why.

See if JDS turbo can help you out. They do a bunch of rebuilds etc. Might be helpful to have them rebuild it and put a billet wheel on for extra funzies.

Weird. I've taken the turbo manifold off my car at least a dozen times (thanks, California) and I have never had an OEM stud back out of the head.

That's a BEGI manifold, right? Same turbo location as the old 90s-era BEGIs and current FM2s? The standard approach FM uses is to assemble the turbo & manifold to each other on the bench and then put them on together. On my car this entails loosening the nut on the driver's side motor mount (the one to the subframe) and using a crowbar to pull the motor over. It'll pivot a few degrees on the passenger side motor mount, which gives enough angle to get the manifold+turbo assembly over the exhaust studs. Works best with two people.

--Ian

My impression is that none of the GT-series turbos are DIY rebuildable. If the wheel is trashed, then the usual recommendation I hear is to talk to ATP (https://www.atpturbo.com) and they'll give you a discount on a new CHRA if you send in your trashed one.

(I'm assuming this is an actual Garrett and not an ebay/churbo)

--Ian

I think JDS does this as well.

Email: joshds25@yahoo.com
Site: http://www.jdsperformanceturbos.com/
Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/322147341128?ul_noapp=true

Edit: No personal experience. Just heard good things.

I'd probably just run it into the ground since apparently it still works, and just plan for a proper replacement for the future. no reason to pour money into this thing

That sounds like it would work but MAN does that sound like a pain. There is zero clearance. When I clocked the turbo for the FM intercooler pipe I had to cut some of the car up for room. You can see it in the pics. It's not much but man its tight.

I'll get some pricing on it. Thanks for the recommendation.

I kinda lean this way but if its a cheap fix than it might be worth it. Do you think this would bite me later on if I leave it as is for a while?

If you're planning on track days, you need inconel studs or they'll back out. If it's just for street use the bolts might be OK.

--Ian

if it's just chipped fins and no contact with housing, and no excessive shaft play, then nothing will happen. It should continue to work, just a lot less efficiently

What about safety wire bolts? I think if done well that might be a good compromise.

No. The bolts/nuts do not back off, the bolts stretch.

Safety wire will stop the bolts from falling out, but it won't stop it from loosening to the point that it's got a big pre-turbo exhaust leak.

--Ian

Well looks like I'm getting schooled here. I guess I'm going to have to find a way to go studs to prevent further headaches.

Looks like a full rebuild with a billet wheel will be $500. Thats with a new anti-surge housing. I feel like that would help since I still have a bit of compressor surge. I'm still playing with BOV ideas to reduce that to nothing. I might be able to swing that. The next thing is picking studs and everything. I don't think I can use the off shelf stud kits since I am changing the diameter of the holes.

BOV has nothing to do with real compressor surge. You might get a little surge on throttle lift, but a good BOV will take care of that. Real compressor surge happens at low RPM/high flow, always during spoolup, when the motor simply isn't capable of ingesting the flow the turbo is asking it to ingest, and the whole mess reverses direction at WOT. It is one of the most terrifying noises I've ever heard a car emit, it destroys turbos real quick, and that's what anti-surge housings fix.

IIRC, TSE still sells 10mm inconel stud kits.

--Ian

Ohhhhhh, now I feel dumb.

Ok then that will cheapen this fix up a bit. I'm going to have to just go a different route on the BOV. I have a Tial 50mm there is only a second of chirp at WOT between shifts then when a ease off at WOT a slow cho-cho-cho-psss. (you know the sound) I've run over sized lines to it and played with the springs so it may be time to move to something else.

I mean, you don't have to get the anti surge housing, but depending on how much it adds, it might not be so bad to spring for it.

​​​​​​Are you running ebc? Lawone had a post talking about off throttle surge with ebc. Mbc fixed it for him, but you may have some luck with a higher frequency on the ebc? I'm going to attempt that next for my setup.