Rebuilding a T3 turbo

Tools needed:
Vice
10mm wrench
13mm wrench
3/8” star pattern socket
Pliers
Allen wrench set
Dentists Pics



Disessembled turbo

Compressor Housing
Backing Plate
Compressor Wheel
Dynamic Seal
Bearing Housing (CHRA)
Turbine Shield
Turbine & Shaft



Bearings are held in by 4 clips. One per side.



Remove the first clip and the bearing can fall out. (this is the hardest part of the rebuild)



Remove the bottom clip and repeat on the reverse side.



Reinstall the new clips and bearings. Remove and install the backing plate gasket.



Replace the thrust bearing. This is a 360* bearing, it's held down by three bolts.*The thrust spacer is installed behind it.



The clip around the turbine shaft is the rear seal.*This is what failed on mine.*



Replaced seal.



Reinstall the turbine shield, compressor seal (3 different types, I skipped documenting this step), and backing plate (4 10mm bolts).



Reinstall the turbine.



Put the turbine in a vice and reinstall the compressor wheel.



Use something with two handles so you apply equal force to the shaft.*Otherwise you might bend it.*I used a tapping handle with a socket drive for a screwdriver.



Remove and replace the compressor housing gasket.



Reinstall the turbine housing (6 13mm bolts), compressor housing (6 13mm bolts), and wastgate.*done!

 

damn good write up! Makes me sad that i dont have a T3

 

yeah- excellent job- sticky worthy for sure.

 

Nice, detailed write-up. Good pics too.

 

does fittings he has for the drain and feed on the turbine, u can find those in home depot and autozone, I had no clue does could be used on a turbo for oil feed and drain!!

 

Nice write up.

Would this basic procedure apply to most turbo chargers?

 

braineack, what kind of fittings are those , they look like somthing i've seen in autozone and home depot as well as discount auto...could you tell me a lil bout the fittings you have on the charger?

 

do the shafts ever wear down? or is the bearing made soft enough to where the shaft never really takes any abuse?

 

The oil drain is a 1/2" NPT to 5/8" (-10AN) Slip on. The feed is a 90* 1/8" to 1/4" (-4AN), the restrictor is a (.060) 1/8" to 1/8" male to female.

 

 

Shaft play is caused by the bearings wearing out over time. When a bearing is worn, shaft play, a side to side wiggling motion of the shaft occurs. So I would assume they don't

 

Similar. However the T3 itself has different compressor seals which I didn't document for the same reason. I have a 360* thrust bearing which also changes the procedure (uses bolts to hold in down instead of a star ring spring). But basically: replace the bearings, replace the compressor and turbine seals, replace the gaskets

 

I have an extra t3 sittin at the house, and needs rebuilt, but I was under the impression it needed to be balanced once it is rebuilt?
-Michael-

 

That's why in one of the pictures you can see red dots where he marked the orientation of everything, so when re-assembled it goes back together the same way.

 

mark the compressor wheel in relation to the turbine shaft, the end. plus I'm pretty sure the turbine is balanced independently, so the compressor wheel doesn't matter.

 

Mission Sucessful. Everything reinstalled and cranked-up in 35mins. No more happy trails of blue smoke.

Holding strong at 10psi

 

Shafts have been known to wear, depending upon abuse/ lack of oil. It is possible to order oversized bearings => but you need to be real good with a micrometer...
Most bearings are brass/bronze faily soft and made to wear out before the steel

 

Very nice write up. There are several good ones on some Saab forums as well. Back in the '80s the Saab (and maybe Volvo?) FSM showed how to rebuild a T3. On Automotive Garrett Turbos the comp wheel/ shaft are balanced independently - that is one of the reasons they have a plate on them... not intended for Aircraft use.

FWIW I have switched comp wheels and housings and never had a problem both on the T3 (bought a T3 for ~60, rebuilt it for another ~50 and then bought a .60 wheel and housing for another ~50).

 

on a scale of 1-10 , how hard is it to rebuild a turbo, I would like to buy a blown turbo and try it myself.

 

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