So i am very close to having everything installed from my turbo kit. I am just waiting on a couple of backordered items. Is there anything special that i need to do the first time i start the car?
Any other insights would also be appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Wes

 

About all I'd do is pull the spark plugs out of the head, disconnect the igniter and fuel injector electrical connections, and spin the engine with the starter for a few seconds to get some oil flowing through the turbo. Apart from that, just turn the key and enjoy.

 

what would happen, if u didnt do that to the turbo?

 

I see, i had heard something about holding the compressor wheel in place when you start it for the first time so that oil can flow without the turbo spinning. Would this be necessary or even possible?

 

sounds like a bad idea, how the hell are you going to hold the compressor wheel still without damaging it while someone cranks the engine and it rocks back and forth

 

Holding the compressor still at idle is easy... However Joe is correct in every aspect of his statement. Prime the motor with a new turbo first before you start it. Alternatively, pour a little oil into it and give it a spin before installing it.

I have heard stories of ruined turbos from people starting a car without it being primed first. I wouldn't say thats a guarantee or anything though. Better safe than sorry...

 

okay, yeah, i will pour some oil through it and give it a spin then prime it as well, cant be too careful

 

i leave the plugs in. disconnect the CAS. that will stop fuel and spark so the car won't start and you won't flood the engine. do it for 30 secs or until you see oil pressure on your gauge(except you have a 95 with a dummy gauge)

 

i put my turbo on, and just fired it up, i didn't even think of priming it..... oops....

 

livin on the edge

 

Well, you're boned. I'll bet you didn't even bother to remove the shipping screws from the exhaust impeller? I guess it'd still spin with 'em in, but I wouldn't want to run the engine very long in that condition, seems like they'd tend to work themselves loose and damage the housing in short order.

 

Just pull the plugs and crank motor untill you see the oil psi move than your safe.

 

Are you guys serious? I bet it takes all of 2 seconds for the oil to go from the pressure sender to the turbo when the engine fires up. Also, if its possible to hold the impeller with your finger on an idling engine, it is def not spinning fast enough to be damaged by a lack of oil for like 5 seconds. I think pouring some oil through it prior to starting is a good idea, but pulling spark and fuel and cranking is a bit overkill.

 

Wait, what? Shipping screws? Are we being serious here? I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe im missing some sarcasm or something, I'm just really paranoid and dont wanna **** something up.

 

lol all i did was give it 2 cranks, let off, give it 2 cranks, let off, gve it 2 cranks, let off until it showed some presure on my 1.6 opg and that was it. relax you're not mediating world peace here, just prelube the gina and hammer away

 

yeah, i will just crank it a little to get oil pressure. I do have a real oil pressure gauge. One of the first mods i did to my car.

 

Ok, judging by the number of PMs I got, people apparently took the shipping screws comment too seriously. It was a joke. There are no shipping screws installed in the exhaust impeller, just like there's no such thing as muffler bearings or blinker fluid.

The only mechanical adjustment I'd advise doing to a new turbo is to check the tightness of the wastegate rod, and adjust as necessary. Greddy, for example, tends to ship out their kits with the wastegate rod too long such that the valve does not fully seat against the housing- it's loose and you can rattle it around with your finger. Adjust the rod so that the valve is fully seated and there's just the tiniest bit of tension as you go to re-install the rod end upon the pin.

As to initial oiling- you cannot just pour oil through a journal-bearing turbo. If you can, something is very wrong. And you're right, it's unlikely that the turbo will be damaged by the amount of spinning that it's likely to do in the interval between first start and first receiving oil. I'm just of the "better safe than sorry" camp. The idea behind pulling the spark plugs is to allow the engine to turn over more rapidly on the starter. If you're doing a turbo upgrade, you're changing the plugs anyway, so just leave 'em out until after this step. While they're out, you'll want to ensure that there's no fuel or spark happening. For some reason I always went the complicated route of disconnecting the igniter and injector harness, but Paul's idea about disconnecting the CAS is easier.