I'm looking for info on tearing down a series 4 turbo charger. I had 2 apex seals chip off their corners, and I need to make sure this turbo is still usable before putting it on my new motor. I started to take it apart yesterday, but stopped when I met resistance in trying to pull it apart. I've just wasted an hour looking around, and I still can't find a good thread. Can someone please help a brother out?

 

All you're worried about is the turbine wheel, right?
Then it's just the 13mm(?) bolts - 6 of them - that hold the turbine housing to the center.
You'll notice that two of them (opposite of each other) are lined up with the oil supply / drain flanges.
Alternate removing those bolts *against* the oil flanges, and this will cause the turbine housing to pry away from the center.
Once the turbine housing pops off, you should be able to inspect the turbine wheel for damage...


-Ted

 

while you have it apart, search for porting wastegate

 

Yeah ted, That's exactly the deal. I already used those two bolts to back the housing off, but it didn't come off easily after that, I just didn't want to force it. If it's supposed to just come out, I won't be so afraid to apply a little extra force.

As for the comment about porting the wastegate.......that's the other reason I'm taking apart. I already ported it myself with a die grinder, but after I was done with it and had reinstalled it, I wished I had gone larger. I've seen some guys on here with 40MM port jobs....I want to have the same thing done, but this time, by a machine shop.....and I don't want to trust them with the whole turbo, just the housing.

 

It's most likely going to be stuck pretty good.
Don't worry about damaging anything...those bolts are pretty damn strong.
Just keep cranking on it alternately, and it'll break free.
I've never had any of them break before.

It's very important to crank them alternately and evenly!
It keeps the turbing housing from backing out crooked and hitting the turbine wheel!


-Ted

 

Pull the shaft in and out see if it has any play, move it up and down and check for play. If there is play either up and down or in and out then the turbo is bad and will burn oil.

 

Is there supposed to be a seal that goes around the turbine housing to help it mate up with the hot side of the housing? It sure looks like there used to be one there, but only a few small fragments remain.

 

No, there is no seal.
The parts are machined-to-fit.


-Ted