OK guys, working on rebuilding the turbo for my 10th AE project.. The motor rebuild is done and figured i would do the turbo while it was out. This is my first time doing the turbo rebuild and I have a simple question.

The turbine seal or the piston ring that goes on the shaft got bent, I rebent it back as best as I could and put it on the shaft. Fit in the groove but doesnt spin around as freely as it did before. Now it snaps in place like it should but I was wondering if the spining freely action was something necessary?

The seal got bent because I was pushing down on the shaft and spinning the fins trying to get it aligned and then compress the piston spring. Well it wasnt working so after an hour or struggling I decided, well maybe that is as far down it goes. So I tightend up the turbine sides nut and i noticed the shaft couldnt spin so I loosened it before I damages something but it was too late. The clamp was twisted a little, so i twisted it back and compressed the ring all the way to make it a tighter fit around the shaft so it could slip in easier... So is this bad? Should I just order another piston ring, and if so can I get just the piston ring? (where?)

Thanks guys,
Dane

 

Once it's bent, it's no good.
Go get another one...
Do you really want to chance having it leak when you put it back???


-Ted

 

thanks you answered my question. I didnt actually know what the piston ring was for, I thought it was just to lock the shaft in place so it had no endplay and wasn't overtightened. Now that I think about it, I can see how it would seal off the oil flow. Where could I get another piston ring... WIthout buying a rebuild kit?

Also for the shaft play, the turbo has no end play (up and down) but as for side to side and moves a little bit but not enough to hit the housing or anything... I am basically where I started, its pretty much about the same. (As a side note, my turbo wasnt dead, it was boosting fine but was smoking a little so I decided to rebuild it. Had 157K on it..) So is there spose to be a little shaft play? Or none at all? Thnx

 

That piston compression ring is to keep oil out of the turbine section.
If it's bad, you'd get a lot of oil smoke out your exhaust.

Due to it being bent, it will eventually wear itself to the point where it'll start leaking.


-Ted