As most know, I am rebuilding my engine. So I picked up a set of low mileage turbos and set about moving everything over to them, replacing the coolant and vacuum lines, etc.
I don't have restrictor pills in any of the lines. Not on either set of turbos. I just checked the lines out and there isn't anything in them.
So....I'm assuming that the 'pills' are actually built in to the primary turbo housing double-nipple outlet?
If this is so, do I just need to put the smaller pill I have IN that line? Of course I guess this is all moot if I get my PFS Purple ECU.
How many other people have encountered having no pills in the lines?
This is on a '93 model for the original turbos. The set I bought has only 15K miles on them so I am assuming it must be a later model (or else a NEVER driven '93!)

 

I belive they didn't start putting restrictors in the turbos until 94, so if you have a 93...you should have the pills in the line. Can someone verify this?

 

That is correct, the 93's did not have restrictors in the nipples. If you buy the OEM hoses, the pills will be in them. That would be my suggestion if you want to keep stock boost levels, and have no mods.

 

The nipples on the turbo have about a .060 dia. hole in them down at the base. Is this normal for a '93? I mean, the nipples themselves have an inner diameter of .188 or so, but there is a restriction built in to them.
Once again, normal?
Keep in mind that I was running 10 -12 psi of boost with these same turbos with no pills....

Thanks!

 

Sounds like you may have a set of turbos from a later model car. My 94 turbos do not have restrictors in the nipples. I "think" that they started putting them in on the late 94 model cars.

 

I have an early 94' and the original turbos used pills. Also removing them would lower max boost to around 8lbs. That would lead me to believe that if your making 10-12 you're fine.

Also my 99' twins have them built in.

 

Okay.......but HOW was the car making the proper amount of boost with NO pills?

 

These are the equivalent of pills - that's what Adam C is saying. These restrictions took the place of pills in later cars. So you are making proper boost because you do have the equivalent of the pills.

 

^ I understand, I should have re-phrased the question more along the lines of "how can my '93 model car have what appears to be late-model turbos?"

Although now that I think about it....as I tore the engine down I noticed that obviously it had been gotten into before. For one thing, the block has a big 'F' and 'R' on the rotor housings for 'front' and 'rear'. And the rat's nets solenoids have paint marker stripes on the solenoids/hoses like someone wanted to make sure they matched them back up right.....

Now I wonder if this engine has been rebuilt once already?

How can one tell if this isn't the original engine?

 

The car may have had the turbos replaced. I replaced my turbos under warranty in `96-`97; they may have replaced with updated turbos at that time.

 

It WAS the owner of the dealership's wife's car.....I guess they could have done it pretty easy. I'm the 2nd owner, she had it for 7 years, I've had it for over 5.