Pinto Car Club of America

Ok....I just got done rebuilding the garrett T3 that I'm planning on using in my turbo swap. Since this is the first time I have ever rebuilt a turbo I was wondering if the compressor wheel and the turbine wheel should spin freely or easily after I'm done? I just finished tightening everything down and it seems like both wheels are really tight and don't want to turn very easily. Is this normal? If not, what did I do wrong? Thanks in advance. - Amin

Amin,

  Yes they are suppose to spin freely.  Either you have a bent shaft or you need to mic the diamter of the shaft and use check pins to measure the inner diameter of the bearings once installed.  You have a bind somewhere.

Jake

Yeah I was afraid of that. The weird thing is that the turbine wheel spins freely until I tighten down the four bolts that hold the exhaust side to the compressor side. So if it was bent wouldn't it have issues spinning even before I tightened it down? Also, this may be a stupid question but how tight are you supposed to get the nut that holds the compressor wheel on? Because it seems like when I tighten it down it holds it stationary so it can't spin. Thanks. - Amin

Well the first problem would be trying to find out if the shaft is bent at all.  This is usually down in a lathe like machine with an indicator on the far end.  The shaft is slowly spun and you see if it shows any runout from center.  Off the top of my head I do not know the torque specs for that housing.  But normally you would torque the assembly together less shaft and less bearings to inspect hole concentricity.  Then you do it again after the bearins all installed.  Once you do it with the bearings installed to match that against the shaft runout to see if it is with in factory specs for that turbo.  Its a bit of an ordeal to do it right which is pretty easy with everything at hand.

Jake

Well if it wasnt bent before, it's bent now!!! I somehow managed to get the turbine shaft lodged in the center section with the piston ring stuck in there making it lock up so tight that I bent it trying to pop it out! :mad: Well so much for my first and last attempt to rebuild a turbo. The whole mess is now on ebay...rebuild kit and all. I'm just going to try and find a T3 that is ready to bolt and go. I'm never gonna get this thing runnin!! If anyone has a T3 lemme know. - Amin

Amin,

  Rather than do that why don't you just send it out to get rebuilt.  Then you will not have a turbo with an unknown past.  There are a dozen turbo rebuilders around and most can give a one or two day turn around on a simple stock rebuild.

Jake

I agree with Gas.

Bill