Turbo refurb

[Stryker]

Hi looking for advice re turbo refurb I am looking to get someone to check out my turbo and hopefully restore to as new standard condition . Is there anyone that would be best to do this for the Elan standard turbo. Any help with this would be appreciated. I am thinking of doing the clutch and timing belt at the same time so engine out seems to be best ??? Or is it as easy to do each separately with engine in the car I am in no hurry and will have until next year as have decided I won’t have time In near future to do this.
Any suggestions as to best parts to use for these replacements for standard road use ??
Thanks in anticipation

[dapinky]

Whilst I can't recommend anyone for the turbo rebuild, I can say that if I were doing that particular list of jobs I'd whip the engine out!

Taking the turbo and inlet manifold off first (together with the studs holding the manifold to the engine) makes getting the engine out far easier as there is more fore/aft 'wriggle room'.

Whilst that is being refurbed, the rest of the engine out stuff is logical (the right hand side has to come off to do the timing belt, and the left hand stuff has to come off to get the gearbox out to do the clutch.....together with driveshaft work.....

... so getting the engine out means you can leave the gearbox (and driveshafts) as they are.

Rock Auto list a selection of clutches, but they aren't always where you would expect to find them...... ie, don't look for a clutch for the Impulse Turbo, as they list ones for that car, which are smaller than the turbo elan clutch (but the same as the NA one). Lotus chose to use the slightly larger clutch plate/cover from Isuzu, and it is the one listed for the 1992 Isuzu Stylus 1.8....... it is 8 7/8" diameter, NOT 7 7/8" (either will physically fit, and no doubt would work.... but the smaller one was deemed too small by Lotus to cope with the torque requirements of the car under heavy accelleration).

A quick look gives a choice, and one of them is SACHS K7004701 - so a cross reference may well give you far more choice elsewhere. (Of course, ordering from SJs / SWL or somewhere else in the UK is possible, but may not (will not!) save you any cash!

Many have used the Exedy clutches amd swear by them.....

more info here

[cliff]

Hi Stryker,

I used CR Turbos for my overhaul, they also offer an upgraded compressor. I do not know how much difference it makes as I have not had the car on a rolling road yet.

http://www.crturbos.co.uk/

I bought the Sachs clutch kit, it fits and works fine. I also had the flywheel skimmed and balanced by a firm in Sheffield. Because of the design of the flywheel, not all engineering companies can do it but will usually recommend somewhere that can.

http://www.amb-engineering.com/

I agree with Dave, it would be much easier to pull the engine, the cambelt alone is a nasty job with very little access, but that will inevitably lead to project creep. However, there is a you tube video which gives some good advice on the cambelt and there are very good write ups on removing the gearbox and turbo on here.

Good luck which ever way you decide to go. Put your location on your thread, I am sure there would be someone close to give you advice and help if you are lucky.

[david924s]

My Son had the turbo rebuilt on his Mitsubishi Starion a couple of years ago by a company in Darlington Turbo Solutions http://www.turbocharger-solutions.co.uk/ think he paid around £500 for a full rebuild and rebalance and many of the internals were specialist or one off as it was such an old Mitsubishi turbo. They did a great job and only took them a few days from start to finish also have good aftersales and guarantee.

[HJ2]

I did it myself, twice, with a set from eBay (42 Euro's)
Still running strong
Compressor and turbine need to be undamaged though.

[cliff]

Compressor and turbine need to be undamaged though.

That's what stopped me, although I was also swayed by the compressor upgrade.

[HJ2]

Why? you can’t get more pressure then the Everest alows ...
You could only influence spooling time, marginally. ...

[cliff]

Why? you can’t get more pressure then the Everest alows ...
You could only influence spooling time, marginally. ...

As far as I recall from my (long ago) engineering studies, there should be a slight better airflow thorough the turbo. This is also offset by many other effects such as temperature, pressure etc, way too deep for me to go into even if I could. Hybrid turbos are becoming more common.

What is good for us, is that, as IHI turbo spares get rarer and harder to find, CR have identified another source of spares, this can only be a good thing

[steve matthews]

hy? you can’t get more pressure then the Everest alows ...
You could only influence spooling time, marginally. ...

Ill get in trouble for this but you can. Custom mapping allows for 14 lbs. boost with the custom down pipe.

[HJ2]

Hahaha good ole Steve!

Yes, custom is a lot possible, also with a bleed valve...
Since you are allready in trouble: is this with one of Alan’s custom maps?

Sorry for stealing this topic...

Edit: ah! Kili !!!

[HJ2]

I should have typed: not more pressure then the setpoint of the memcal allows unless there is a bleedvalve...

[PJR-Elan]

Tomorrow I will get my turbo back from CRTurbos (now Universal Turbos) in Fordingbridge. Cost was £408 including collection/delivery and a full rebuild. The chap I spoke to (Tom) was very helpful and knowledgeable and their communications were very good. Lots of calls to update me on progress.

The main thing was that they seem to be able to get or make the parts for our turbos whereas most other people I called said they couldn’t get the parts. It seems my turbo had been rebuilt not that long ago but the bearings had been reused.

Sad thing is I think the symptoms might not have been the fault of the turbo - following Toms advice I closely checked all of the breather and drain system and found that someone (not me!) had fitted the PCV valve backwards......