Rebuilding my own turbos.....

So as my engine rebuild is coming along I will soon be at a stage whereby I need to sort out what Im doing about turbos. Now I have had several sets of stock twins refurbished before at a high cost and every time they dont seem to see much past 10,000 miles or so.

Obviously I consider this not very cost effective and picking up good condition 2nd hand twins is well, I have never bought a 2nd hand turbo yet that hasnt had problems further down the line.

So me and my mate where talking and basically, we are going to start rebuilding our own turbos

So the stock twins are CT20 turbo's, now reading Wiki it says the Supra had different variants of the CT20 turbo's using a model code of either a, b, c or d.

Does anyone know how I can determine what CT20 turbo's I have ? Is there any reference to this anywhere ?

That as far as we can make out is as simple as it should be, of course optimism usually sends me blind, but hey, thats how I roll.

I'll keep this thread updated

So as my engine rebuild is coming along I will soon be at a stage whereby I need to sort out what Im doing about turbos. Now I have had several sets of stock twins refurbished before at a high cost and every time they dont seem to see much past 10,000 miles or so.

 

Obviously I consider this not very cost effective and picking up good condition 2nd hand twins is well, I have never bought a 2nd hand turbo yet that hasnt had problems further down the line.

 

So me and my mate where talking and basically, we are going to start rebuilding our own turbos I mean how much can there really be to this dark wizardry that they like to make out that only wizards and gods can understand and do.

 

So the stock twins are CT20 turbo's, now reading Wiki it says the Supra had different variants of the CT20 turbo's using a model code of either a, b, c or d.

 

Does anyone know how I can determine what CT20 turbo's I have ? Is there any reference to this anywhere ?

 

Next once I have a bit more of a understanding around these models of CT20's I will buy a rebuild kit online, now my mate has advised to get a 360 degree thrust bearing, not the standard 270 degree, does anyone have any knowledge or understanding around this point ? I contacted a Ebay seller yesterday about their online rebuild kit and he said his was a 270 degree bearing, so does anyone know where I can purchase a 360 degree ?

 

Once the turbo's have been split and rebuilt they will then be sent away to be balanced.

 

That as far as we can make out is as simple as it should be, of course optimism usually sends me blind, but hey, thats how I roll.

 

I'll keep this thread updated for anyone else that wants to follow/have a go, but as far as Im concerned, even if these turbos dont see any further then 10,000 miles or so, at a rebuild cost of the rebuild kit £40 odd and turbo balancing again, another £40 per turbo, I dont even care if these dont see any further then 5,000 miles, I'll run two sets at a time, one on the car and another set rebuilt ready on the side.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-CT20-CT26-Turbo-Rebuild-Repair-Kit-Supra-MR2-Landcruiser-/371016525599?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item56624ee71f

Great idea to have a go if rebuilt ones you've had before don't last.

Looking at the ad, it says the parts have a 6 month warranty, so that would be good assuming they would still honour it if something fails. I wonder how happy they would be to honour this knowing they were rebuilt by one person and balanced by another.

Keep us updated, and as they're cheap to do, if you get used to it, you may be forced to become a hobbyist to help out people that don't want to do it themselves

makes total sence with the way you use the car , rebuilding is not so much the issue but the balancing is a must , if i knew it was so cheap for the kit and balancing i would have gone this way also ,

All i know is that the uk turbos are CT20

jspec CT12A and CT12

The uk turbo is a little smaller then the jspec

also depends on how your turbo's fail of corse i cant see the link but i guess its just the oil seals that your are destroying ?

So Jspec turbos arent CT20 ? They are actually CT12 ? Hmmmmmmm, is there any stamps/marking on these turbos anywhere that can ascertain exactly what turbo it is ? I need to be sure Im ordering the right rebuild kit ?

To be fair Josh, I'll bin the 6 month warranty with the packaging, I doubt very much they would honour shit if it failed within the 6 months, but to fair this is my point, I dont care if they fail 6 month, 2 years, 5,000 miles, 10 or even 20,000 miles, its just about finding a financially affordable solution to what is now becoming a bad area. Remember most of these turbos are now getting on for 20 years old, I myself and even just reading threads now have had two sets of Hybrids fail within 10,000 or miles and the community on here even reports the same, they just dont seem to hold up like a OEM turbo that can see 100,000+ miles on it.

Turbos appear to be failing on oil seals, yes, pissing oil everywhere, although in the next week or so I will be splitting them down for my first time to investigate further, Im sure by the end of this journey I will be forever more knowledgable and Im sure set after set I'll learn enough to make this a financially viable option

And what do you mean by "makes total sense with the way you use the car" ? lol

But I do need to confirm what model my turbos are, could Toyota tell me through reg/chassis code ?

Normally the shaft and wheels are balanced as a separate assembly, then the compressor wheel is taken back off, allowing it all to be put back together.

You have to be careful to inspect the original bearings, to ensure they're not badly scored - as the same could happen to the new bearings very quickly, if the turbo core is damaged at all.

Rebuilding a turbo isn't that difficult, it's just the brown trouser moment of the first test drive that will determine if they're any good or not!

Gaz, Im going to have one hella-brown-trouser moment when I first start this car, there hasnt been a single part of this engine that hasnt been split down, cleaned and put back together again lol, that alone would be bad enough but a home style turbo rebuild too

So browsing Ebay it seems there are rebuild kits for CT12B turbos listed as GTE/supra.......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CT12B-TURBO-REBUILD-KIT-1KZ-TE-HILUX-SURF-4-RUNNER-LANDCRUISER-SUPRA-2JZ-GTE-/181211834101?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a311126f5

Does anyone know anything around the thrust bearing as standard being 270 degrees and can we get a 360 degree version ? Im more, learn from experience, things dont normally click in my head so Im struggling to understand this 270 degree bearing Vs a 360 degree bearing ?

Ok, I now get this 270 Vs 360 degree part...........

This link below show a thrust bearing that is only 270 degrees

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CT12B-TURBO-REBUILD-KIT-1KZ-TE-HILUX-SURF-4-RUNNER-LANDCRUISER-SUPRA-2JZ-GTE-/181211834101?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a311126f5

This kit has a 360 degree thrust bearing.......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CT12B-TURBO-REBUILD-KIT-SUPRA-2JZGTE-JZA80-LANDCRUISER-/120532108499?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c104604d3

Who will be happy just to balance them? It may be a bit like taking a raw steak into the Waldorf's restaurant and asking the chef to cook it and serve it

Who will be happy just to balance them? It may be a bit like taking a raw steak into the Waldorf's restaurant and asking the chef to cook it and serve it

Hahaha, my mate supposedly knows someone that is happy to balance each turbo for £40 each. Im sure for the mass market Chris turbo specialists probably arent that keen on doing just the balancing. They like to do the whole job and make out that there is wizardry involved, but as Im sure you yourself are aware, people very much in the car scene will tend to help and look after each other. Im not some chav saxo owner trying to turbo myself, and I'll always help people where I can, me and my mates stick together like cum out of a whore after a busy day, its what this game is all about

And cast your eye over my rebuild thread, check I've not fucked something up somewhere, you always seem to spot my mistakes lol

Ash, those two kits you've linked both seem to supply a 270 degree thrust washer.

As for identifying what model turbo you actually have, below is a picture of one of mine from my 1JZ, it clearly shows it to be a 12A and I know for definite the beginning of the model is CT.

In other words it should be possible to identify your turbo(s) from the casing(s)

Ash, those two kits you've linked both seem to supply a 270 degree thrust washer.

 

As for identifying what model turbo you actually have, below is a picture of one of mine from my 1JZ, it clearly shows it to be a 12A and I know for definite the beginning of the model is CT.

 

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/attachment.php?attachmentid=137168&d=1313242455

Check the last link Bro, it lists a 360 degree

Ah cool, so they are definitely stamped then, good to hear, I'll start splitting mine down in a week or so

Check the last link Bro, it lists a 360 degree

Sorry, didn't read the listed contents, just compared the two pictures and thought they offered the same.

one of mine from my 1JZ, it clearly shows it to be a 12A

+1

1JZ twin turbos are CT12A for sure.

Really interested in this thread, my turbos are good at moment but have a spare set to rebuild,

Check the last link Bro, it lists a 360 degree

 

Ah cool, so they are definitely stamped then, good to hear, I'll start splitting mine down in a week or so

will be nice to know for sure what turbos they are ,my information was from CRTurbos from when i had mine rebuilt

Really interested in this thread, my turbos are good at moment but have a spare set to rebuild,

 

Yah, me too, I'm going to watch this one very closely.

I've looked at those same ads loads of times and wondered if I was brave enough to have a go at this. Respect for having a go and will be watching this closely. Apart from the balancing side of things I think it should all be within the scope of most without fat cheque books and spanner allergies.

i'm quite interested in whos doing the balancing as others have said rebuilding the turbo is dead easy. but everytime i've asked about getting them balanced after i'd done the rebuild there cost wasn't much better as if i'd got them to do the entire job.

Thats how they make there money as the rebuild is dead easy.

But without the proper rotational balance after its been rebuild it'll poop itself very quickly, typically take the engine out with it

Tim

i'm quite interested in whos doing the balancing as others have said rebuilding the turbo is dead easy. but everytime i've asked about getting them balanced after i'd done the rebuild there cost wasn't much better as if i'd got them to do the entire job.

Thats how they make there money as the rebuild is dead easy.

But without the proper rotational balance after its been rebuild it'll poop itself very quickly, typically take the engine out with it

Tim

If a turbo breaks, it most certainly wont break your engine..

Very slim chance for the compressor wheel actually breaking in the bits and going to the engine.. Usually the intercooler catches all the debris. Usually with the JDM twins if the turbo breaks, it's the exhaust wheel that shatters and it goes out through the exhaust or gets stuck in the cat converter.

If a turbo breaks, it most certainly wont break your engine..

 

Very slim chance for the compressor wheel actuhttp://mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?256601-does-det-make-its-way-back-to-the-turbo/page3&highlight=turbolly breaking in the bits and going to the engine.. Usually the intercooler catches all the debris. Usually with the JDM twins if the turbo breaks, it's the exhaust wheel that shatters and it goes out through the exhaust or gets stuck in the cat converter.

I do have to agree, I had my number 2 destroy its self at full boost and I found / poored most of the 2-6mm bits out the intercooler

http://mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?256601-does-det-make-its-way-back-to-the-turbo/page3&highlight=turbo

Have a look at the last page

makes total sence with the way you use the car , rebuilding is not so much the issue but the balancing is a must , if i knew it was so cheap for the kit and balancing i would have gone this way also ,

 

 

 

 

 

All i know is that the uk turbos are CT20

 

jspec CT12A and CT12

 

The uk turbo is a little smaller then the jspec

 

 

 

also depends on how your turbo's fail of corse i cant see the link but i guess its just the oil seals that your are destroying ?

I thought the UK turbos were slighty bigger, hence why they can run more boost?

I thought the UK turbos were slighty bigger, hence why they can run more boost?

Steel blades on the UKs compared to ceramic on Jspecs makes them stronger I'd have thought.

Steel blades on the UKs compared to ceramic on Jspecs makes them stronger I'd have thought.

Ahh, right...so they can withstand more heat.