Affordable replacement turbo

[AaronB]

Hello, 8 months ago BEW blew a turbo. I replaced the center with a rockauto. Roto master unit. Well yesterday in Mississippi on our way to florida it took a ****. Tore apart after getting home and turbine shaft broke . Now what's an affordable option to replacing it . Don't wanna go with rockauto again and have another failure. Anyone have any suggestions on agood brand center section or full built . Thanks

 

[AnotherPerson]

Garrett or Borg Warner.

 

[gatz]

http://www.fixmyvw.com/turbos/

There's a nice little table showing turbo options here.. based on what I've read on here rebuilds (even professionally done) don't seem to last very long.

One other thing, make sure to replace the oil feed line with it. Unbolting the line disturbs the caked up oil in the line and can end up clogging the oil feed ports in your new turbo.

 

[dweisel]

http://www.fixmyvw.com/turbos/



One other thing, make sure to replace the oil feed line with it. Unbolting the line disturbs the caked up oil in the line and can end up clogging the oil feed ports in your new turbo.

Clean the intercooler too.

 

[AaronB]

Thanks. Yes last time I replaced the center section I put a stainless braided line on it which helped
I actually had to remove the line and put in the valve cover where we fill oIL. So it would stop dumping out the exhaust and baby it on all motor back to Louisiana to get picked up. So I'm glad I bought that .

 

[TDIWings]

Turbo is not something to cheap out on. Of all specs on all moving parts in our cars, the turbo is the most sensitive. At 100k rpm (yes, that's one hundred thousand rpm) or faster, with shaft needing oil, the compressor needing to not leak air, the turbine being heated to scorching temps... You all get the picture.

That said, a turbo that's in good condition (read well balanced, no nicks on turbine and compressor and a sound housing) that has always seen good and clean oil (no coking) but is leaking a bit can be rebuilt and last a long time. But any other thing, even a tiny scratch on the shaft or a journal out whack by a hair will kill your turbo in no time.

 

[turbovan+tdi]

Seems you might have other issues or install error. Nothing wrong with a Roto turbo, they are a good brand. I`d swap out that POS KP39 and put an ALH turbo in or a VNT17

 

[AaronB]

Yea I thought maybe thete would be a oiling issue but I checked and good flow on the supply line and return line is good. So a alh turbo will fit fine? Just swap over the actuator?

 

[BobnOH]

There's a little more to it than just swapping in the actuator, but yes, it will work.
Might be worth the risk of finding a VNT-17 from a part-out of a good running wreck.
I would avoid any new or rebuilt unit with a too-good-to-be true price.

 

[turbocharged798]

Thanks. Yes last time I replaced the center section I put a stainless braided line on it which helped
I actually had to remove the line and put in the valve cover where we fill oIL. So it would stop dumping out the exhaust and baby it on all motor back to Louisiana to get picked up. So I'm glad I bought that .

Did you plug the oil line? If it was wide open then all the engine oil pressure was going right out the line....

 

[jpdeuce]

Hello, 8 months ago BEW blew a turbo. I replaced the center with a rockauto. Roto master unit. Well yesterday in Mississippi on our way to florida it took a ****. Tore apart after getting home and turbine shaft broke . Now what's an affordable option to replacing it . Don't wanna go with rockauto again and have another failure. Anyone have any suggestions on agood brand center section or full built . Thanks

AFAIK, Rock Auto is just a parts website, they don't make their own parts. You can get parts from hundreds of manufacturers on their site. Typically, for each part, you can make your own choice about what level of quality and how much $$$ you want to spend.

I wouldn't blame the website, I'd blame the manufacturer. Just sayin'.

 

[ghohouston]

Ill bet the turbo wasnt balanced after it was put together?

 

[turbovan+tdi]

Things fail, people fail, nothing is perfect, lol, ****t happens.

For a VNT 15 or 17, you'll need the outlet adapter or find an ALH pipe and IC setup, then either the smarty actuator or get a tune with it turned off.

 

[AaronB]

I'm not blaming rockauto by no means. I'm going to contact rotomaster themselves to see about warranty. I've bought other things off rock out that was great. Hell I could have messed somthing up installing it. Even thou it was pretty simply. Ran great for months. Showed no signs of failure.

 

[AaronB]

Did you plug the oil line? If it was wide open then all the engine oil pressure was going right out the line....

Yes I ended up being only a few miles from orielly so i got it there and found a plug to fit the line.

 

[gatz]

Nothing specifically wrong with Rockauto but they rarely stock the brands I'm usually looking for that we see on the usual VW parts sites. I believe most of their brands are the same chinesium knockoffs you see in AutoZone and Advance Auto Parts. That's not to say they might not have a few good ones though. Besides that, their part fitment database is iffy at best, it's a bit of a guessing game if the parts will actually work.

Looking just now, they don't have any Garrett or Borg Warner brand turbochargers. What they do have is "SPECTRA PREMIUM" brand $660 (new?), "A-1 CARDONE" reman for $676, and "STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS / Intermotor" for $1000 even. Compare to the OE KP39 and VNT17 can be had in the 800-900$ range from our usual TDI / VW vendors. So maybe $200 over the cheapest option buys you a good known quality part.

But if you are on a super tight budget you can try the junk yard but its iffy. Funny story, when my insurance company replaced my engine & turbo two years ago, the job took 6 weeks. Alot of that time was wasted because they ordered two bad junk yard turbos. Finally they coughed up the cash and ordered a new OEM one.

 

[Dimitri16V]

Thanks. Yes last time I replaced the center section I put a stainless braided line on it which helped
I actually had to remove the line and put in the valve cover where we fill oIL. So it would stop dumping out the exhaust and baby it on all motor back to Louisiana to get picked up. So I'm glad I bought that .

I always carry a metric bolt to plug the oil line feed in the oil filter housing
5 min work and you can limp home without worrying how much oil the engine will drink

 

[Nevada_TDI]

Fixmyvw has vnt-17's on sale for $749.00 and that includes the outlet adapter. That would be money well spent with them. Not much more than an unknown manufacturer will cost.

 

[Nevada_TDI]

http://www.fixmyvw.com/turbos/

There's a nice little table showing turbo options here.. based on what I've read on here rebuilds (even professionally done) don't seem to last very long.

One other thing, make sure to replace the oil feed line with it. Unbolting the line disturbs the caked up oil in the line and can end up clogging the oil feed ports in your new turbo.

I am not a rebuilder of turbos, but I need to challenge the negative comment about rebuilt turbos; if it were not for rebuilt turbos there would have never been any hybrid turbos made.

Dutch Auto Parts sells reliable used turbos, they are cleaned and balanced with paperwork of the balancing results. You might find a vnt-17 hose adapter used in the classified section and save some money that way too.

The 17/22, and 17/56 and everything in between are all rebuilt hybrid turbos that have been machined to accept larger compressors and/or turbine wheels. Our approved vendors would not sell hybrid turbos day-in-and-day-out if there were issues with reliability.

I will say there are only a few rebuilders that are used by TDI-ers, so researching first is a good idea.

 

[ketchupshirt88]

sort of... I don't think any of those hybrids are successfully built from well worn turbos.

Machining a good condition CHRA to fit a larger compressor isn't the same as rebuilding the CHRA with non-Garrett parts, possibly of questionable quality... because Garrett doesn't sell the parts.

Parts to rebuild the cartridge were not available from Garrett for the VNT's, and as far as i know, still aren't.

A turbo that has parts available from the manufacturer is a candidate for being rebuilt by a reputable company. A turbo that doesn't, is a gamble.

 

[turbocharged798]

Pretty sure Garrett themselves makes the hybrids, the 17/22 is made from off the shelf parts that is assembled differently. ARL hot side with a VNT22 cold side.

 

[turbovan+tdi]

sort of... I don't think any of those hybrids are successfully built from well worn turbos.

Right, so no one ever rebuilt a worn turbo. And everyone of them failed of those who did. Another

I guess well worn rebuilt engines also follow that rule, lol.

 

[Nevada_TDI]

Just because the rebuilt parts do not come from Garrett does not mean they are Chinese junk. There are a couple of the well-known rebuilders that's a right on their website the parts either come from the USA or from the UK no Chinese junk. A few years ago there was a company called Street toys that built hybrid turbos most often we sold by Kerma. So yes there is junk out there and there are some rock solid rebuilders out there too.

 

[ketchupshirt88]

I'll stand by it...

Successfully rebuilt garrett VNT's are the exception, not the rule, and rebuilds done without parts from the manufacturer are a gamble...

Doing your homework and finding a reputable rebuilder supplying good parts is like counting cards, vastly improving your chances in that gamble... but your still sitting at the blackjack table.

 

[Ol'Rattler]

Successfully rebuilt garrett VNT's are the exception, not the rule, and rebuilds done without parts from the manufacturer are a gamble...

Doing your homework and finding a reputable rebuilder supplying good parts is like counting cards, vastly improving your chances in that gamble... but your still sitting at the blackjack table.

Same holds true for Borg Warner. Neither manufacturers sell rebuild parts so most likely the OP bought Chinese garbage from Rock Auto.

Roll the dice and your pay off could very well be a destroyed engine if you cheap out with Chinese "rebuild Parts" which in no way are licensed by Garret or Borg Warner.

 

[Ol'Rattler]

Right, so no one ever rebuilt a worn turbo. And everyone of them failed of those who did. Another

I guess well worn rebuilt engines also follow that rule, lol.

Pretty much for the TDI rebuilding the turbo can be an expensive waste of time.

Without the availability of quality rebuild parts and the tight tolerances a modern turbo has you would spend many times what a quality turbo would cost by trying to rebuild your old turbo with garbage parts.

Your second statement is just ridiculous. Engines are rebuilt everyday by folks that have the skill set and equipment to reliably rebuild an engine.

 

[turbovan+tdi]

Same holds true for Borg Warner. Neither manufacturers sell rebuild parts so most likely the OP bought Chinese garbage from Rock Auto.

Roll the dice and your pay off could very well be a destroyed engine if you cheap out with Chinese "rebuild Parts" which in no way are licensed by Garret or Borg Warner.

So wrong, try researching before assuming.


http://www.rotomaster.com/

Pretty much for the TDI rebuilding the turbo can be an expensive waste of time.

Without the availability of quality rebuild parts and the tight tolerances a modern turbo has you would spend many times what a quality turbo would cost by trying to rebuild your old turbo with garbage parts.

Your second statement is just ridiculous. Engines are rebuilt everyday by folks that have the skill set and equipment to reliably rebuild an engine.

Why? Because of the statement rebuilt turbo's are crap, so that means rebuilt engines are crap. Its not hard to figure out neither is true unless the builder is crap.

 

[BobnOH]

Just from reading here, a lot of folks have had less than desirable results with rebuilds. I'm guessing because they "cheap out".
Rebuilding a turbo is more exacting that a starter or alternator. It's good to know there are folks who can handle the job.
Those of you who have had good results should post up names and numbers.

 

[turbovan+tdi]

We have ADP Turbo's here in town, they do a great job for the numerous turbo's they've done for my customers, never had an issue but also never had an ALH or BEW rebuilt by them.