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Dave's redtop SR powered 240sx. He was complaing that his car sounded like a John Deere and his car wasn't as responsive. He figured out that his "4-bolt" turbo gasket had blown. Several shops quoted him high rates due to the install-time involved.
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Always disconnect the battery first.
Since the turbo is both oil and water cooled, you'll want to drain the oil and coolant as well.
While the car is jacked up, disconnect the downpipe from the 02 housing on the turbo. When working under any car, always use jackstands.
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You need to get to the turbo. Remove the hotpipe and intake, disconnect the vacuum line to the wastegate, remove the stock oil catch-can (that black kidney looking thing), bend the oil dipstick out the way, and anything else that might be in the way. Now is a good time to spray the the bolts with some BP Blaster.
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There are oil and water fittings (banjo bolts) that come off the block and go to the turbo carrying oil and coolant. Be sure to disconnect these. After you get the bolts off, take them up to your local autoparts store to get new copper crush gaskets. You don't want to reuse the old gaskets for fear of leaking oil and coolant.
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A good demonstration of where the oil and water fittings are. There's two near the front of the block, one line on the bottom (best to loosen from underneath the car), and a fourth oil line that attaches to the back of the block. I couldn't disconnect the fitting from the block so I had to unscrew the banjo bolt from the turbo itself. This made for a difficult reinstallation.
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When I was unscrewing the nuts from the manifold (8 total), a few of the studs started to back out of the block. I sprayed the nuts with some more PB Blaster but still had the same issue. Luckily I was reassured that this is semi-common, since a stud is nothing more than a double sided bolt. Since I don't plan on removing the manifold too often, it won't be an issue. Be sure to properly thread the stud when retightening, a crossthreaded stud on your block means you're screwed.
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Now everything should be unbolted and free to remove. A friend comes in handy as you have to twist and turn the turbo assembly to clear the A/C line and steering rack.
After you remove everything, take a razor blade and scrape away the old manifold gasket. Leaving 'residue' can create a bad seal and cause early gasket failure. Since were were needing a new gasket, I picked up a Mr.Gasket copper gasket from EnjukuRacing.com.
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The turbo is secured to the manifold by four bolts with a gasket between. Dave's gaskets was completely missing in action. There are tabs to keep the nuts tight, just bend the tabs down and hang on to the brackets.
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Your local dealership should be able to order the replacement four bolt gasket. You're looking for part #14415-17M00. EnjukuRacing.com also has these in stock. Again, be sure to clean the area with some brake cleaner before putting on the new gasket.
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Unfortantely this is where my camera's battery died. And it only gets harder from here. Your turbo assembly should be back in one piece. Place the turbo in it's relative position and being to retighten the banjo bolts. This is where a friend comes in handy because it is very difficult and frustrating to get the bolts just right. Be very careful not to crossthread the bolts. Don't forget about the rubber coolant line on the bottom either. Place your new exhaust gasket and retighten the eight nuts. Reconnect the downpipe, refill the coolant and oil, and reconnect your battery. Cross your fingers
A good rule of thumb is to allow the car to idle for 10 minutes. The motor may smoke from the turbo manfiold as the PB Blaster burns off. Be sure to check under the car for leaks. Also a week after the install, give the motor a good once-over to make sure that all bolts are still tight. There is nothing too difficult about this install, it's just time consuming and frustrating. Everytime I do one of these I swear that I'll never do it again.
Time Spent: 8 hours Total cost: $45
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***Important Notice***Please follow all safety precautions when servicing your vehicle. Failure to do so may result in expensive damages to your car and injury to yourself. This write-up was done in good faith to assist other auto enthusiast. Please check the factory service manual and your local dealer before attempting any work on your car. We take no responsibility for your actions. If you chop off your finger, you're on your own
Modified by DuckyD at 6:59 PM 1/16/2007
