My poor truck (E99 with 114K miles on it) has been setting in the driveway for the last 2+ years. I lost a turbo pulling my trailer when there was a bad headwind that had me running around 20 psi of boost for over an hour. It sounded like one of the turbine fines came apart and then it just got worse from there. I put another turbo in that was a stock rebuild from a well known builder and it only lasted about 3k miles before the oil seal went out and started pushing oil into the exhaust. So since I had another truck to use and was extremely busy and so on, it just sat.

So now that I had time and needed to get working on it again, I just bought another turbo and I am getting ready to put it in. I pulled apart the 2nd one and the area where the snap ring (Oil Seal) goes had kind of a groove in it. The bearings felt fine but there seemed like a little too much slop in the up and down moment on the turbine side of the turbo. I am hoping it was just a bad rebuild since I also found damage on the compressor side like it had previously came apart before the rebuild. I stopped driving it at the first sign of smoke so it didn't destroy itself. It had also made a squeal noise that lasted about 1 to 2 seconds 3 times over that 3k miles so I knew there was something wrong with it. Last note on it was that I put the Riffraff billet wheel on it (It had just been released) when I first installed it and didn't get it balanced.

I also bought the Bellowed Up-pipes from Riffraff and was pulling my old ones out tonight and guess what, the Up-pipe collector broke taking out one of the bolts. Oh well, add one more thing to the list of parts I am buying lately. I just hope I don't have any more problems mechanically once I get it back together.

Beyond this, I am doing a mini restoration of the truck as well. My dad bought it originally and he passed away a year ago so this is the truck that I will be keeping for a long time. It is getting a new paint job after it is all back together. So with the new paint, I am also replacing most things on the outside of the truck like all cab and rear fender lights, door handles, emblems along with a 2008 tailgate with the step and camera, 2008 taillights and 2008 mirrors. I already put the 2005 headlights in it before so it should be a really nice looking truck when I am done.

It may not be as nice as a brand new truck still but it beats spending 70K on a new one and this one has some sentimental value to it.

 

Sounds like a solid plan...Sorry about your troubles, but in the end, you'll be happier with it!

 

I don't know if you already have installed the turbo. But I have a early bird turbo you are welcome to have to save you some money. Worked great when I took it off. I swapped out for a late 99 set up, that's the only reason I removed.

 

Sweet, and only here! Reps to you Brother!

 

I appreciate the offer but you can hold on to it for someone else that needs it more than I. I hope to have it back together this weekend if I get the collector from Riffraff by then. Very nice of you to offer it up though, good things are sure to come your way.

 

I was given the same well spirited giving when I did my swap. So I am just passing it forward.

 

Sorry about your bad luck. It was a good thing to walk away when you did, to wait for the dark clouds to pass. Now you're here, ready to awaken a great young beast (low miles) to serve you for years to come.