Hi Team,

After having the stock pedestal come close to damaging my engine by pouring oil out the piston a few times I went ahead and bought the delete kit. I'm not a mechanic by any means. So I don't know much about the system. However I have the new pedestal installed and now my turbo clearly isn't working properly. from the research I'm doing I see that the stock turbo likely needed a bung welded in where the piston used to go? Is this something that a diesel shop should have known about when they did the pedestal. They're not 7.3 guys by any stretch, but now I think I have to pay to have the turbo off again to seal it up? I'm assuming it's leaking bad as I can't drive my empty truck up a hill without spiking EGT's. Blows black smoke etc. They originally told me the turbo was shot, so I started to do some research and think they missed something with delete pedestal. Thoughts?

 

Sounds like a boost leak more likely than not.

If you retain the factory flange (three bolts) with the flap inside, you need a simple freeze plug pounded in it once removing the flap. Drill the heads off two rivets/bolts. Pop off the flange and slide out rod. Easy.

 

The turbo pedestal delete has no effect on the turbo performance, all it does it remove the flap and mechanism that runs the warm up flap in the turbo outlet. Did the shop remove the flap when they installed the new pedestal? Look at the fins on the turbo wheel. Are they smooth, or are they all chewed up? I'm thinking they didn't remove the flap from the turbo outlet, and it is blowing shut. You can wire it in the open position. Not the ideal thing, but it would eliminate removing the turbo again.

 

I was able to remove the three bolt flange without turbocharger removal. Three 8mm, twelve point bolts.

 

True, I forgot about the three bolt on elbow. Remove the elbow and remove the flap, and plug the shaft hole with a freeze plug, or weld in a plug.

 

Okay - good to know. I'm bringing it to a diesel shop that should know OBS trucks. I'll bring these suggestions to them and see if I can get out of a turbo removal. Thank you for the suggestions. I don't like working on this truck myself unless I have supervision from my buddy who is a master mechanic. I'm too far from home for that haha. hopefully this place will understand the suggestions and make it happen.

 

I think I used a 1/2" freeze plug. Hopefully someone can confirm that size.

Make sure the shop that works on the truck checks for the o-ring on the turbocharger outlet manifold. These easily fall away when doing anything in there and will cause a huge boost leak. Same goes for uppipes, verify no leaks or the truck will be a slug and loud inside.

Highly consider spending $75 for the Riffraff silicone intake boot set. Stock at this point are WELL past their life cycle.

 

Thank you for the suggestions. I have it dropped off this morning and when I call them I'll make sure to note this. I have an aftermarket boot on it now. But it does look a little rough so I can have that changed out. I'm moving to Florida (or have moved) so I don't anticipate using my truck that much anymore since I live in downtown Tampa. But she has at least one more road trip in her with the gooseneck to get my cars out here. After that I likely need to consider selling. I'd hate to have it sit for months at a time without using it. Just no place to store a truck and trailer that does not cost an arm and a leg out here.

 

I just welded the holes up.