I was just given a turbo.I am trying to figure out how bad they can be before they are to bad to rebuild and also what numbers to look for to make sure it will work on my truck.The one that i have now is working fine ,but I have alot of upgrade parts that I want to put on one and the easiest way for me is to rebuild this one and put it on if possible.It is a garret off of a 99 7.3 but I dont know if it is a early 99 or late mine is a late.
What are somethings to look for when I take the turbo apart to see if it is beyond rebuilding?
Thanks in advance

 

Does your compressor hit the housing now? If not it may be rebuildable. If it does chances are you will be better off get another turbo rather than rebuilding. Here are a few pictures of my turbo that was not worth rebuilding after I fried the thrust bearing.
This housing was probably salvagable


But the base plate was not. The grooves in the center should not be there nor should the groove in the hole from the oil ring (click the pictures to see other shots of the damage)

 

Are both turbo's about the same diameter? Post pictures if you want us to evaluate condition.

 

early 99 has 4 bolts holding the compressor housing..99.5-03 has 5...also the outlet of the turbo going to the spider on the early 99 is 2" 99.5-03 is 3"...Ron's Turbo told me if there is any in and out play on the wheel...its junk.....any thing else can be fixed or replaced..

the pedestal painted orange is the 99.5-03..the other is the early bird

 

If it's an early '99 and you want to use it for some reason let us know and we will tell you how to adapt it.

 

that would be down grading and lots of wasted money...be cheaper to buy another new rebuilt turbo from Ron's turbo...

 

He could exchange compressor housings.

 

I rebuilt my stocker back when i had a stocker. Take a look at this...

 

I haven't got it right here but buy the pics I think it is a late,which is good,I'll have to make sure tomm..Thanks for the pics Ron thats always great.
As far as wear,I dont have it apart yet but I couldnt feel any in and out motion at all.I could feel quit a bit of side to side.
I am planning on rebuilding which ever turbo I us.I will be adding a WW,bigger exhaust housing,and ebpv delete with blank pedestal.I am going to buy a rebuild kit from Ron's turbo and send my wheels to have it balanced.Its all going back together with bellows.
If I can use this turbo it would prevent alot of down time.Thats why I am looking into this option.

 

If it was out of the truck and not run for a while. It will have side to side play because there isn't any oil layer on the bearings. It's dry. I learned that when I rebuilt mine and called Jeremy wondering what the heck. The dry rebuild had more movement than before it was rebuilt until I started the truck once.

 

strokin_it it looks like that turbo in your pics is what I am trying to end up with.Is it wastegated?If not how did you like it with no wastegate and the bigger housing?
I use mine for mostly heavy hauling,18,000 lbs. + not including the truck,hence the delete and bigger housing trying to keep down temp.WW is to help surge out.

 

Get the larger 1.15 non-wastegated housing if you are going for hauling. i daily drive my truck, and on stock injectors, that 1.15 was a laggy pig where i usually drove the truck, below 2000 RPM. It flowed alot of exhaust on the top end which kept backpressures down, however i would recommend it for someone who is towing. However if you delete the EBPV by going to the three-bolt outlet instead of the standard 7, you wont be able to use the EBPV as an exhaust brake. I dont know if you use that as of now, or not.

 

I have the 1.00 exhaust housing with no wastegate and ebpv delete pipe and pedestal.I dont have many hills to worry about stopping or slowing down on so didnt really worry with the exhaust brake idea.
I also find out by Rons pics that it is a early turbo.So now is there anything that can be used on this that might be considered a upgrade or is it pretty much just good to take apart and see how it all works before I take mine on the truck apart?

 

this pic shows the compresure houing...at 12 o-clock you can see one bolt that holds the housing...count them bolts all the way around..4 bolts its a early bird..5 bolts its a 99.5-03 turbo...if its the early bird..its only good for play for you..but worth something to some one with the early bird and needs a turbo...

 

It is a early.Do you happen to know if it might fit a old body style.My father has a 95 and if it would fit it then what the heck I could practice rebuilding it and give it to him.