Options for Turbo

[JaamesVRS]

Yep, another one bites the dust my turbo let go tonight! Drove up the road about 30yds then a strange whizz pipe frrrrsh sound then hello police siren! Great... turn back round and put it back in its space! 

 

now im looking at two alternatives. I can get a CHRA Cartridge for my existing turbo for around 100 notes, this will repair my existing KKK turbo and as far as I know it’s a case of unbolt, repair, refit. I’ve watched some videos on YouTube and it does seem fairly straight forward once it’s all out and in front of you.

 

the other option is purchase a PD150 Garrett. From what I’ve heard these are much stronger and don’t have the issues of the PD130 chocolate turbo. Is it worth spending the 500 quid that Darkside want for one or just change the CHRA Cartridge in my existing turbo and save £400? The car has a Stage 1 map on and has for some time now, obviously the map would need to be changed in the future with the PD150 so I’m looking more around the region of £800 when it’s all done (turbo + mapping)

 

if the CHRA Cartridge has been done and is effective I would rather go down that method to keep costs low, have been out of work recently and just started working again so funds are very low and can’t afford to spend out £500 on a new turbo really. 

[JaamesVRS]

Just spoke to Darkside and with the vat etc works out 690 for a PD150 I really can’t justify spending that money at the minute not to mention not even having anything close to that amount! Is it worth just changing the CHRA Cartridge opposed to going the 150 route or buy a second hand 150?

[stevobeavo]

I'd personally go with a second hand Garrett unit. I'm sure a member on here will have one lying around. 

 

Make sure you renew all the gaskets and get a new oil feed line. The braided one from darkside is a good idea. 

 

The turbo swap isn't a hard job, first time going slow and taking your time should take half a day or so. 

[JaamesVRS]

What second hand over a new cartridge? I’m just scared I will encounter the same issue with a second hand unit that’s all. By Garrett I assume you mean pd150?

Edited 22 January, 2018 by JaamesVRS

[Skoda_Saint]

Garrett is the brand of turbo, standard are the kkk which are chocolate made more or less. A Garrett built pd130 or pd150 is much better, have a look at parts or cars being broken on here or FB if you go down second hand turbo route

[JaamesVRS]

I didn’t know they done a Garrett PD130 option thought it was only the KKK that’s why I thought he meant the Pd150. So it’s not worth buying a more expensive Melet (Garrett built) core and replacing that then? Around 115 they are for the chra cartridge 

[JWvrs25]

I've been looking at getting my turbo replaced before it goes bang and came across this on ebay, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Skoda-Seat-1-9TDI-131HP-96KW-54399700012-23-Turbocharger-Gaskets-/321956550745?

They seem to get good feedback on ebay but it seems suspiciously cheap to me.

My concern with replacing just the cartridge would be setting the vnt actuator up and possibly having to adjust it on the car if it wasnt right.

[JaamesVRS]

I didn’t realise you would have to set the VNT up after replacing cartridge.. whycis this? As it doesn’t touch the vnt does it?

[JWvrs25]

I think it does, the actuator rod attaches to the cartridge which then connects to the vanes when its installed.

might just be a case of marking the rod and making sure it goes back exactly the same, i'm not sure, but wouldn't like to get the turbo fitted only to find it needs messing about with

 

[JaamesVRS]

Yeah I understand what your saying actually I would it uougjt thy come marked or preset maybe unless I could copy the thread from the old cartridge 

[Matt.]

3 hours ago, JWvrs25 said:

I've been looking at getting my turbo replaced before it goes bang and came across this on ebay, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Skoda-Seat-1-9TDI-131HP-96KW-54399700012-23-Turbocharger-Gaskets-/321956550745?

They seem to get good feedback on ebay but it seems suspiciously cheap to me.

My concern with replacing just the cartridge would be setting the vnt actuator up and possibly having to adjust it on the car if it wasnt right.

I had a turbo from them put on my pd130 A6 even after a few thousand miles it was still smoking. Couldn’t afford more labour to remove and then be without a car again and then more labour to refit a replacement unit.

[JaamesVRS]

Personally I can’t see anything wrong here 

[JWvrs25]

Looks fine to me.

Mine is not quite that bad, been like it for past 5k miles, just the oil i've got leaking out of it, makes for great cold starts covers the drive in oil smoke 

Regarding the unit i linked on ebay, it seems they supply just the cartridges as well for around £120. Is it not worth the extra £85 to have a complete turbo built with new studs and everything already set up with a 2yr warranty?

That was my thoughts anyway but suppose if your on a budget then doing it the cartridge route would be cheapest.

 

Edited 22 January, 2018 by JWvrs25

[sepulchrave]

6 minutes ago, JaamesVRS said:

Personally I can’t see anything wrong here 

 

There'll be a fair bit of that missing metal in the intercooler, so you'll want to remove that and flush it clean. Nothing wrong with fitting a CHRA, no matter what route you choose you'll have to set the actuator rod anyway.

[JWvrs25]

They would already be setup surely on a reconditioned one?

[sepulchrave]

6 minutes ago, JWvrs25 said:

They would already be setup surely on a reconditioned one?

 

You'd think so, but they never are and always need tweaking, they're almost never just plug and play, cue the jack-in-the-box with one that didn't need a setup...

[JaamesVRS]

The intercooler is being replaced with a FMIC setup and Hardpipe kit which I’m picking up saturday, so that’s not an issue, one of the studs snapped when removing the Down pipe grrr! Although I could probably try and remove the stud or cut it flush and drill it out then nut and bolt the downpipe. Sepul what would you be inclined to do? Change the CHRA Cartridge or find a second hand Pd150 Garrett and slap that on instead? 

[sepulchrave]

7 minutes ago, JaamesVRS said:

The intercooler is being replaced with a FMIC setup and Hardpipe kit which I’m picking up saturday, so that’s not an issue, one of the studs snapped when removing the Down pipe grrr! Although I could probably try and remove the stud or cut it flush and drill it out then nut and bolt the downpipe. Sepul what would you be inclined to do? Change the CHRA Cartridge or find a second hand Pd150 Garrett and slap that on instead? 

 

In your current financial situation I'd just get it back on the road, you can always upgrade the turbo later and sell the recon unit.

[JaamesVRS]

So looking at the turbo you would say just replace the cartridge? Granted the blades are damaged but still as a whole if that makes sense so possible damage to the housing isn’t an issue?

[sepulchrave]

9 minutes ago, JaamesVRS said:

So looking at the turbo you would say just replace the cartridge? Granted the blades are damaged but still as a whole if that makes sense so possible damage to the housing isn’t an issue?

 

Nope, the housing will be fine, the blades are incredibly fragile and basically explode when they touch the housing, a lot of that damage is from bits of broken blade bouncing around before getting sucked through.

[JaamesVRS]

What causes them to hit the housing though?! That’s what I don’t understand funny thing is the shaft feels like it has very little play left and right and back and fourth!! Really confused as if something went into the turbo however it’s standard air box and standard filter!

[sepulchrave]

10 minutes ago, JaamesVRS said:

What causes them to hit the housing though?! That’s what I don’t understand funny thing is the shaft feels like it has very little play left and right and back and fourth!! Really confused as if something went into the turbo however it’s standard air box and standard filter!

 

The impeller runs VERY close to the housing, it can be caused by oil bush wear or impeller overspeed.

[JaamesVRS]

Okay then thanks - I’m trying to weigh up the pros and cons. The CHRA is around 130 for a Melet Cartridge which isn’t cheap toot but probably one of the better cartridges out there or buy a second hand PD150 Garrett and be done with it. Obviously renewing the core would be like a brand new turbo once everything is cleaned correct? But will it fail again in the near future? That’s my worry 

[sepulchrave]

35 minutes ago, JaamesVRS said:

Okay then thanks - I’m trying to weigh up the pros and cons. The CHRA is around 130 for a Melet Cartridge which isn’t cheap toot but probably one of the better cartridges out there or buy a second hand PD150 Garrett and be done with it. Obviously renewing the core would be like a brand new turbo once everything is cleaned correct? But will it fail again in the near future? That’s my worry 

 

Only if your map is spikey causing overboost, remaps usually finish off tired turbos.

[JaamesVRS]

The map is fairly spiked as my dyno graph showed then the torque dropped off seriously quick which could be due to the tired turbo like you say. So Cartridge seems the way forward?