Newbie looking for turbo info!

[far_out_van_man]

Hello!

Recently purchased a delica L300 starwagon. Its running great so far, but struggles a bit up hills (which I've heard is kinda normal). I wanted to test out its uphill abilities and drove it up Mt. Seymour today. it wasn't making any strange noises, and the temperature gauge didn't climb above the 8:00 mark. It did However start blowing a bit of white smoke from time to time. The biggest difference I noticed was the lack of power ( 40km-50km ) max was all I could get out of it. On flat or slightly varied roads it speeds up to normal highway speeds although it is slower to do so.

The previous owner brought it in to Japanoid for an overall inspection, at which point he had the timing belt replaced. The only other issue they pointed out was the turbo. They gave it a 3/5 rating and said it would have to be replaced eventually ( which I knew when I bought it ). I've decided to do this myself and would like to purchase an aftermarket turbo. Can anyone recommend where to purchase one from. I've checked Japanoid and Rising Sun, both cost about $700. wondering if theres a cheaper option.

Any other info on the subject would be appreciated. Ive done work on all of my previous vehicles, but I'm no certified mechanic. I'm also new to the Delica game.

Thanks again,

Mike.

[Tojo]

Hi Mike,

Turbo rebuild or replacement on the L300 is very doable. If you have basic tools, torque wrench, breaker bars and some mechanical aptitude then you can tackle this job. You can either replace the whole unit, or use a rebuild kit to replace the seals and bushings, or just replace the turbine cartridge and keep the outer bell and casting which is what I did. You won't know until you've opened it up.

Here is a helpful post: http://www.delica.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14171
The original poster replaced all the o-rings and bushings using a kit from ebay. This assumes that your turbine is in decent shape and it can be re-used. Note that turbo's really should be balanced on a machine to ensure that it's working as it should. Since the 4D56T runs on such a low boost, a slightly less efficient turbo unit is not a big deal IMO.

Good luck,
TJ

EDIT: Your turbo is likely a water cooled unit, not an oil cooled like mine which was built in the first half of 1993. Read the number on the side of the turbo (turbo tag #) and make sure that you check with the turbo seller if you decide the replace the whole unit. Lots of sellers on ebay but buyer beware. I've bought from "nerings", "xaviar" and "turbopartscity02" in the past and here is an example, but I've never bought from these guys: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/TD04-09B-TD04H-T ... 8a&vxp=mtr

[far_out_van_man]

Sweet! thanks for the advise. Maybe a rebuild is the way to go for a more cost effective repair.

Cheers!

[Tojo]

Rebuild kit is cheap, cost is around $50-60. You're going to need a good set of circlip pliers. There is one big circlip that is under quiet a bit of tension. Also, I didn't manage to separate the turbo from my exhaust manifold because the fasteners were rusted on there, so I ended up pulling out the whole works so that I could put it in a vice on it on the bench. Also, some of the internal parts are delicate, so careful use of plastic mallets, brass drift and some patience required.

By your symptoms though, it sounds like the turbo is not functioning at all. This could mean that the fins are damaged or the turbine is so worn out that it's rotating off axis or worst case it has seized. The rebuild kit only replaces seals, bushings, oil slinger and circlips so it requires that the rest of the assembly is undamaged. You won't know until you pull it apart. Post up some pics if you get into trouble.