Juffa's turbo install - trials and tribulations

Juffa · Postby **Juffa** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:26 pm

So, today I removed the OEM exhaust manifold to do a trial fit of the T25 turbo that has been sitting in my shed for the past 12 months.

I have run into a problem. The body of the turbo hits the cast metal pipe that connects from the water pump to the bottom radiator hose. Pictures below.

This is the pipe in question. The turbo hits where the hose clamp is.

It is the silver part of the turbo that hits the pipe above.

I removed the hose in the top picture (hence the coolant everywhere) to allow me to see if it was just the hose that was in the way. No such luck, the pipe itself is in the way. The previous owner of the turbo mentioned that he cut the pipe at the bend and fitted a host to the shortened pipe. He also send me a poor photo of what he tell me lowmiata did to fit his turbo. From that photo it looks like part of the pipe was removed and the elbow was reattached (possibly by brazing?).

Before I start cutting the pipe has anyone had their own experiences and ideas that they would like to share?

TIA.
J

Russellb · Postby **Russellb** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:45 pm

Could you move the hose to this postion?

Sorry for the crap cut and paste
This is what i would do
just cut off ofending part block end and weld( which is what the other guy probably did) the pipe on where ever you need it

Techno · Postby **Techno** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 8:24 pm

Hi Jeff,

Good to see that the project is under way.

I haven't got a solution to your problem ... there are some strange shaped water hoses around and cutting the metal at the bend might not be such a big problem if you can re-route the pipes.

I would suggest that what ever the solution is that you buy a length of heat resistant cloth to protect the rubber from the turbo heat. The SP has this on hoses near the turbo AND the turbo is coated with a heat retaining coating.

See you at the Dyno day?

Regards
Rob

lowmiata · Postby **lowmiata** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:22 pm

Simple solution (had the same problem)

Just cut out 25mm of the legnth of the tube
and re weld it

Have to be pretty careful though as the rear water pipe (that is pressed in) has an O ring on it and if it gets to hot you might melt it

there are some pics on my write up on sabretooth's garage that might explain it better ;)

lowmiata · Postby **lowmiata** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:24 pm

btw
if its an AVO manifold with t25 i think you might have to kiss your aircon good by!
I went to refit mine 8 months afterputting the turbo on and there was no way i was going to get it to fit!

mine must have been different some how though as i would thing others have fitted avo's with air con still attached

Lucky_Luke · Postby **Lucky_Luke** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:41 am

i agree with Lowmiata,
I had the same problem while installing my 1.6L AVO kit, but didnt have any problems with my A/C.

I also cut and rewelded mine about an inch shorter, it clears the intake housing nicely, I also had to cut and bend the metal pipe that it joins to and had to buy a new piece of radiator hose as the molded piece kinked to much and would have restricted the coolant flow. I also put a heat resistant sleeve over the rad hose piece to protect it.

I also agree with the o ring also , its pretty tight it there but give it a good twist and pull it out before getting them to reweld it.
I didnt have a tig welder so i took it to an autowelder who rewelded and pressure tested it for $20.

Lucky_Luke · Postby **Lucky_Luke** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:45 pm

Hey Juffa,

I took heaps of photos of my install, check out this image dump page on my site, theres a few pics that show you exactly what i cut and rewelded.
Could have looked a little nicer but you never see it and it works a treat.

Luke.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/470296/9

Juffa · Postby **Juffa** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:56 pm

Lucky_Luke wrote:Hey Juffa,

I took heaps of photos of my install, check out this image dump page on my site, theres a few pics that show you exactly what i cut and rewelded.
Could have looked a little nicer but you never see it and it works a treat.

Luke.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/470296/9

Thanks for the link luke. While I had an idea of what yourself and Lowmiata had done, it was good to see a photo. I will nosey around for someone to do it for me here.
Do you know what the pipe that was cut is made of?

J.

Lucky_Luke · Postby **Lucky_Luke** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 9:11 pm

Hey Juffa,

its a cast aluminium pipe, so you'll need to get it tig welded.

Good luck with it!

Luke.

Juffa · Postby **Juffa** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:40 pm

Well I went to the local Mazda wreckers (allmaz) and picked up the cast aluminium pipe. Rather have a spare in case things went wrong. Took the pipe to AVO in Cheltenham and they cut and tig welded it for me. Cost $45 for the part and $40 to have it cut and welded. Will probbaly head to Super Cheap on the weekend and pickup a coolant hose.

J

maxwolfie · Postby **maxwolfie** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 12:34 pm

Juffa wrote:Well I went to the local Mazda wreckers (allmaz) and picked up the cast aluminium pipe. Rather have a spare in case things went wrong. Took the pipe to AVO in Cheltenham and they cut and tig welded it for me. Cost $45 for the part and $40 to have it cut and welded. Will probbaly head to Super Cheap on the weekend and pickup a coolant hose.

J

keep us updated

glen73 · Postby **glen73** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:45 am

Lucky_Luke wrote:Hey Juffa,

its a cast aluminium pipe, so you'll need to get it tig welded.

Good luck with it!

Luke.

hey luke, i see you still have da stock diff in your car, hows that holding up. i was hoping to hangon to my diff for a litttle while before i upgrade. i never do burnouts anymore (im a little past it) but do they stand up with reasonable driving.
also how long will my stock clucth hold out for on 10psi.
BTW nice ride too, veryclean

Juffa · Postby **Juffa** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:55 pm

I decided to celebrate the birth of her Majesty in the best possible way....and that was to continue the install of the turbo.
I needed to wear 4 layers of clothing on Saturday, it was either that or install heating in the garage!
Well, with the new cut and tig welded coolant pipe in place I attempted to fit the turbo. No such luck, the turbine was no longer resting on the pipe, but the intake for the turbo was. See below.

I still had the original pipe. So back into the shed, got out the hack saw and cut the pipe where the 90 degree elbow starts. Then off to Super-Cheap for a coolant hose. Based on info provided by the previous owner of the turbo I purchased a bottom hose for a Datsub 200B 1977-81, part no. GR49. Who said that the 200b had no place in our society?

I installed the new hose. It attaches to the cut off coolant pipe and then under the turbo and joins up to the original coolant piping under where the original air box would have been. See the photo below.

The new hose runs very close to the turbine body, I will need to get some good insulation to protect the hose.

Next came probably the one task that has worried me the most, drilling a hole in the sump to install the oil return hose. I had decided that the one that had come with the turbo needed to be replaced. So while I was at AVO on Firday I bought some new 3/8 inch hose and a new threaded adaptor. Then off to a specialist tool shop for a drill bit and tap to match the adaptor. I needed to remove the air-conditioner compressor and mounting bracket to give myself enough room to drill the 14.5mm hole. I covered the dril bit and the threader tap with heavy grease to capture as much of the metal particles as possible. The hole needed to be 50mm down from where the sump joins the engine block and as close to the front of the sump as possible, on the passenger side. Any higher and it won't fit under the air-cond bracket. See pictures below.

It is hard to tell from this photo, but there is a 45 degree bend in the adaptor to ensue the oil retun hose does not kink.

I then attached the hose to the adaptor and poured 2 or 3 litres of mineral spirits (mineral turps) down the hose. This was to flush out any metal particles that may have entered the sump during the drilling or tapping process. I will allow this to drain out of the sump overnight and then replace the sump plug.

Watch this space for updates as the Turbo Install saga continues.

J

sabretooth · Postby **sabretooth** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 12:38 am

Juff,

Looking good so far, but I have my doubts about the placement of the oil return line. Wouldn't it be better to have it above the oil level so as to not let oil pool in the return line?

I don't know what effects this'd have (if any) so I'm probably concerned about nothing. I was under the assumption that you put the oil return fitting above the oil level so that oil can never back up in it - because if the barb is above the oil level, then it's never going to get backed up.

Based on what I've seen so far, I eagerly await the diary of the rest of your progress.

Sheck · Postby **Sheck** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:23 am

Looking good mate!!!

As for the oil return thats where all the GReddy boys from the US put it. since its at the front of the sump it should be ok - and i havent had any problems with mine so far..

Good luck with the progress!!!!