Replacing 300TDI turbo with VNT

Hi Gents,

I thought it may be useful to post a couple of photo's and comments of me replacing the original turbo on my defender 300tdi with a VNT turbo.
Getting the inlet manifold off wasn't too much of a problem.





The turbo etc was a bit more tricky as the nuts connecting the exhaust were pretty corroded. Eventually using 3 extension pieces and a small breaker bar I was able to get the nuts loose from underneath the car. A fair bit of gasket was still on the head; most of this is off now thanks to a sharpened scraper. In the photo you can see cylinder 4 (and it was on 3 too) had a bit of a leak. I've also never been happy with the oil feed which needs looking at when that pipe comes off.



A bit tricky to show how badly the turbo was working. You can rattle it a millimeter or so and the gate lever is seized solid. No wonder the boost took so long to pick up and the gauge needle was rattling back and forth all the time.

Studs came out easily with two nuts applied and all the fixings look like they can be used again.

If I've still got your attention there are a couple of questions I still have:

Should I use exhaust paste on the bullhorns on the turbo?

The new turbo came with additional metal gaskets (exhaust= fine. EGR=fine. turbo oil feed = fine.) but there is an exhaust manifold gasket that only covers the center exhaust holes... but I've already got the OEM gasket that goes on the side of the head so do I need it?

If I get any replies then I'll post some extra pics etc.

thanks,

Don't use exhaust paste on the exhaust outlet pipes. Just push them in.

Al2O3 said:

Don't use exhaust paste on the exhaust outlet pipes. Just push them in.

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thanks, I wasn't sure

UPDATE:
Fitted the turbo in place. (Exhaust manifold bull horns knocked in easily enough while on the bench, just needed a little rub with scotchbrite to remove some surface rust.)
Pulled the bottom right stud out of the head while torquing up..... Bollocks.
Removed the turbo again.

So now a shopping trip for a helcioil set tomorrow.

Any advice on putting a helicoil into the head?

gymmaniac said:

Any advice on putting a helicoil into the head?

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Just go slow - try and set up a guide ( or two ) perpendicular to the face - so you can drill square with some confidence - I used to find it quite nerve wracking helicoiling a CH - it's easy when you're used to doing them .... but your first one might be a bit

Nowt any good done in a rush

UPDATE:
Turbo is on!
Couldn't get the drill lined up for the helicoil without fist removing the heater matrix though - that cost me half the day putting it back together again. Tomorrow I get to bleed the coolant....
Helicoil went in easily enough considering I was ****ting myself it was going to go wrong.

Primed the turbo by spinning a wheel with the car jacked up while in 5th. Felt like it took me half an hour - note to self: fill new oil filter before fitting!!

Tomorrow I'll get her started!!

Can I ask you a question? How easily did your turbo oil outlet pipe line up between the turbo and the block?
This is mine

When I push it across and tighten the nut I get a kink in the pipe.

I had the same with my old oil drain pipe. The new kit came with a spout to bolt to the block and the turbo has a spout to bolt to as well. You then jubilee a silicone pipe between the two. A lot better but a bitch to get the jubilee clips done up - should have fitted the pipe to the turbo first before installing the turbo.

With doing your style pipe I had to guess how much the pipe would twist with the final torque so it would line up with the turbo - not easy. The garage that had a go on mine first time made a right mess. I've got the same oil feed pipe as you, it just took a couple of trials to get it to line up

I'll get some photo's tomorrow.

Questions always welcome.

(and I haven't started her yet so it could still go wrong )

gymmaniac said:

I had the same with my old oil drain pipe. The new kit came with a spout to bolt to the block and the turbo has a spout to bolt to as well. You then jubilee a silicone pipe between the two. A lot better but a bitch to get the jubilee clips done up - should have fitted the pipe to the turbo first before installing the turbo.

With doing your style pipe I had to guess how much the pipe would twist with the final torque so it would line up with the turbo - not easy. The garage that had a go on mine first time made a right mess. I've got the same oil feed pipe as you, it just took a couple of trials to get it to line up

I'll get some photo's tomorrow.

Questions always welcome.

(and I haven't started her yet so it could still go wrong )

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Where did you buy your kit from? Got a web site so I can look at it?

Is it something like this?

Yep that's the kit I got from Turbo Technics via Allisport (got a nice deal at Peterborough show).

Getting new bull horns was a Very good idea.

gymmaniac said:

Yep that's the kit I got from Turbo Technics via Allisport (got a nice deal at Peterborough show).

Getting new bull horns was a Very good idea.

Click to expand...

Interesting. I could do with just the pipes I still can't understand why mine doesn't fit anymore. I might try heating it in boiling water and try reshaping it.

gymmaniac said:

Yep that's the kit I got from Turbo Technics via Allisport (got a nice deal at Peterborough show).

Getting new bull horns was a Very good idea.

Click to expand...

Sorry mate, too busy thinking about myself.
Should have wished you good luck with the start up tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be tremendous

It's alive!!

A few things to sort on the way:
Air filter housing was wobbling around and I found the rubber mounts had torn through on 3 of them - So removed the air filter and re-fitted with some bold stand-offs (a temporary fix for a couple of years). Also found that the air intake pipe into the housing wasn't even connected but luckily I had a jubilee clip big enough to get that one connected again.

Started up no trouble, bit of white smoke which cleared after a couple of minutes idling. Just once round the block and definitely more boost around the 25/30 mph mark. She does sound different; I can hear the air being pulled through the air intake now, lol.
I'm building up to giving her a thrashing.... After the EGT sensor gets wired up...

Proof it happened:


Certainly a lot more performance at lower revs now. The boost is picking up quickly and settles at 0.9 bar at 65mph.

I had a 1.2 transfer box put in by Ashcroft and I'll admit it was a little bit too much, she shifted much better today (I think the 1.3 ratio they do would be more suited for a unmodified 300tdi).

At some point I'm likely to move the boost pipe to the inlet manifold...

oh and a new fuel pump as what's in at the moment has a build up of crap that would suggest a seal leak.

and I do need to check the vacuum(?) line that goes back to the fuel pump is sealed properly

... it never stops

Instructions on the steps I took above to follow.

gymmaniac said:

The boost is picking up quickly and settles at 0.9 bar at 65mph.

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0.9 Bar doesn't seem very much - Where are you measuring that ?

Also, I notice the wastegate actuator adjustment is sealed in the picture in post #10 - which seems a bit weird.

Where are you measuring your EGT ?

Disco1BFG said:

0.9 Bar doesn't seem very much - Where are you measuring that ?

Also, I notice the wastegate actuator adjustment is sealed in the picture in post #10 - which seems a bit weird.

Where are you measuring your EGT ?

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Do you mean with the red paint? All new ones seem to be like that. Proves you haven't tampered with it if you decide to take it back.

Al2O3 said:

Do you mean with the red paint? All new ones seem to be like that. Proves you haven't tampered with it if you decide to take it back.

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Yep, tis exactly what I mean - but how do you set it up for the vehicle if the adjustment is sealed ? I can't think of an analogy - but what else can you buy which might need adjusting and yet comes sealed to prevent said adjustment ...... - and anyway, I've got some red paint which makes it even more

0.9 bar is 13.3 psi - which is not very much at all - IIRC isn't @neilly running 23 ? I know I'm running more than 0.9 - but I'm measuring it at the rear of the plenum - hence the question about where @gymmaniac is measuring it

Disco1BFG said:

IIRC isn't @neilly running 23

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Generally about 25 to 27 Psi, but the delta between the turbo and plenum is not much. tbh I reckon it is 1 Psi at most.

Cheers

Disco1BFG said:

Yep, tis exactly what I mean - but how do you set it up for the vehicle if the adjustment is sealed ? I can't think of an analogy - but what else can you buy which might need adjusting and yet comes sealed to prevent said adjustment ...... - and anyway, I've got some red paint which makes it even more

0.9 bar is 13.3 psi - which is not very much at all - IIRC isn't @neilly running 23 ? I know I'm running more than 0.9 - but I'm measuring it at the rear of the plenum - hence the question about where @gymmaniac is measuring it

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I think the standard 300Tdi turbo is set to 0.9bar. @neilly has modified his a tad