Turbo replacement

[n4g63]

I'm replacing my stock blown turbo. I know a guy that would swap out the turbo for $2-300 in labor costs; is this worth it or should I do it myself? I have a friend who knows engines better than I do and he says we should do it on our own. Also, what is a good price for a used t25?

 

[marcmsj]

It's not that hard at all so just round up all the tools you need and set out an afternoon to do it.

 

[vaboys2ndgen]

do it yourself, and take that money and you 'could' upgrade to a decent 14b or 16g. just have to look around for a good deal....

 

[kwAlk23]

yeah im with them, thats way too much for a turbo install, just do it yourself ,good to learn how to install it yourself anyways

 

[diablos991]

I would say that his labor price is steep.

I agree with your friend. I think you two should do the job. It is an incredibly easy swap.

Be careful when buying another t25, there are alot out there that have blown seals and the seller will neglect/refuse to tell you the actual condition of the turbo. You might want to look into getting your turbo rebuild.

 

[cooldude919]

I did it by myself on a sunday, ended up taking around 12 hours but that was my first time working on a dsm. If you had a buddy to help you should take around 1/2 that. Make sure you have all the stuff you need, i just said screw it and bought the slowboy install kit. I reused stock oil return line for my 14b swap but it was a pain in the ass, and i had to search to find some bolts to use.

 

[kenamond]

I also agree with doing it yourself. It doesn't take any exotic tools other than an O2 sensor socket and torque wrench (if you consider those exotic). The rest is just wrenches and sockets, PB blaster and a breaker bar (seat post of a bicycle is what I use - with the seat still on it ). You'll need a jack, jackstands for both front corners, too. I'd recommend replacing the turbo/mani bolts while you're at it and ditching the stud/nut that comes stock with a bolt (same as the other 3 bolts). Don't forget to put antiseize on the turbo/mani bolts and O2 sensor when you put things back together.

Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask questions.

 

[eclipseGSTud]

I also agree with the other DSMers on installing the turbo yourself and with a friend. Shops are charging a lot for installation. I have a T25 for sale if you're interested.

 

[yellowkyd278]

Like everyone else, I'd have to agree.

Shops are great for doing internals -- installs with much more catastrophic consequences if things aren't done exactly correctly the first time.

They're also great if you hate to wire and want something to come out nicely mounted.

Aside from that, you should do everything else yourself. Swapping the turbo will familiarize yourself enough with the car to do all other basic bolt-ons.

 

[n4g63]

how can I avoid getting a bad used t25?

 

[black91awdturbo]

buy from a seller with a good rep is about the only way, or buy one you can check the shaft play ect in person.

 

[vaboys2ndgen]

in my opinion if you find a 14b (in good shape) go for that option. you'll enjoy it alot more than the T2small. . . i know i did on my 2g gsx.

 

[mach4g63t]

I also agree with doing it yourself. It doesn't take any exotic tools other than an O2 sensor socket and torque wrench (if you consider those exotic). The rest is just wrenches and sockets, PB blaster and a breaker bar (seat post of a bicycle is what I use - with the seat still on it ). You'll need a jack, jackstands for both front corners, too. I'd recommend replacing the turbo/mani bolts while you're at it and ditching the stud/nut that comes stock with a bolt (same as the other 3 bolts). Don't forget to put antiseize on the turbo/mani bolts and O2 sensor when you put things back together.

Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask questions.

Yea! Antisieze will definitely be a big help if you ever plan on swapping out the turbo again. I changed out the stock turbo on a buddy of mine's FWD one time (my first DSM experience too) and it was a pain in the ass when I stripped the head of the bolt and had to drill the hard-headed bastard out and re-thread it.