Turbocharger Installation Best Practice Tips
Turbocharger Installation Best Practice Tips include, but are not limited to:
- New oil filter.
- Fresh, quality engine oil.
- New air filter.
- New oil feed line – IMPORTANT: this is your turbo’s life line.
- Clean and flush ENTIRE oil system, drop out sump and clean oil pickup / scavenge pump(where fitted), oil check valves (where fitted) tested for correct cracking pressure, replaced or cleaned.
- Sump ventilation/engine breather system including breather hoses and filters cleaned or replaced where necessary.
- Oil pressure through (now-cleaned) oil system (via new or cleaned feed line) MUST be tested for correct flow of oil to turbo.
- Return of oil to sump checked and must flow freely through return line without ‘pooling’ in line and no back pressure from sump (a symptom of poor sump ventilation).
- Turbo must be primed before initial start-up with oil injection into turbo oil gallery to coat thrust bearing, hand cranks of shaft to encourage oil distribution, and ignition-less engine cranks to build oil pressure in feed line and oil gallery prior to initial start-up.
- Intercooler removed and cleaned, induction pipes checked and cleaned, and exhaust cleaned if previous turbo leaked oil into the exhaust system.
- EGR Valve, DPF system and engine exhaust manifold should be checked and cleaned.
- It is also recommended that the Air Flow Meter be replaced at same time as turbo or cleaned at minimum.
- Water lines checked (in the case of water-cooled turbos), to be free from obstruction and hoses are not damaged internally.
- Entire installation process clean and free from any debris (this includes NOT using liquid gaskets, liquid sealant or exhaust sealing paste on any flange that can be sucked into turbo.
- Only use correct stainless or fibre/paper gaskets either supplied or as recommended for that turbo.