Hey Folks,
Just put my GT2056V turbocharger back in today. Purchased the rebuild kit from
www.gpopshop.com. Kit is called the Garret GT15-25 Turbo Rebuild Kit. The guys at gpop-shop are great resourses too (Jim/Gerry). I machined a special collar that was used to unscrew (L thread) the impeller from the shaft - this was the trickiest part of the whole thing - designed the collar so it does not mar the impeller nose. In addition, there is a tricky spiral ring that is used to retain the main journal bearing inside the turbo. Used a set of dental picks to install the new one - that was a pain.
Took it for a spin this afternoon after the install and it ran beautifully. Smooth acceleration compared to before. Before the rebuild, I pulled my VNT apart it was pretty sooty w/ carbon buildup. Used Hoppe's #9 gun cleaner plus the spray bottle cleaner that Hoppe's offeres for removing carbon from firearms. I let all the parts soak in it for a ~ week and came out shiny new. Used brake cleaner to remove the oily residue caused by the Hoppe's #9. The VNT is supposed to go back together DRY AND CLEAN- no lubricant as lubricant will attract future soot and cause VNTs to stick. Remember that this is only actuated by vacuum. So sensitive that you should be able to suck on the vacuum (with your mouth) inlet to your actuator and move the VNT manually.
If you have any questions feel free to ask. So far so good with the turbo rebuild. I'm glad I did it.