So I got it out today, finally. That top forward nut is a real bear but it can be done with care and patience and a gallon of penetrating fluid. Also an investment in some quality low profile tools. I went to lowes and bought the kobalt "extreme access" 1/4" drive sockets and a 13mm low profile ratcheting box end. These were by far the most useful tools. I also bought a bunch of 1/2" drive breaker bar sized stuff and never got to use them, there is just no room for big stuff. I worked at it from below as much as from above and avoided hammering on the handle to break it loose, but it was tempting. The two bottom nuts came out easily enough from below, you can lie underneath with your legs sticking out the passenger side and reach your arm up from below to access those two. You have to run your arm up along next to the exhaust downpipe. using a low profile socket or ratcheting box end that lets the stud go through the hole in the middle is super helpful. Also the socket or box end has to be thin around the outside of the ratcheting part or else you can't get it next to the turbo body. The sockets should also have fine tooth ratcheting mechanism because there is not a lot of room to swing the handle. For that last top forward one, I considered draining the radiator and removing the bundle of heater hoses in front to get more access/leverage to the last nut, but that looked like its whole own can of worms. So in the end I got my low profile 1/4" 13mm socket on it tight from the bottom and then came around the front of the grill reached through the bundle of heater hoses, and just hung on it and it finally broke free.

The part that went the worst for me is I stripped the hex head on one of the screws holding the drain line into the bottom of the turbo. The down side of the maximum access tools is that they are supposedly "metric or SAE" but I think they are more likely to strip than traditional hex sockets if its not perfectly straight on the hex head. That drain makes a bend right into where your hand wants to go if you use the extension included with the 1/4" drive kit, and you think the socket is on tight but its really slightly angled. Luckily there was still enough shape that I could grab it with a traditional socket.

Someone asked for some pictures. I am not sure how helpful these are, but, here you go:
turbo shaped hole from above: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8vb7H ... sp=sharing
turbo shaped hole from below. Still need to go buy a 22mm wrench to get the engine side of the oil supply line off. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8vb7H ... sp=sharing
old and new turbos. Pretty sure the old one should not rattle when I shake it ... https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8vb7H ... sp=sharing
old turbo screw hole broke when I tried to tighten the heat shield down too tight. I guess its just cast aluminum so I shouldn't hork it down as much. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8vb7H ... sp=sharing

I got the new turbo in and then all the other stuff - coolant overflow airbox, inlet hose, and CAC hose. Something that screwed me up at first is that the m8 nuts I removed were 13mm sockets but the new copper ones that came with the turbo are 12mm. That caused some momentary confusion. Also had to replace one stud - it wasn't broken but somehow it got stripped when I remove the nuts and the new ones would not chase down on it.

I was not able to get a torque wrench anywhere near any of the nuts. So I looked at the spec torques and then just horked them all down tight as I could with a 1/4" socket or box end wrench. Then I let it sit over night so I could look with fresh eyes the next morning. I did discover a couple things that I forgot to tighten (inlet hose clamp on airfilter box) or put in wrong (CAC hose) so that was a good idea. Then I gingerly started it and looked under the hood it for any obvious bad sounds or exhaust leaks. Then a test drive - at 2000 rpm I got a new whistling sound. I think I wasn't able to get enough torque on the exhaust nuts. I think an exhaust leak forms when there is enough pressure and then I can hear the turbo sounds louder. I am going to take it in to my regular mechanic and get him to tighten up all those nuts I couldn't reach with his fancy tools. Other than that it felt ok but I was afraid to go over about 2200 rpm.

There are two sounds that I thought would go away but have not. When you remove gas suddenly, it makes a sneezing sound. This must be some sort of vacuum/turbo regulator sound? I'd appreciate any thoughts on that if its a bad thing or something else to replace.

The other sound is, there is a rattling sound under torque that I thought would go away with the turbo change. its subtle, and part of the reason I shook the old turbo when I took it out was to see if there was a rattle in there that might explain this sound. I am now starting to fear that it could be some kind of valve problem. it sound like little rocks bouncing around in the exhaust pipe. If I wanted to localize it I might say it comes from near the EGR (which is software deleted by the ecotune).

OK So I took it in to my mechanic. He said the turbo install is just fine, no exhaust leaks and not to be worried that the new turbo whistles louder than the old one ever did. Also, the sneezing sound is unrelated, its a blown EGR cooler gasket that he's going to swap for me tomorrow (I've spent enough of my free time under the hood of this thing for this month).This ought to set me up for another 6 months or so before the next major system fails ... Actually before that I am going to install a turbo timer and decide what to do with the crankcase exhaust. It sounds like the EHM is no longer the preferred solution and I ought to do something else like a filter.

Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute!

Blown gasket at the EGR valve you say?
Tell your mechanic to remove the EGR valve and conveniently forget to put it back on while installing the Weeks101 intake kit.

_________________
U.S. Army Retired

I have the ecotune EGR delete working. I have the new intake hose - this failure is probably what killed my turbo since it looked like it sucked some hose debris in. I don't want the EHM for all the reasons in that long thread about it. But I don't want to loose another turbo to a bad intake hose and I don't want to have to take that elbow off every oil change or two to inspect it. I really wish I could get a silicone replacement like the red mishimoto hoses I have on either side of the CAC.

I would put in the EGR pipe kit if I thought it would pass CA smog that way.

Owning this CRD has taught me a lot about how diesels have changed. My old 91 cummins dodge has timing gears and probably close to half a million miles on it. I don't know - the odometer stopped around 1/4 million. No timing belt to change every 100kmiles. No EGR valve, exhaust gas recycling etc. Things are beefy and still work 24 years later, and look at all the diesel mercedes from the 70s still running with never an engine rebuild. Is my 06 CRD still going to be running in 2030?

I'm not an old guy but - they don't make em like they used to. Also, you kids get off my lawn.

edit: confused mercedes timing chains with cummins timing gears.

I doubt the smog check people would even notice that it's missing

_________________
U.S. Army Retired

We had a VERY similar issue with one of our vehicles. Ended up being a boost leak at the intercooler itself. Not uncommon for a small pinhole or crack to make this noise and only hear it at certain RPMs or boost pressures. You might see some oil residue (usually covered in dirt/dust) on your intercooler/core, this is a dead giveaway.

Good luck!

_________________
SasquatchParts.com

Supporting Vendor

Jeep Liberty 2.8L CRD
Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon 2.8L Duramax