Turbo Charger for 1990's L300 (advice on where to buy)

A

axel

Member
Y'all,
Looking for advice on where to buy a new turbocharger for a 1990 Delica L300.
Found one on delicapartsusa.com for $600, which seems steep but not totally unreasonable.
See a few on eBay for <$200, which seem to be Chinese knock-offs.

Any pointers?
Thank you in advance.

Edit: Installed boost gauge = zero boost. Removed hose from turbo, unable to spin the turbo wheel, appears seized.
 
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vancouver.craigslist.org

4D56 Turbo Charger Assy Complete - auto parts - by dealer

New from Garrett. complete turbo charger, actuator, down pipe, bolts For L300 and Pajero 2500 Rising Sun Auto Import Inc. http://rs-import.ca 9-816 Boyd St. New Westminster BC, Canada V3M 6N1...
vancouver.craigslist.org

You need to replace all of these for better result.
--complete turbo charger, actuator, down pipe, bolts, stud, nuts, hose, etc.
 
stevenlee said:
You need to replace all of these for better result.
--complete turbo charger, actuator, down pipe, bolts, stud, nuts, hose, etc.
Click to expand...
Why? What possible benefit could there be to replacing the downpipe or actuator if they aren't faulty?
 
If not original turbo replacement, we have problem for actuator application problem from all aftermarket parts. Garrett has only 5 bolts pattern exhaust system as we have to replace a down pipe as well.
Also for old turbo work, rust and corrosion is very common. So you need to replace studs/nuts/gaskets….
L300 parts are getting rare and many parts are discontinued.
 
stevenlee said:
If not original turbo replacement, we have problem for actuator application problem from all aftermarket parts. Garrett has only 5 bolts pattern exhaust system as we have to replace a down pipe as well.
Also for old turbo work, rust and corrosion is very common. So you need to replace studs/nuts/gaskets….
L300 parts are getting rare and many parts are discontinued.
Click to expand...
Well, yes; if swapping in a 5 bolt turbo you would need the matching down pipe and an appropriate wastegate actuator (your listing shows both?). Rusty studs/nuts is generally more an issue of time/effort vs money.
 
Thank you for your responses!
I was definitely considering replacing all nuts/bolts/nuts at the same time. @stevenlee, I will review and contact you via PM.

What other parts should I be looking at?
Oil pipe MD094735, Washers 2x MF660063, Banjo Bolt MF650102...? These items are pretty cheap, and may have been part of the root cause (other than being super old).
 
Update:
Successfully removed the turbo yesterday and except for being dirty, it was very straightforward. Released the two exhaust nuts from below, the rest I was doing from above. It took 2 or 3 tries to get to turbo and exhaust manifold out (after completely removing the intake manifold).
All parts were transferred, now waiting for precious time to install (likely next weekend).

Can the group provide some more advice on what to watch out for, especially regarding start-up? Do I need to somehow prefill oil, or just crank a couple of times without starting the engine? What other metrics can I use to monitor my investment into a new turbo? Oil pressure and boost?
 
Definitely prefill the turbo with oil... attach the oil feed line last and add the oil though the feed port.

A pressure (boost) gauge is almost required in order to install a new turbo and get it adjusted right/as desired. After that it's handy to see what the turbo is doing, but not really of much use unless you have a variable boost controller installed. Oil pressure could also be nice to have just as an FYI kind of thing... unfortunately, if the oil pressure warning light on the dash illuminates for any length of time (long enough for you to notice it) it's probably already too late. But I don't have one installed.
 
Kinugawa makes turbochargers for the 4d56 platform. I would be wary of buying from eBay even if it is expensive and the reviews are good. A turbo is one of the components in an engine I would want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt is legitimate. Spinning at over 150,000rpm under your seat, inhaling 1000-degree exhaust gas, and linked into the oil system makes a turbo failure potentially damaging to the rest of the engine.
 
Update:
Turbo installed, I found it quite easy to complete. Again, except for the exhaust connection, I was able to do everything from above.
The motor started right up without hesitation, idle with MUCH less smoke! No smoke when cruising... Coolant water is about 10F cooler, exhaust temps ~600F when cruising, 1000F when going uphill.
--> Boost goes up to 6 or 7, apparently, still needs a little tune on the wastegate I guess? How do I adjust this? Adjust the wastegate rod to be a little longer (or shorter)!?
 
Thank you sk66, I really do appreciate the responses!
Will adjust when the temperature outside drops a bit...
I guess my overpressure valve is glued shut and clamped!? (see image) Probably NOT factory (joke)?

Any advice on a part number?IMG_8075.jpg
 
It should be fine as is... I have mine removed and replaced with a 1" steel pipe plug (running 14psi). But the part # is MD160756.
 
Adjusted the waste gate to 14psi (turned the small wheel about 8 full revolutions "up" to make the arm shorter), van really accellerates now! This is awesome...
Went on a small day trip past Saturday (150miles), pulls up the hill nicely.
Next issue: Squealing sound from the engine. It is hot over here again at 106F, so I will check belt tension and inspect balance belt at some point in time. Also the fan clutch appears to be broken, fan spins freely - shouldnt there be some resistance?

PS: Will follow your advice and NOT replace the over pressure vlave, since I have the boost gauge to ensure I dont blow the engine.
 

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axel said:
Also the fan clutch appears to be broken, fan spins freely - shouldnt there be some resistance?
Click to expand...
Some, but not a whole lot... give it a hard spin by hand; it should stop w/in about 5 revolutions.
 
I must have been hallucinating. Fan spins fine when the engine runs. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What about the fan for the A/C, is it a simple on/off with the A/C on/off?
 
axel said:
Update:
Turbo installed, I found it quite easy to complete. Again, except for the exhaust connection, I was able to do everything from above.
The motor started right up without hesitation, idle with MUCH less smoke! No smoke when cruising... Coolant water is about 10F cooler, exhaust temps ~600F when cruising, 1000F when going uphill.
--> Boost goes up to 6 or 7, apparently, still needs a little tune on the wastegate I guess? How do I adjust this? Adjust the wastegate rod to be a little longer (or shorter)!?
Click to expand...
Which turbo did you go with?
 
It is a "Garrett" ordered through Steven (see above) from Vancouver BC. He can also help you find the other needed parts, ie downpipe (bolt pattern, seals, waste gate actuator etc).

While exhaust temperature and boost itself may not be the ultimate indicators of turbo health, they will certainly help you to keep things in a normal range. I can easily get the exhaust temp up to 1600F (or higher), but I try to keep things below 1400F (on longer climbs). Boost you want to keep around 14psi, or you overpressure the engine (see overpressure valve). The overpressure valve was replaced with a "plug".
 
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