Good thought. The first thing I checked was the intake tract and there was nothing more than an extremely light coating of oil in the intake manifold, intercooler and pipes. There certainly wasn't enough to cause any smoke.

 

OK, cool. Keep us posted on what you use for the upgraded components.

 

Thanks man. Will do.

I've reached out to TPC for details on the turbo and will post them here if I hear back (big if). Hopefully we'll be able to document a solution here for other owners

 

If you can't do a rebuild and need to replace. Look into precision turbos. Very nice....

 

Thanks. I've owned precision turbos in the past and agree that they are excellent quality.

I haven't received a response to my last couple emails to TPC (surprise surprise) but here's the options I've found so far for addressing this problem

- Have TPC rebuild the turbo (every 1,000 miles) for $950
- Order the rebuild kit mentioned previously by Bradmd from G-pop Shop. You'll need the Garrett T3/T4 hybrid rebuild kit. The basic version is $79 or $119 with upgraded thrust bearing and piston ring. Link: http://gpopshop.com/products-page/al...rebuild-kit-2/
- Have a shop like majestic turbo in Waco rebuild and balance the turbo for approx $450
- Complete replacement (Still trying to find options for a direct replacement. Will update this post if found)

At this point (thanks to Bradmd's very helpful guidance via PM) I've gone ahead and ordered the rebuild & upgrade kit from G-pop. Apparently the turbo can be marked, rebuilt and realigned without need to re-balance the compressor assembly (bringing the total rebuild cost to just $119). I'll update this thread with my results and any learnings

 

That's great news about the rebuild, but it is still only a temporary solutions no? Especially if its only going to last you another 1000 miles based on your feedback and Bradmd. Either way, you are definitely taking the hi road on your whole project and good thing you are a tinkerer!!! Keep us posted.

 

Hopefully the rebuild will be a long-term solution. The current bearings and seals are probably cheap and it was likely assembled in a rushed fashion on a line. Given that I'm using quality parts and will be working slowly and carefully, I believe my results will be better... time will tell

 

To their credit, TPC eventually replied with some information. Much of this is already captured, but wanted to post it here for others:

From Tom at TPC Racing:
The turbo frame size is T3/T4. There are hundreds of compressor and turbine combinations within the T3/T4 frame family but they all share the same bearings. Just like small block Chevy engine uses the same main and rod bearings for all the bore and stroke combos. Same for Porsche engine using same bearings for 2.7, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, and 3,8 engines... T3/T4 is the most popular turbo frame in the history of turbos for cars, truck, marine and industrial equip. The bearing OD/ID size is Standard/Standard. The truth is branding doesn't matter ever since Garrett, the originator, ceased to offer factory support/parts for the million turbos on the market for many years. All bearings are sourced from small countries and then branded because bigger countries have pollution laws that's not favorable for making this stuff. That's likely why all OEM turbo suppliers abandoned journel bearing for ball/ceramic bearing. Nonetheless the T3/4 frame is still ever popular due to versatility and ease of repair and aftermarket support. Selfservicing is definitely doable for a person of your skill level. There are many yotube videos that are helpful by doing a google search. In confidence, the wearable parts in packaged rebuild kits usually tends to be more durable than the production line bearings. But then again we do disassemble new turbos to replace the bearings before sending them out. So it is rather hit or miss. A good set of bearings a turbo will last a long time. I would have to think companies that exclusively sell turbo parts have a better handle on the situation. I am sorry that your went.

 

Quick update here. I rebuilt the turbo myself using the g-pop kit mentioned above and have driven about 200 miles since.

Couple notes:
-G-Pop was awesome. I received a confirmation and tracking details within about an hour of placing my order. The parts were very neatly packaged and are clearly better quality than those they replaced

-Rebuilding a turbo (at least a basic T3/T4 like this) is very simple. We’ll see how my home-balancing job holds up, but I’m confident that the rotating assembly is within 1mm of the original positioning. If you have basic mechanical skills and a fine-tipped paint marker, don’t be afraid to tackle this one yourself

 

I rebuilt my turbo as well. Also have about 200 miles on it, working well.

 

Brad, how many miles on yours before it needed a rebuild?

Imolasoul, how many miles on yours now since the rebuild, and is everything working well? I find it hard to believe the original design of these kits is so poor that they're failing in so few miles and that there wasn't some durability testing done prior to release.

 

Garage queen, Less than 1000. Mine didn’t fail, just began leaking oil. Had a bad seal.

 

I have about 1,200 on mine since the rebuild now and the car is running great. I actually just took my bumper off over the weekend and inspected the turbo for any shaft play or evidence of oil leakage. Everything looked perfect. Zero shaft play like before and the compressor wheels spins for an extended time under it's own momentum (quickly stopped spinning prior to rebuild).

I'm happy with the car overall, but getting the itch to start another project

 

Great, I will be right over with my 997.1.

 

As long as you're paying for parts and beer, I'm down!