I have looked through the "How To's" on turbo removal. My question is not on how to remove it but on the method of removing the turbo. I have seen video showing the removal of the turbo from the top. I wanted to know if its possible to remove it from bottom to avoid removing the radiator? If possible to remove from the bottom would it be faster? I ask because I have a manifold, fp turbo, and o2 house all assembled and ready to drop in.

 

Removing the radiator is by FAR the easiest and fastest method to pull it up from the top but I digress...you didn't ask that.

If from the top you don't have to remove the radiator, nor from the bottom if you're very careful. From the top you don't have to remove the downpipe but from the bottom you may have to drop it and then trying to maneuver the assembly with the exhaust manifold being so wide and everything you're asking for trouble...then there's the cat being heavy as hell so it has to be supported. A lot of people cover the radiator with cardboard to avoid damaging it but then again...the factory fan which I haven't had in my car in a while may come into contact with something if you don't at least unbolt that.

My method -

Drain radiator
Remove Intake
Remove radiator upper hose
Remove radiator with fan
Remove all but two nuts from head
Remove downpipe bolts
Disconnect oil lines
Disconnect coolant lines
Remove last two bolts from head
Pull it towards front of car so the exhaust manifold clears the studs then lift it up and out

Install is reverse.

I can pull a radiator in about 6 minutes now (plus a couple to drain) and that includes the intake. It's very simple and it's worth it to not risk damaging it which is very very easy to do.

Is there a reason you don't want to pull the radiator out? Just curious

 

+1 on removing the radiator. I put a hole in mine removing the Original turbo and then putting in the new one. Next time I did it I removed the radiator and it was soooo much easier , took half the time as before.

Athanasios

 

Its not that I dont want to remove the radiator. I just wanted to know if there was a faster way of doing a turbo change out. With this being my first time removing the turbo I wanted to see if there was a way to cut some time off on the removal and installation. I am assuming that this would be 6 to 8 hrs of work.

 

Not sure I would say its that much work from a time perspective. Really just a matter of having the right tools and doing some prep work. Night before pb blast bolts and let the soak. Also I would remove the radiator. Less risk of damaging it. Drain coolant so less of a mess. Also give you a ton more room to work. Its pretty straight forward to remove just breaking the bolts and having the room to work can be the tricky part.

 

So is it possible to remove the turbo from the bottom?
One of my manifold nuts is stripped and i cannot reach it to grind it off.
Has anyone removed the turbo from the bottom?

 

I pretty sure there is no way to remove it from the bottom unless you want to remove a lot more than what's neccessary. If its your first time I suggest doing it right, and not try to find ways to make it faster because **** is going to go wrong if the stock turbo has never been off the car including breaking bolts. I would suggest not taking out the radiator what I did was use a piece of cardboard to protect it from damage so that would save you a little time. And honestly it doesn't matter if it came out the top or bottom all the steps would be the same so that's not saving you any time regardless plus it would require 2 people one on top to hand the parts down to someone under the car vs one person just lifting it out.

 

+1, best way by far from what i've experienced. I lubed the bolts to loosen them and had to use a little heat to break the 02 housing bolts free. Good Luck!

 

this is pretty much all that you need to know..

 

you can do it with the rad in, but its a huge pain... I would say take rad out, drain in to a clean pail so u can reuse.

cheers

rob

 

I removed my stock turbo, take off manifold bolts, bolts off manifold to turbo, down pipe bolts, remove manifold up and out , pull oil and coolant lines off and let them drain ( not much fluids came out), remove turbo and 02 housing. When you put on the LICP or elbow, bolt it up to the turbo before you install..it's a pain to bolt up one of the bolts because of clearance. I did not remove the rad. I also put on a new exhaust manifold gasket. I put in a Tomei turbo, manifold and Megan 02 housing..the Tomei turbo is a lot bigger than stock and it went in just as easy as the stock one came out.

N

 

It definitely is not 6-8 hours of work. It took me around an hour to remove mine including pulling the radiator