Turbo identification and choice

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to figure a couple of things out regarding my 82 242 turbo. Its currently in its stock k-jet, intercooler-less configuration, with the stock oil cooled t3 turbo.

I have two questions:
First, is there any drawback to running/keeping the oil cooled turbo? I know you need to let it idle and cool at the end of a hard drive, but besides that?
Second, I have another turbo hanging around my garage that I got in a lot of parts from a guy. Its a water cooled Volvo turbo, but I don't know what its from. The intake casting says "Volvo", and its the model with the integral bov on the intake scroll. I have no idea what turbo this is as the id plate is gone. The guy said most of the parts in the lot were from a 740? Would this turbo be a better choice that the stock oil cooled for reasons besides the water cooling?

I've been lurking the forum for a long time and I haven't found anything on this topic, so this is my first post.

Thanks!

Background on the car is:
- no intercooler, but I have all the necessary parts and am going to install it once I find the time
- turbo rebuild planned very soon.
- Stock B21FT k-jet with all new gaskets, flywheel, clutch, etc...
- homemade manual boost controller running 10psi
- New radiator
- AC delete
- M46 trans.
- wideband installation also planned in the near future.

There's a couple of good Volvo guys in Santa Cruz. Talk to Ryan (volvoracer82) and Jeremy at AES Motorsports.

Sounds like the turbo you have is a 13c or 12b if it's a RWD turbo. Do you know what Volvo it was from? Or year?

Put up a picture of it.

If it's a 12b it'll have larger threaded holes for the turbine inlet, m10 IIRC.

13c will have non-threaded holes ready to slide on to m8 studs.

doucheNozzle said:

There's a couple of good Volvo guys in Santa Cruz. Talk to Ryan (volvoracer82) and Jeremy at AES Motorsports.

Sounds like the turbo you have is a 13c or 12b if it's a RWD turbo. Do you know what Volvo it was from? Or year?

Put up a picture of it.

Click to expand...

Yep, I've been talking with Ryan quite a bit. He's been my k-jet mentor on this project. I know those guys are super busy with their shop so I've been reluctant to bug them too much.

I'll try to get a picture of it up tonight or tomorrow...I have to go dig it up. Thanks for the info!

Here are a couple of pics of the spare turbo. Based on what's been suggested so far, this looks like a 12b? I believe it came out of a RWD vehicle...that's what the guy told me anyway.

H2O lines and actuator are still in a box.

So would this unit be preferable to the t3 the car is currently equipped with?

PKripper said:

So would this unit be preferable to the t3 the car is currently equipped with?

Click to expand...

What are you trying to accomplish?

Just trying to work with the part I have. I would have to say my goal would be to make a very spirited daily driver for the mountain roads around here. 225-250 hp I suppose...more maybe? I haven't really dug into it, that and I not completely up to date with achievable numbers with which components, my brain is still stuck on vintage BMW inline six cars. I still need the car to pass CA smog requirements though....

I have a K cam I will swap in and a B230FT intake manifold that I'm planning on plugging up and running with the k-jet.

I will eventually buy a donor 940 and swap to the B230FT. But in the meantime, I would like to reliably squeeze a bit more power out of my current configuration.

The 12b is a crappy turbo. It was great for all of the people who complained about turbo lag but will not get you to 250whp or 250chp.
My wagon with the stock turbo, a 3" DP, B21F intake, K cam 4* advanced and the fuel system shimmed up made about 225 crank. Still had the crappy exhaust manifold on it.

Is your stock turbo dying on you?

The mounting holes don't appear to be threaded, the hallmark of the 12b turbo, most likely a 13c from what I can see.

Not quite yet. The stock turbo still spools up nicely but its has some axial play and its got a pretty good oil leak on the intake side. Ebay has some good t3 kits for around 60 bucks so I was going to rebuild it and get a few more years out of it.
I recently discovered that the catalytic converter was extremely plugged and preventing the exhaust from getting out...removing it turned it into a new car, but I have to put a new one back on. I don't know how long the car was running with the bad cat, but I would imagine that all that back pressure didn't do any good things to the turbo.

Thanks for the great info. Your wagon setup sounds really similar to what mine will be. Is there a good alternative to the stock exhaust manifold?

PKripper said:

Not quite yet. The stock turbo still spools up nicely but its has some axial play and its got a pretty good oil leak on the intake side. Ebay has some good t3 kits for around 60 bucks so I was going to rebuild it and get a few more years out of it.
I recently discovered that the catalytic converter was extremely plugged and preventing the exhaust from getting out...removing it turned it into a new car, but I have to put a new one back on. I don't know how long the car was running with the bad cat, but I would imagine that all that back pressure didn't do any good things to the turbo.

Thanks for the great info. Your wagon setup sounds really similar to what mine will be. Is there a good alternative to the stock exhaust manifold?

Click to expand...

Just having a 90+ will help it alot. I actually really liked the light switch setup of my car. Below 3k it was a dog and so you could just short shift and get reasonable fuel economy. Above that it pulled very cleanly all the way until 6500.

Ideally you would let your car idle for a few minutes to cool down even if you have a water cooled turbo.
Otherwise you are just going to super heat the coolant that's in the turbo and you can still coke up your bearings.

I find water cooling a hindrance. I'd rather cut my turbo lifespan in half than deal with the extra plumbing - especially with OEM hoses. They're all slowly rotting and stuff.

doucheNozzle said:

Just having a 90+ will help it alot. I actually really liked the light switch setup of my car. Below 3k it was a dog and so you could just short shift and get reasonable fuel economy. Above that it pulled very cleanly all the way until 6500.

Click to expand...

Good tip, thanks.


Yes, I agree. I definitely like the less cluttered, clean engine compartment.