Red!

I have a K26/8 that may not be working right, I have a guy who has a 26/6 that I can buy for next to nothing, the issue is: Can I just unbolt the 8 hotside and bolt it on the 6?

The whole purpose of this is to test to see if the turbo is bad - under full load I'm only making 8(ish) lbs of boost, so I'm guessing my turbo, or my wastegate is done - I have a new wg to swap-in, I'm just wondering if I can swap-in the turbo while I'm there?

Oddjob

Probably a lot easier/cheaper ways of trouble shooting, before pulling, disassembling and reassembling the turbo.

I have not worked on a turbo before, but the #6 and the #8 turbines are different, and if you start swapping turbine wheels on the shafts (assuming the shafts are the same), it would need to be rebalanced.

If you suspect a turbo and/or WG problem, start with clamping the line from the CV (or MBC) to the WG. WG should stay closed, and the car should generate a lot of boost (so be careful). If the turbo is shot or the WG is stuck open, then it will not make huge boost. Check the KLR blink codes - even if you have aftermarket chips and trinkets on the car, the KLR may still have identified a problem and is retarding timing enough that the car will not make full boost.

Darwantae951

If you're talking about keeping the 8 turbine wheel and using a 6 housing then I don't think that will work.

Red!

For starts, thanks for all the thought - second here's where I'm at (which is why I'm guessing a WG that won't hold more than 8lbs, or a bad turbo):

I clamped the line coming out of the banjo bolt on the intercooler (leaving the other end open so no pressure was going to the CV) and found that I got no more boost, when I drove it hard, i did get a quick boost spike and then a pop, and then no boost at all - I then put it all back together and found that I was getting the same old 8lbs up the back straight.

I jacked up the car and, with it idling, i felt the turbo/exhaust pipe and it was cold, so the WG isn't wide open.

IF the KLR retards timing, would it run rich too? I'm certainly running rich - I got a thank-you card from Saudi telling me I was their kind of Infidel

I'll do a search for the blink codes, I have a full manual set - are they in there too?

white924s

hmmm...so after driving, the turbo/exhaust pipe were cool to the touch?

or just cool relative to what an exhaust should be?

If its the former, my guess is that you probably have an exhaust leak somewhere (which might also explain the rich running)

Red!

Not after driving, just after running/idling/revving it was cool - things that wouldn't cause the turbo to kick-in

I know I have a small exhaust leak, but it was after the turbo and I was told it didn't matter - do you disagree?

95ONE

If it's the stock wastegate... trash it. Constantly going bad on everyones car. It is over 20yrs old now. Buy a dual port. Problem will be solved.

I'm sorry, but the wastegate is nowhere near the turbo. Nor does it involve anywhere near as much work as changing out the hotside. So.. that is a positive to proposed fix, but definately not a "while im in there" thing.