093 turbo install help

T Rev

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I have a 1990 F250 7.3 N/A. I'm trying to install a factory 093 turbo. I am having issues seating the turbo to the drain pedestal. While facing the engine looking at the turbo there is about a 16th inch gap on the left side where the turbo mounts to the pedestal. The studs line up in the holes and I can get the nuts on them, I just feel like I shouldn't try to seat the turbo with the studs and nuts.

The hat doesn't want to line up very well either. I feel like the up pipe is barley hitting the engine or something. Is it possible that the clocking is off on the turbo not allowing things to line up? This was a refurbished kit and I'm not sure if something is off.

To top it off my friend noticed the compressor half on the turbo was loose while trying to install. While tightening two of the bolts kept spinning and are stripped. Not sure what to do...

I just feel like the turbo is ever so slightly un aligned. To many hours waisted trying to get things lined up
 
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IDIBRONCO

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It's been quite a while since I've done anything with one of these. I will be doing this on my current project truck, but it will be in the future. Let me try from what little I remember. I would get the pedestal loosely mounted to the intake. Just a few threads on the mounting bolts. Next I'd sit the turbo on and get it tightened up to the pedestal. After that, slip the intake hat onto the turbo and rotate it so that it's pretty well lined up with the intake. Slowly tighten the pedestal mounting bolts (a little on one side then a little on the other) while keeping the hat seated on the intake. Before you get the pedestal bolts completely tight, thread the hat bolt into the intake by hand so that it will stay lined up. Finish tightening the pedestal mounting bolts. Lastly, slip the up pipe in from underneath. I hope this helps.
 

aggiediesel01

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The "clocking" of both the exhaust and compressor housings are most likely your issue. Get the threads fixed and then set it into place on the drain pedestal with the housings just snug so you can tap them to rotate with a block of wood to make everything lines up. Then lift it up again enough to tighten the housings. ATS intended the install to have the upper half of the feed pipe bolted to the turbo as well as the drain casting bolted to the turbo. Then you slip the intake snail over the compressor snout and set the whole assembly down into place and install the two bolts from the drain casting to the manifold. Definitely easier said than done but it will work once the housings are lined up. If your upper and lower feed pipes can't be separated then it gets more complicated trying to get all 4 exhaust housing nuts installed but it's still possible and it helps to leave the drain casting bolts loose until the end.

If you can't fix your compressor housing easily, check with Wes at CDD, he may have spares since he takes that part off for some of his upgrades.

For the compressor housing bolts there are two that are longer than the rest. Those two go to hold the waste gate actuator. The rest are very short and some go into blind holes and some enter the edge of the scroll. I have some pics of them and where they go in an album on here somewhere.

 
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Steven Sochalski

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I ran into the same issue. Took a bit to figure out that there is a ground strap on the back of the passenger head. It was hitting my up pipe and causing the studs to not align with the pedestal, leaving about 1/8 gap on the left side. I spent about an hour trying to figure out what I had done wrong.
 

T Rev

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Thank you for the replies. I have tried just about every combination possible that was recommended. I also made sure to relocate the ground strap from the back of the block. As far as I know there is nothing else in the way. To me I feel like the upper piece of the up pipe is just hitting somewhere like where it makes the bend to go vertical. With the drain pedestal loosely attached to the manifold I can get the turbo drain studs to drop into the pedestal its mostly lined up but the gap doesn't seem to get any smaller no matter how much I wiggle and jiggle the dang thing. I feel like it should almost fall into place before I snug the turbo down on the pedestal. Maybe that's where I'm wrong its just gonna take some serious pressure to suck the passenger side down on the pedestal and I don't want to cause any damage.

The other thing that makes me feel like the clocking is off is. I have attached the pedestal before dropping the turbo in and no matter what, the angle is just off and it will not drop into the drain grommet it can hit the hole but will not seat or align the manifold bolt holes properly. Its instructions say to mont the pedestal first but like I said I have tried everything.

Now that I know I have some holes stripped in the turbo exhaust half I'm worried. Initially when we found the turbo halves were moving I tried to tighten and that's how I found the stripped holes. I don't know on the helicoil and don't totally understand how to clock the turbo for the install. I may just have to send this out to be looked over and repair. Just stinks as this was purchased refurbished and its been over a year since the purchase.

The thing that killed me in the beginning was the wye pipe and upper up pipe were seized together and shipped to me that way and I never realized it was a two part until much time had been waisted. I did however manage to heat and beat the pieces apart so now I have a good understanding about the rest of the install. Between the old cdr drain tube busting apart on me and breaking the male thread of the brass feed adapter in the block this project is defeating me. luckily I was able to ez out the broken piece and cut out the cdr grommet so I'm on a slow start. Wife has had enough so no more help.
 

T Rev

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Can you clock both the exhaust and intake housings? If so how is this done? Also to clarify the bolts that are stripped are 2 of the four bolts that connect the black part to the silver part, sorry for the color reference.
 

typ4

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There is an ear that needs to be sawed off on many transmissions for the up pipe to clear.
 

david85

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Not sure if you have this already, but here's the diagram of the kit if you need a reference.

You must be registered for see images attach
 

T Rev

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Should it be possible to mount the drain pedestal on the turbo along with the upper section of the up pipe to install? Then just drop the drain pedestal into the valley grommet and tighten up the pedestal to intake manifold bolts. I know it was stated in this thread... Just wasn't happening for me.

I'll be getting the backing plate replaced so I don't have a oil leak. At least I know I can try to adjust the clocking if I have clearance issues once repaired. Always learning.

Just wondering who all installs the drain pedestal solo then mount the turbo. Or mount as an assembly with turbo, pedestal, and upper section of the up pipe.
 

aggiediesel01

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You can find the ATS 093 Installation instruction here:


I was incorrect earlier about having both the feed pipe and the drain bolted to the turbo, ATS says Drain casting in place on the manifold and feed casting on the turbo, then set the turbo down on the drain casting and tighten up.

There's also some instruction on how to remove and install in the "Coffee Table Book" for these trucks. You can find them toward the end of the book where it discusses testing and service procedures.


As for clocking the housings, you need to loosen both the compressor housing bolts and the exhaust housing bolts with the feed pipe attached. Then set the turbo assembly on the drain casting and snug it up. Adjust the angle of the feed pipe casting so that it fits into the Y pipe and then adjust the compressor housing so that the pressure chamber or "snail" fits flat onto the intake manifold. Then tighten up as many of the bolts on the exhaust housing and compressor housing as you can reach. Then lift the turbo assembly up from the drain casing enough for you to be able to tighten the remaining bolts on the exhaust and compressor housings. This might be easier to just remove the assembly and tighten it on the bench.

Also be sure to seal the joint between the upper and lower feed castings. If you have enough of a leak there it may be difficult for your turbo to build boost. Some have been able to use a high temperature RTV and some have even used a high temp tar like material for sealing chimneys.
 

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