7.3 IDI with ATS 088 turbo, how ?

[williampryor79]

I have a 1989 Ford F250 with the 7.3 IDI with an ATS 088 turbo set up. We can not keep the down pipe in the turbo housing and the turbine is not spinning real good. Any idea where to get parts and how to rebuild it?

 

[blackcloudf250]

I have a '86 F-250 6.9 with the same turbo and I had a similar issue. Depending on how badly your exhaust housing/pipes are worn out you can fix this problem a few ways. Mine wasn't too worn and I was able to remove the turbo and clean both the exhaust inlet and down pipe outlet sockets with a wire wheel on a drill. I also cleaned the end of the downpipe and inlet pipe the same way. Once cleaned I applied a thick coating of exhaust sealer on both mating surfaces. The stuff I used is available at most auto parts stores, it is Versachem part #ver00160. Before reinstalling the turbo, I made sure my downpipe bracket (it secures the downpipe to the pass. side header) was tightened and adjusted so the turbo inlet exhaust pipe and down pipe were sticking up at equal height. I then reinstalled the turbo and let it sit for 24hrs. After that I test drove it and my boost when from barely 2psi to 10psi. If your housing is so worn that your pipes have a lot of slop and you dont feel sealing alone will work, clean out both sides as stated above, but before applying sealant buy a tubing expander like the ones available at harbor freight and slowly bit by bit expand your down pipe until it fits snug into the turbo. The inlet pipe is cast so you wont be able to expand it so your options are lots of sealant, add weld to build up the pipe or, try to find a not so used cast inlet pipe. Then seal both pipes, install your turbo, let cure and enjoy your new power.