Turbocharger Maintenance

Knowing how to inspect a used or remanufactured turbocharger before it goes on the engine is the difference between a repair that lasts 200,000 miles and one that grenades in a week. At PT Turbo, we’ve been rebuilding and testing turbochargers since 1978, and we’ve seen too many good engines killed by a bad unit

Learning How to Clean Turbocharger Carbon Deposits from the intake system is one of the most valuable maintenance skills a diesel tech or owner-operator can have, because carbon buildup silently strangles airflow long before it throws a code. Every diesel engine produces soot, and thanks to EGR systems recirculating exhaust gas back into the intake,

Knowing how to flush the turbo oil system after a turbocharger failure is the single most important step between installing a new unit and watching it grenade in under 5,000 miles. When a turbo fails, it doesn’t fail quietly. Metal fragments, carbonized oil, and coked-up debris get pushed through the oil feed and drain lines,

Knowing How to Remove Stuck Turbocharger Exhaust manifold bolts without snapping them is one of the most valuable skills a diesel mechanic can have, because a single sheared bolt can turn a two-hour turbo swap into a two-day machine-shop nightmare. Those bolts live in the hottest, dirtiest part of the engine, cycling between ambient temperature

Knowing How to Replace a Turbocharger Oil Drain Return Line is one of those skills that separates a mechanic who chases repeat failures from one who fixes the problem the first time. The drain line does unglamorous work: it lets oil that has already lubricated and cooled the center housing gravity-feed back into the crankcase.

Knowing How to Replace a Turbocharger Oil Feed Line is one of the most valuable skills a diesel tech can have, because a restricted or leaking feed line is one of the fastest ways to kill an otherwise healthy turbocharger. The oil feed line delivers pressurized, filtered engine oil to the center housing rotating assembly

Knowing how to perform a boost leak test on a diesel engine is one of the most valuable diagnostic skills a mechanic can have, because a single cracked hose or loose clamp can rob a turbo diesel of power, kill fuel economy, and trigger a string of confusing fault codes. At PT Turbo, we’ve spent

Knowing how to test turbocharger boost pressure with a gauge is one of the most valuable diagnostic skills a diesel tech can have, because boost numbers tell you exactly what your turbo is doing under load without pulling a single bolt. A cheap mechanical gauge and twenty minutes can save you from throwing parts at