Gokiwi64

Geriatric Member
Apr 26, 2014
1,370
715
Hockley, Essex
Gonna take a chance with this posting but can any body recommend a good and reputable supplier that rebuilds turbo's or provides "new" reconditioned units ?

I'm working on worst case scenario that the exhaust manifold is cracked and so is the exhaust housing , I've been quoted £600 labour to swap out both manifold and turbo, so that needs to be factored in as well and then there's the exhaust manifold .
I have a horrible feeling that this is actually beyond my financial means and may well be the end of the LCR :-(

AET dont even list the LCR
Beachbuggy never responds to emails
Turbo Dynamics OEM £900, £1600 for a Hybrid unit.
Ebay Remanufactured for around £500 +/- £200 surcharge on old unit

Not a good day today.
 
Gonna take a chance with this posting but can any body recommend a good and reputable supplier that rebuilds turbo's or provides "new" reconditioned units ?

I'm working on worst case scenario that the exhaust manifold is cracked and so is the exhaust housing , I've been quoted £600 labour to swap out both manifold and turbo, so that needs to be factored in as well and then there's the exhaust manifold .
I have a horrible feeling that this is actually beyond my financial means and may well be the end of the LCR :-(

AET dont even list the LCR
Beachbuggy never responds to emails
Turbo Dynamics OEM £900, £1600 for a Hybrid unit.
Ebay Remanufactured for around £500 +/- £200 surcharge on old unit

Not a good day today.
Badger 5 stocks the parts to rebuild it £200 ISH pound, then take it to be balanced £50-100 and fit it yourself....£500/600 to fit is a joke mate. Manifold is what..£40 on eBay or scrap yard.
Round here a bam engine fitted is cheaper than your man with everything included, your man looking at 500/600 is just robbing you.

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Hi bud, as Connor said. I’ve been through half your pain. It’s all in my ride. Link in my strap line below. In short,
My turbo was buggered. Wobble front and back and ding on blades.
Went with a recon unit first which was 400 quid.
Good result I thought. With no lag and no hot legs.
Went for a map. Wouldn’t hold boost properly.
Did research. Found Owen Developments. Oxford area.
They know their turbos.
Supply British Touring Car Championship with all turbos. Also Indy Lights series in USA.
had them recon the recon.
Found it was a fake from a Chinese Christmas cracker. Not even correct materials used.
They obviously wouldn’t touch it. Normally they strip it and call you with a report and quote at the end of the first day and you decide what you want to do.
(They recondition with better bearings and seals etc. Probably better than original. )
I ended up buying a brand new KO4 from them for 900 quid. Turbo fitting should be about 240 ish.
Subframe out lots of fiddly messing about but not rocket science. Shouldn’t be such a high labour charge tbh.
You won’t go wrong with Owen Developments. Super professional bunch.


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Been in contact with Owen - to be honest not impressed, Gave them the car make and model , engine type and turbo yet thats not good enough they want part numbers and the details from the i.d tag (impossible to read)- at this point I gave up, maybe they want my shoe size and inside leg measurement too ?.
However with the turbo costing 900 (assuming its possible to get them the right info) being a "captive" audience in terms of having to use my local independent, needing an exhaust manifold (all ebay ones thus far are shite and their condition generally lied about) I'm still looking at 2000 plus which is just not funds I have given how sketchy my job situation is.

So its a case of just having to run it as it is ......
 
Wow that’s very strange.
I called them said I had a Borg Warner ko4 that I wanted reconditioned and they said fine bring it it or send it in and we’ll go from there.


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May sound like a glib response (its not in reality) , my experience of under estimating the cost of things (i.e: assuming its only going to need Y to fix and then finding out its actually Yx4) Luck , I just don't have any to be assured that I can rely on a best case scenario. Unknown history of the past 3 years of the car.
I don't work in a public transport accessible area so need my car , I don't have a safe location to work on it even if I could find another way to work.
So all I can do is work on worst case scenario's.

http://badger5.biz/epages/3927bc2c-...6485-4739-96a5-d6cca869fcd6/Products/K04-chra
Main part of the charger. Get the turbo off and see if it's cracked or not first. What makes you think it is?

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I will be following up on every option presented and continue too seek advice as it is all very well meant and relevant but as in my explanation to Andrew , I don't have much luck or funds and you need both to keep these old beasts on the road , and I guess that leads to someone asking the question why buy one if you cannot afford it ........
 
So the choices/options are becoming less and less

1. Keep throwing money at it - Its 14 years old and you would never recover anything spent and how much longer will it last ?
2. Sell it as is - But then you still need money to buy something else maybe spend 1500 on a Ford Focus , cheap to run , cheap to maintain type scenario
3. Run it into the ground - just spend the minimum until it dies/fails an mot , might be the best option financially
 
Sometimes it’s “ Better, the Devil You Know” scenario.
New “old cars “ can come with hidden problems, some don’t. That’s the gamble.
I always think about what I’d be able to replace mine with and come to the conclusion that I’d have to spend quite a bit to have something even nearly comparable. Which I just couldn’t do.
As a result I’m going to save for some con rods which is like an insurance policy for the money I’ve put into mine. Don’t want to bend a rod and ruin all my hard work and empty pockets.


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Just to add into this theme of better the devil you know, there have been many post's on here of people buying MK3's and having big expensive issues. I had a CMAX many years ago (it was only 4 years old (ex motobility car)) lent it to my old man as he had his car written off buy a bad driver and he had to replaced the clutch, when he gave it back to me I had to replace the clutch (and because Ford used some odd lets make money setup they were a £1,000 a time. If you look just at the MK3 the LED Lights on the early models will start to go and they are £700 - £1000, the rear lights have water issues due to cheap french manufacturer which again cost hundreds to fix.

I understand your current situation but if the car is still running its keep looking and hopefully some good luck will come your way