Upgrade turbo without tune?

atomicthumbs · Post by **atomicthumbs** » 16 Mar 2021, 17:22

Howdy. My 1998 V70R has developed an oil leak at the turbo, with oil in the post-turbo piping; presumably it needs a rebuild.

I'm thinking: if the turbo has to come out, it'd be nice to improve its characteristics while I'm at it.

Is there any turbo upgrade that can be done which the car can take advantage of without a modified ECU tune? Something that would make it more responsive, etc?

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 16 Mar 2021, 18:51

atomicthumbs wrote: ↑16 Mar 2021, 17:22 Is there any turbo upgrade that can be done which the car can take advantage of without a modified ECU tune? Something that would make it more responsive, etc?

If you change the Turbo you will need to remap the ECM.
That car has a Motronic 4.4. You can learn about tuning the Motronic 4.x at M44 Wiki.

What do you mean by more "more responsive" .. Kicks in sooner but peters out sooner OR kicks in later but more top end power?

Post by **erikv11** » 16 Mar 2021, 19:47

(1) It is totally normal to have oil in the piping. Unless it is flooded with oil, it is probably fine. And these TD-04HL turbos are extremely hardy, unlikely to have blown seals though of course it is possible.

(2) You can safely change the turbo (i.e put in a larger one) without changing the tune, but without a tune change the larger turbo won't function as an upgrade. Boost is controlled by the ECM, not the hardware.

For your car, a tune with the same turbo would go a long way if you want to make "because racecar" changes. Changing the turbo and tune both would give more performance but probably not the best path to upgrade.

Post by **scot850** » 17 Mar 2021, 10:44

If the turbo is fine (is the 98 V70R using an 18T?), then a tune is the way to go. These turbos can get a bit oily with age. Rebuilding is an option as long as the casing is not cracked (see Wheeler Dealers V70R rebuild). A tune can get a lot more power and from the same turbo. For example the Rica tune on my 2000 R with a 19T turbo as standard supposedly increases the bhp from 265 to 312. It does not improve the pedal response as Volvo have tuned that out..

Neil

Post by **erikv11** » 17 Mar 2021, 15:06

98 V70R has a 16T. But still, yes plenty to be gained from just a tune.

Post by **scot850** » 17 Mar 2021, 16:30

I must be losing it. I thought the T5 had a T16 and the 98 R a T18?

Neil.

Post by **erikv11** » 17 Mar 2021, 20:17

For 1998 the ONLY engine difference between an R and a T5 is the tune. The R is a T5 with AWD and a tune, that's it. 98 is much like the 850s in that way, though 850R are not AWD. For 99+ the turbos got bigger.

Post by **scot850** » 17 Mar 2021, 20:59

Thanks Eric. Always appreciate your help. The 13G on my V70 XC 98 spooled up way quicker than any other P80 I've driven as is is small. Naturally it runs out of power higher up. 16T is a good middle ground. 18/19T (especially 19T) takes a while to spool up and get in the groove.

Neil.

atomicthumbs · Post by **atomicthumbs** » 19 Mar 2021, 01:41

erikv11 wrote: ↑16 Mar 2021, 19:47 (1) It is totally normal to have oil in the piping. Unless it is flooded with oil, it is probably fine. And these TD-04HL turbos are extremely hardy, unlikely to have blown seals though of course it is possible.

Unfortunately there's more oil than usual seeping out of the pipe, and my oil change guy warned me the turbo seemed to have leaked oil all over itself.

Post by **abscate** » 19 Mar 2021, 04:45

Check the 50 cent copper washers on the oil lines before you tear it down