Average life span for Turbo in 1999 V70-XC

[jblackburn]

It seems to me the little 13G's in the XC/GLT's die early and blow oil everywhere. Probably because they go to full boost at a very low engine speed compared to the T5 ones. Just a theory, but I have looked at 2 of them for sale that had quite obviously bad turbos - the smoke cloud under hard acceleration was enormous

[ONV70XC]

When I bought my 2000 V70XC I had the turbo done. Long story as to why and that is for another time. However here's what I was told for pricing: $500 for a rebuild or $1500 for a new turbo, those prices include labor. I originally was going with the rebuild but after weeks of waiting and not hearing anything I ended up with a new turbo. Where was I going with this? Oh yes I remember. The rebuild kit was coming from oversees and was on back order for 6 months and the shop I had do the work got one from a nearby Volvo dealer. So if your going for a rebuild I would check on the back order maybe it's not an issue now. My car had 153k miles on it and the turbo was still in good order. Sometimes I ramble but eventually I get to my point.

Why did you decide to do turbo on the first place if not a secret? What symptoms you've observed?

[j_cd]

It seems to me the little 13G's in the XC/GLT's die early and blow oil everywhere. Probably because they go to full boost at a very low engine speed compared to the T5 ones. Just a theory, but I have looked at 2 of them for sale that had quite obviously bad turbos - the smoke cloud under hard acceleration was enormous

What a coincidence, this thread was revived the same day I finish pulling the 13G turbo out again (exhaust valve needs repair).

I can have a 15G compressor wheel put on this turbo at a shop nearby. Should I do it?

My buddy says get a Garrett, they're better than Mitsubishi. Different outlet flange though (T3), so I might have to get a tubular header instead of the used R manifold I bought. Could be a fitment nightmare. If not, that would be pretty cool.

[jblackburn]

I dunno. Garrett's on saabs blow up pretty frequently.

15g will introduce a lot of turbo lag. If you've never driven a T5, go drive one before making that decision and see how you like it.

[igel513]

jb, so how do you get rid/remedy the turbo lag on T5s?

[jblackburn]

jb, so how do you get rid/remedy the turbo lag on T5s?

You can't. It's just inherent to having a big turbo wheel to spool up and stupid tall transmission gearing that Volvo used in the 4-speed automatics. You can shorten the wastegate rod a little bit on the Volvos that will get you into boost at around 2200 RPM instead of 2500, but you must be careful with that. It will make the car more responsive, but you also risk bending your engine rods if too much boost pressure comes on too soon.

A tune specific to your setup could probably help a good bit.

When it's all said and done, there's always a trade-off with small turbocharged engines vs larger displacement engines. You can have a small, low-pressure turbo like in the GLT models (or my Cruze) that has lots of pep off the line and nothing past 3500-4000 RPM, or slow to spool up, slow off the line, but pulls like CRAZY in the top end (e.g. T5 Volvos that add almost 80 hp to the stock engine, Subaru WRX STi). Some manufacturers, like BMW, use both a small and large turbo for a more even powerband, but that's expensive and complex.

The addition of variable valve timing and electronic throttles, and advances with direct injection, knock sensors, O2 sensors, and better computer management has all helped small turbocharged cars recently *mask* the lag associated with turbochargers a bit. If you drive a 1999 T5, you'll notice that it seems a little peppier than a 1998 with the same engine/turbo.

Then, in the summer, there's the problem of heat soak and knock associated with high intake air temperatures (heat soak from the intercooler doesn't help) and high-compression engines. You may feel that the engine is bogging down - and that's where it's retarding timing when it hears detonation under low RPM, high load conditions.

My little Cruze falls on its face off the line in hot weather because it pulls timing to a ridiculous amount to prevent harmful knock (and it's running the AC compressor with a tiny 1.4 liter engine that doesn't have much power of its own to back it up without the turbo - same with the Volvos). As soon as you hit 1800-2000 RPM, though, off you go. Ford's 1.6 Ecoboost that they will be using in the 2013 Fusion and 2013 Escape is a FANTASTIC engine - a brief second of lag, then it rockets off and revs quickly.

[matthew1]

Nice, Justin.

Another new-tech answer to turbo lag is the "hot V" setup (BMW) where turbo(s) are located between banks of cylinders. Two advantages here: the heat (after all, a type of energy) is better harnessed and put to use spinning turbo compressor blades, and the distance between exhaust valves and turbo(s) is shortened.

[jblackburn]

Quite a few manufacturers integrate the turbos into the exhaust manifolds these days. It is now a common practice among VW/Audi, Ford, Chevrolet, and BMW as you said.

It makes turbo replacement or upgrading a bit of a pain, but for most people that keep their cars stock, the payoffs are good.

You will also notice a lot of intake manifolds and hoses are being made out of plastic. It may seem that it's just cost cutting, but actually plastic absorbs much less heat than metal or aluminum, which also helps with those intake temperatures that turbo engines hate so much.

[matthew1]

And yea, the HPT Volvos are laggy. I know, I've been driving one for 12 years. But they're fun once that shaft starts turning.

It comes down to a difference in mass between 15G and 13G. More mass = takes longer to get up to a given RPM.

[j_cd]

Great info guys. Sadly, I won't be getting a BMW or Audi soon.

I was reading some other threads about upgrading the turbo here recently. One expert says leave the 13G alone and get an ECU tune, then maybe an exhaust if you really wanna spend the dough. I was planning to get an ECU tune when this rebuild is done anyway, probably just an ARD White though.

I think you can go up to a 15G without upgrading to higher flow injectors, as long as the ECU fuel trim is adjusted. The question is, do I want the turbo lag?

I should probably keep this car a peppy GLT and put the money into an IPD Transmission Cooler instead. Maybe I'll play around with a Manual Boost Controller. The R Manifold should increase my exhaust flow a little bit.