Reassembling a T04E, need advise

[TGP37]

Took it apart to clean it and I was curious. Wasn't smoking before hand but is spitting oil out the turbine now and is smoking badly. Confirmed it is the turbine seal that is leaking oil. The dry cross-over and oil soaked DP explains it all.

I was able to get the turbine ring seal to click into place and confirmed it with my digital caliper. But when I bolt down the compressor back plate it forces the turbine blade out just enough to break the seal. The seal is great until I bolt down the compressor back plate.

I don't get it. Everything is put back just right. The compressor wheel is balanced by itself and the turbine is balanced with the shaft. Not that balancing matters in this case of oil leaking but it shows how precise I am.

No excessive play except for a slight amount in the compressor bearing, but not a lot.

I examined everything and the only conclusion I have is the rubber o-ring gasket between the compressor back plate and the center housing was crushed or is non-reusable.

I must have snapped that turbine seal into place 5 times, each time getting pushed out. Except for the trial when I bolted the compressor blade first then tightened the center housing bolts. The turbo wasn't spinning freely, to much effort to spin so I dissassembled again.

[Joseph Upson]

You probably damaged something on initial reassembly. You have to be very careful with the turbine seal, it has to go into place without much of a fight, if it slips out of the seat and you pinch it between the housing and the shaft it may not seat properly afterwards. The turbo should go back together with the old parts without a problem except a mistake or damage.

If you used sand paper on the shaft to clean it up that may be the problem as it will allow more oil to flow past the bearings possibly outflowing the drain back causing it to spill into the turbine housing.

[TGP37]

Using the digitaL caliper and some math crunching, I found I was missing exactly 0.036". The turbine seal always clicked in just fine. It was the back plate pushing the ?thing? into the shaft edge. Which pushed the turbine seal out of place.

There were signs of a smashed o-ring/gasket. I cleaned it up and cut a gasket which was 0.05" uncrushed. Once installed, I achieved the seal I was looking for and the turbine is right in place.

I now have 0.025" gap between the turbines and the heat shield. Versus the 0.052" I previously had. From previous measurement I know the ring is spot on where it needs to be now.

It took me a while to figure that one...phew. I must have over torqued the 4 bolts to the housing. I'm still getting a rebuild kit though.

Sand paper on the shaft, lol.....,no. I sprayed it down with brake cleaner and oiled it with a light coat of break-in lube.