90 SE Turbo Core, Got one???

[rlearp]

I need a 1989-1995 Lotus SE turbo core. I want to rebuild and upgrade mine but am trying to minimize the downtime. Ideally I'd take the core and send for rebuild so that I can just put it on in place of my old one, then sell my old one as a core for someone else. Any leads or ideas would be appreciateed.

[lotusguy]

rlearp said:

I need a 1989-1995 Lotus SE turbo core. I want to rebuild and upgrade mine but am trying to minimize the downtime. Ideally I'd take the core and send for rebuild so that I can just put it on in place of my old one, then sell my old one as a core for someone else. Any leads or ideas would be appreciateed.

Ron,

You may want to give some additional thought to that idea. If rebuilding/upgrading the turbo, you want to do more than just replace the center cartridge.

To do a proper job of it, the turbo should be dynamically zero-balanced up to at least 30k RPM. This means the shop will need the entire unit. They will spin it up on a bench using an oil feed and compressed air. They will then file minute amounts of material from the turbine hub until the shaft spins in perfect balance. If upgrading the compressor side, this would be essential as you will have two different masses spinning on a common shaft. At the speeds these things operate, even small differences in mass are amplified tremendously.

Balancing the turbo as a unit will go a long way toward extending it's service life. Not to mention that should a turbine shatter due to an imbalance, it can do all kinds of nasty if sucked into the plenum/throttle body/intake. Happy Motoring!... Jim'85TE

[rlearp]

Jim,

Agreed. Actually, I want to just have the unit upgraded to a new compressor trim etc. using all new parts and dynamically balanced. No problem doing this, a couple of companies including JC Engineering can help here but the big problem is the core. Nobody has any Lotus cores right now and the section that mounts from the turbine to the exhaust manifold is Lotus specific, or at least, a rare configuration since it is doubtful Lotus had Garrett make a special turbine stage just for them.

At any rate, not having the core will really slow things up as I've got to R&R, send off for rebuild/upgrade, then R&R once received. It'd lay the car up for 2 weeks minimum and I don't have garage space to house it for that long while down, unfortunately.

Thanks for the wood dash tip - if I do this turbo bit with no core then it'll be the perfect time to send that away for a recovering!

Best,
Ron

[rlearp]

Oh! Now I understand you Jim! You thought I meant pulling out the cartridge! No, I was just referring to the whole turbo as a "core", you know, like when you take your water pump back and get a few bucks for your "core" unit. So, what I'm actually after is a Lotus Esprit SE turbo, a working or broken one, to use as a "core".

[Squelch]

I have some cores... but I typically use them to build up a replacement turbo, then get back the customers old one... Zero downtime...


John Welch
WC Engineering

[rlearp]

Hi John,

I would like to do something like that but I'm wanting to stick with plain oil bearings, not the ceramic ball bearings that you're well known for. Can you do one with oil bearings? If so then please let me know, my email is [e-mail], thanks much,

Ron