944 turbo - replacing a 220 turbo with a 250?

[ripton]

Can anyone advise whether a turbo from a 250hp 944 can be bolted straight onto a 87 220 car without any modifications? If modifications are required what are they and how easy are they to carry out?

Also is reconditioning a turbo something that can be carried out at home without either specific turbo know how or expensive specialist tools?

cheers

chris

[GarrettMacD]

ripton said:

Can anyone advise whether a turbo from a 250hp 944 can be bolted straight onto a 87 220 car without any modifications? If modifications are required what are they and how easy are they to carry out? Also is reconditioning a turbo something that can be carried out at home without either specific turbo know how or expensive specialist tools? cheers chris

Not quite. The 220 has a KKK K26/6 turbo, the 250 has a K26/8 turbo, which is larger, more 'boosty', but also more 'laggy' (Think those are new words to the English language...)
If you swap the turbo you will also need to swap the DME and KLR chips, located in the ECU. The ECU itself doesn't need to be replaced, but if you're going to the hassle of getting new chips anyway, you might find it better to go with aftermarket chips like GURU, Weltmeister, etc, as they have the benefit of more recent developments, and in fact they still are being developed in the USA, nearly 15 years after the car went out of production!

As for reconditioning the turbo, best left to someone like Turbo Technics, you get the best quality recon, plus a fairly hefty guarantee.

[andys2]

I know the turbo's are different, thats what gives the extra power, but I'm not sure if they are a straight swap. If you don't get any joy on here ( which I'm sure you will ) try Rennlist.
What I do know is that you cannot really re-con a turbo at home as they spin at upto 100,000rpm and need a special machine to balance the turbine shaft. Get a specialist to do it.

Andy

[GarrettMacD]

andys2 said:

I know the turbo's are different, thats what gives the extra power, but I'm not sure if they are a straight swap. Andy

Aah, forgot that bit. Yes, they are a true bolt-on swap, but remember about the chips!

[ripton]

Is it (in financial terms)worth buying a turbo that may need a recon rather than buying a reconditioned turbo?

[GarrettMacD]

ripton said:

Is it (in financial terms)worth buying a turbo that may need a recon rather than buying a reconditioned turbo?

There's one on Ebay at the moment. Go to the homepage, put in a search for "944 turbo", there's a bloke selling a load of stuff from a 250T. The K26/8 is currently at about £15, and will probably go for about £75. Recon charges will be about (possibly) £300, then you've got a turbo good for 80,000 miles. Budget for more than £300 recon though, just to be safe. That way you've always got a spare turbo!!!

[ripton]

Thanks for that, it was the e bay turbo that got me thinking about the whole thing (that and the possibility that my turbo is shagged).

The same guy is selling a 250 head, any idea if that will bolt straight on and if so are there any benefits (if/when I replace the turbo I will go the 250 route)

[Thom]

Isn't there a little issue with the intake manifold, too ?
Only late turbo 220s have the same IM as turbo 250s, there is one more hole necessary for a vacuum hose or something ...