Had a manifold leak, could hear the puff-puff, so I decided I was going to blitzkrieg this car and fix the oil leaks while I was at it, mainly from the turbo but also from the oil cooler hoses. I figured that the turbo seals would be easier to replace while the turbo was removed, and since I was going to have to fix the manifold leak it made sense to me to go ahead and remove it. Also got a used turbo for cheap and had it rebuilt and balanced and put it on too. I was living on borrowed time with the oil cooler hoses. Got it done, along with some new engine mounts, shocks, and new oil cooler. I did not damage the threads on mine upon removal, but had a brand new one on hand just in case and decided upon the new one because it was so shiny and matched well with the new oil cooler hoses. This was a lot of work no joke. Kind of expensive too. I have some observations and perhaps some tips for those that think they want to remove the turbo. Don't. Unless you have to don't. It is a huge pain in the a$$. The reason for the manifold leak was a loosening of the last two nuts on the firewall side which I think led to a gap in the manifold to cylinder head relationship, thereby buckling the metal from heat at the last exhaust ports and breaking/burning the little rim around that port on the gasket. So, whenever you have that air cleaner off, if you have a couple extensions and a universal, check the torque on those manifold nuts. Dear God what an ordeal. There is definitely some impossible to get to ***** around there. Lucky for me my hands can contort and get to just about anything but this is ridiculous. Make sure you pay some attention to that oil separator return tube also. If it's loose, as mine was, it will bang around and rub on the top turbo drain tube and wear through it, it will wear through it's retainer bracket on the back of the exhaust manifold(the bracket on mine was rubbed away and long gone), and it will bang around and wear at random points along its length. I engineered another bracket and secured it just about perfectly as it was from the factory and it is holding quite well. Also, some aluminum foil duct tape is good for covering the worn areas on the tube. Mine was worn almost through the metal where the bracket wore off. Remember the o-ring at the bottom nipple. Replacing the check valve is a good idea while you're down there because you will probably have the oil pan off too. Interestingly enough I had no problems snaking the new oil cooler hoses into place. I was dreading it but they almost shot right in with virtually zero issue. Hardest part about that was whilst removing the old engine shocks I had to use a nutcracker in the little 10mm nut at the bottom on one of them.
I have yet to drive the car as I just got finished with it, moreover I have to wait a while for some copper sealant to cure on Brian Carlton's EGR kit before I start the vehicle. Tomorrow I get to install that skid plate I got, after I inspect the car for leaks. I expect some leaks. With my luck I'll have leaks at the turbo drain I just know it. All new gaskets and o-rings but these cars love to leak. Got my fingers crossed the turbo doesn't over or underboost, had it set to crack at 12psi. I do NOT want to do this ever again!

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'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)