Since I last posted I have obtained a used turbo through car-parts.com. I recommend the web site. It is very easy to use and I quickly found a plethora of used W123 turbos. I contacted one used parts house in MA and two days later, the part was on my doorstep.

On Saturday, I started to remove the old turbo and was quickly stymied by the 1/n rule. By this I mean there is always one bolt or nut out of n total that resists turning. In my case I could access three of the four nuts that hold the turbo to the exhuase manifold from the top of the engine. The fourth was only accessible from under the car. Even then I needed to go to sears and get a long box end 17 mm wrench before I fould loosen the nut. One I got past this, the rest was very easy. I was surprised that the exhaust flange nuts came off as easy as they did after U sprayed them with rust penetrating oil.

I have not installed the replacement turbo yet. I wanted to maximize the chance that it would work correctly before instaling it. After cleaning up the outside with engine degreaser, I started to flush the bearings with carb cleaner to remove any old oil residues. I noticed that the friction in the bearings decreased after this step. I then continued by spraying penetrating oil into the bearing case and manually spinning the turbo. This further reduced friction so I let it sit overnight. Meanwhile, I removed the cover plate on the pressure control valve to make sure it was closed and tight. The valve was closed and looked fine.

I will start reassembly later this week. I need a new O ring for the oil return tube and it will take a few days to get one. I will post againg after I re-install the turbo.

Regards,
The Chief

__________________
Chief Noseeum

74 450SL 120 K
82 300TD 198 K
04 Satrun ION 5 spd 8 K