2012 f250 turbo swap

curtis270

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doing a non vgt budget kit this weekend anything im going to need to pick up to have just incase or anything i should look out for? just kinda looking for a heads up ill be alone and in a driveway so this should be fun :lookaround:
 

08Monster

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It's pretty easy. Biggest advice, put the turbo/pedestal assembly in and don't bolt it down. Next put in the up-pipe assembly and start the 6 nuts to the manifolds (3 on each side) but don't tighten them. Next get your V-bands on but don't tighten, next put in your 4 bolts in your T4 flange, get all those started. Once all those are started, tighten the V-bands and be sure they are lined up!! Once those are done and tight, do the 6 nuts on the manifolds, and lastly the 4 bolts to the T4 flange. Done.

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curtis270

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Ok let me start off by saying this was a horrible experience. It took me 3 10hr plus days to get this done and I dont recommend it for the average driveway mechanic like myself. Drain the coolant I didnt and regretted it. take the passenger wheel off and wheel well liner its a must to get the up pipe and downpipe off. your going to need another person minimum. be very carefull with the up pipe nuts and dont round them off or you will be pulling the manifold like I had too. look up a video on doing this the best one I could find was thoroughbred diesels on removing the turbo but they still left some things out.Make sure and do what 08 monster said to do with tightening everything up but dont let him fool you nothing about this was easy
 

jcain

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I did my first one in 7 hours, by myself, in my driveway, no fender molding taken out and a premium beer selection.
 

Zeb

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I did my first one in 7 hours, by myself, in my driveway, no fender molding taken out and a premium beer selection.

This right here.

I coached a kid who had never taken the turbo off of a 6.7 before. He did it in 2 evenings, after work. Probably took him 8-9 hours.
Truck had 200+k on it so he took the fender liner out to knock the one clamp loose with a long bar.
 

6.0 Tech

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I pull the wheel and inner fender to do them, but the up pipe does not have to come off the,manifold to pull the turbo. And if you're doung a 15 swap, the manifokd has to come off anyways, so I pull the manifold to remove the up pipe in that case. But when the turbo os off changing the manifolds and swapping the hardware to the updated stuff isnt a bad idea, as theyve got a tendency to break the rear studs, and then youre pulling the turbo again to do manifolds

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curtis270

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I did my first one in 7 hours, by myself, in my driveway, no fender molding taken out and a premium beer selection.

This right here.

I coached a kid who had never taken the turbo off of a 6.7 before. He did it in 2 evenings, after work. Probably took him 8-9 hours.
Truck had 200+k on it so he took the fender liner out to knock the one clamp loose with a long bar.

I pull the wheel and inner fender to do them, but the up pipe does not have to come off the,manifold to pull the turbo. And if you're doung a 15 swap, the manifokd has to come off anyways, so I pull the manifold to remove the up pipe in that case. But when the turbo os off changing the manifolds and swapping the hardware to the updated stuff isnt a bad idea, as theyve got a tendency to break the rear studs, and then youre pulling the turbo again to do manifolds


where are you guys located cuz I could use a hand lol
 

08Monster

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I definitely see it as an easy job. Haha it didn't take me more than a couple hours to take it off and probably 2 hours to put it back together.

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curtis270

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I must be missing something. I spent 2 hours trying to get the up pipe nuts off the manifold before I rounded one off and spent another 2 hours trying to get the driver manifold off I couldn't get a wrench or ratchet on the front far driver side nut because of the cp4 lines. I had to go to lowes and harbor freight more then once to get crows feet long pry bars stubby ratcheting wrenches and socket insert deals to get a wrench on the back of the socket to get that nut off. I know i spent 4 hours trying to get the 3 v bands to let loose of the up pipes and the down pipe with a pry bar and mini sledge. Then the coolant line wouldnt let lose with a pick so I had to pull the factory turbo with it on and cut the rubber hose off the end. when putting the new turbo in the base kept picking up in the front and trying to get the 4 bolts to go through the exhaust housing into the up pipe foot while it was in the valley took another 3 or so hours. now the turbo is sitting forward of what the factory was so the big cast lower intake fits really tight in there and the plastic upper intake set in there and I noticed coolant leaking out of the black L shaped pipe on the passenger side so I had to take all that back lose and replace the O ring then put it back and now I've got some exhaust leaks that I've got to take both intakes manifolds off and try and tighten them up.
 

sootie

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Sounds like you should hire someone to do the work for you that knows what there doing...
 
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Its an experience to say the least. Some trucks can be harder than other cause of age and abuse. You might feel a little different if you would had a truck 10k on it and every came apart much easier.

At least you can say you did it yourself and next time it wont be as challenging.
 

6.0 Tech

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The first one is definitely a bitch. Once youve got an idea of how to do it, its really easy. Last one I did for Charlie from kc turbo, I did in my driveway and was done in about 3 hours. My first one I did probably took 6, and that was with a lift and everything at the shop. Now 15+ trucks are a massive pain in the ass with the downpipe design change, so I pull cabs to do those.

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sootie

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The first one is definitely a bitch. Once youve got an idea of how to do it, its really easy. Last one I did for Charlie from kc turbo, I did in my driveway and was done in about 3 hours. My first one I did probably took 6, and that was with a lift and everything at the shop. Now 15+ trucks are a massive pain in the ass with the downpipe design change, so I pull cabs to do those.

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No kidding. Trying to get the bolt that holds the upper portion to the bellhousing is impossible.
 

Motostroker

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I average 6 hours when I do turbo swaps. I’m in no means in a rush however. Usually a half case of beer goes MIA in the process so that doesn’t help my efficiency


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