ATS and intake spider not lining up?

PatMan · Oct 12, 2013

I've got a bit of a situation happening here.
I've been fighting this turbo swap now for about 2 hours and can't figure this out.
The new turbo has an ATS ported 4in housing - and for the life of me, I cannot get the intake spider to line up to the turbo horn.
I don't want to take the turbo back out for something that should be so menial...

Am I missing something? I need to get this back up and running by tonight.
here's a pic, thanks for any help

Lethalthreat7.3 · Oct 12, 2013

Make sure all the clamps and hoses are loose around the spyder. Try sliding the two intake boots up as far as you can on the spyder. Align the spyder to the turbo and get the clamp started but not tight(just enough to keep the spyder lined up and held with the loose clamp to the turbo)
With the spyder loose and lined up, slide the two intake boots down onto the left and right plenums.
Hope this helps.

CSIPSD · Oct 12, 2013

Same thing I mentioned at the Org...

Make sure its seated on the pedistal completely. It almost appears its sitting up on the pedistal in front.

Also, you mentioned you swapped an entire turbo, it could be a 38R with a clockable housing?

PatMan · Oct 12, 2013

So went ahead and pulled the intake boots off, now even more WTF's...
Only way it seats to the horn now. But it's in direct contact with the drives side plenum, and i've got a huge - misalligned gap to the drivers side plenum.
this is crazy.

drivers side, showing it mated (without the boots.)

drivers side pic of the misalignment and gap

drivers side - close up.

Passenger side - spider is in direct contact of the plenum

spongebob915 · Oct 12, 2013

Thought that was normal to have a gap and the boots Cover d all that up.

PatMan · Oct 12, 2013

the gap - I could live with - but, as I mentioned - it's seems to be off angle by almost a 1/4 inch.

Lethalthreat7.3 · Oct 12, 2013

Looks like you are on the right track. As spongebob915 said, the boots will cover the gaps, they never line up exactly. Get all the boots in place and adjust all 5 connections accordingly.
Don't give up!

PatMan · Oct 12, 2013

I think I found part of the problem.
I looked at the 'stock' housing from the turbo I took off - "THERE IS!" a slight angle of the horn towards the drivers side.
The ATS 'does not' have this - it is a straight out. I busted out the straight edge, and placed it against back-plate the snail connects too. on the stock, there is a about a 1/4 inch gap.
on the ATS - the edge of the horn is below or past the back plate - which is causing my misalignment. <sigh> now I need to figure out what to do.

CSIPSD · Oct 12, 2013

Can you take a picture of the turbo?

PatMan · Oct 12, 2013

So if "FINALLY" got it on. Here's what I had to do.
As you saw, I took the intake/plenum boots off (gave them a thurough cleaning as well since they were out.)
After the cleaning - I put them back on the plenum, along with the clamps.
Next I started to put the intake back on. Once they were in both boots - I pulled the boots up from the plenum as high as I could get them to
slide up on the spider.

Then after 15mins of "gently" trying to muscle things around - I "FINALLY" got the intake snout to line up on to the horn of the housing.
I quickly put on the clamp to keep that mother there!! Then I started to snug the boots back down off the spider, making sure they were on both the plenum and the spider.
tightend the clamps, and proceeded to put it all back together.

But alignment of the intake is still as I mentioned - touching the drivers side, but 1/4 inch down, and about 1/2 inch or so of a gap between the
the driver side plenum and the intake.

All that work - but it's on - and I just got back doing a short run to put some fuel in and a drive through wash.
so far so good!

One thing to note - the red line for the wastegate is too short now. I just plugged it off for now.

And Here's the pics I took to show the differences in the turbo horn.