Got an oil leak at the turbo on the old Super Duty (2003). The Googles say it's a common issue on older units. A reman turbo is $800-$1000, or they sell "rebuild" kits for $200-$300 with a new impeller and thrust plate plus all the seals and gaskets. Question is, anybody done the home rebuild? Again, the googles say it's not hard, but was hoping for some firsthand feedback. Truck is stock, no chip, nothing. I don't need it to move mountains, I just need it to run and drive for a few more years.

Depends on where the leak is. It's very possible that it's just the pedestal o-rings. If that's the case, just replace the o-rings and leave the turbocharger alone. Clean it up real good and watch it for the source of the leak. There's quite a few places back there that can leak and they all look like a turbo leak. There's also the EBPV valve that can leak-which is part of the pedestal. IF you have that leak, replace the pedestal with a non-EBPV pedestal and be done with it, especially if you're in a warmer climate. That's all the EBPV does is plug up the down pipe and cause the engine to develop a ton of back pressure, so it warms up a little quicker.

I had never done O-rings before and mine were leaking. Took me 50 minutes from the time I pulled the truck into the shop until the time I put the tools away (not counting washing all of the goo off of the back of the engine/firewall/etc). That also includes replacing the compressor wheel while I had the turbo off, which you might not have to do. It's easy and takes maybe a minute or two once the turbocharger's on the bench.

I have a 2001 F250 I got Cheap because the seller was told it need a new main seal. It turned out to be the turbo pedestal and a couple of other orings. i replaced all the oil and fuel oring I could on the top of the motor myself and replaced the pedestal with the international bus pedestal that deletes the EBPV, which was the main source of the leak the engine had. You do not need the EBPV in socal.

http://www.riffraffdiesel.com/...nk-pedestal-99-5-03/

This all took me about a week to do myself and cost around $150 buck for everything. The truck doesn't leak at all now. Your stomach muscles will hate you when you are done.

For the turbo, mine needs rebuilt also. I found a local turbo rebuilder that will rebuild it for me and add a billet compressor wheel for around $600(that with me doing the R&R) I would look for a local rebuilder they can use the business and the will give you a 90 day or so warranty if they are good.

Yes, if you have access to a topside creeper, they are wonderful for turbo R&R on a 7.3! I don't have one...wish I did. Thankfully mine has been more or less trouble free. Dad's 1995...different story.

If you don't want to mess with the rebuild yourself, I have suggestions. I don't care for the truck shops. I've had a bunch of turbo's built over the years and the ones that "truck shops" did were never right...some failed right off the bat like my Mustang (2.3L SVO engine swapped into a '93). $385 to rebuild it, lasted 12 miles before the bearings died...oil line is new and had plenty of oil passing through it. Balance issue, I knew it right away as it made weird noises under boost. Sent my only good core TB0344 off to G Pop Shop out of Springdale, Arkansas and could not be happier...extremely knowledgeable...fun to talk to, funny, knows his stuff. Put it back on, and it's completely silent, spools faster/quicker/makes more power from 4500-6000 than the original did. I saw little things like compressor blades that were "fixed"...among other things...that truck shops don't do. A truck shop rebuild is exactly what I can do here at the house...new bearings, slap it back together and hope it's balanced. Have done several and apparently gotten lucky with the PSD's.