Ways to make your turbo last longer

Ways to make your turbo last longer:

WARM UP:
The largest proportion of engine wear takes place at the first 30 seconds it's running from cold. That includes your turbo too, so it’s important to get plenty of oil around the turbo bearings as soon as possible. Give your motor a few minutes to warm up from cold before driving off. Driving "off-boost" for the first couple of miles will help too, by building good oil pressure before you use high boost.

ENGINE IDLE:
Avoid running your engine for long periods in idle mode (greater than 20-30 minutes). Under idling conditions low pressures are generated in the turbocharger which can cause oil mist to leak past seals into the two end housings. Although no real harm is done to the turbocharger, as load is applied temperatures increase and the oil will start to burn off and cause blue smoke emission problems.

USE PROPER OIL:
If you push your motor hard for more than a few minutes, chances are your turbo will glow orange. So you must use good oil. Take a semi-synthetic or fully synthetic one.

AFTER SERVICING:
After servicing the engine or turbocharger ensure that the turbocharger is pre-lubed by adding clean engine oil into the turbocharger oil inlet until full. After pre-lubing crank the engine without firing (enginefuel pump stop out) to allow oil to circulate through the full system under pressure. On starting the engine, run at idle for a few minutes to ensure the oil and bearing systems are operating satisfactorily.

CHANGE YOUR OIL REGULARLY:
Change your oil frequently. Oil carries debris round the motor and if the build up is left there, it can creep into bearings and seals. So give your motor fresh oil and a filter change every 3 to 6 thousand miles and it will last longer.

FIT AN IN-LINE OIL FILTER: If you want the ultimate in protection for your turbo then fit an in-line oil filter. An in-line filter has a really fine gauze mesh that picks up even the finest bits of dirt.

LOW AIR TEMPERATURES & INACTIVE OPERATION:
If the engine has been inactive for some time or the air temperature is very low, crank the engine first and then run at idle. This allows the oil to circulate throughout the full system before high loads and speeds are applied to engine and turbocharger.

SHUT DOWN:
Before shutting your engine down, let the turbocharger cool down. When an engine runs at maximum power/high torque, the turbocharger is operating at very high temperatures and speeds. Shutting down the engine cuts off the oil supply. Hot shut down can cause reduced service life which is avoidable by a minute or two of idling. Most mobile equipment applications include an adequate cooling period during parking or mooring procedures.