I'm knuckles deep into tearing down the turbo on my '81 SD.
It is a AiResearch = Garrett T3.
I have a standard rebuild kit coming for my birthday (next week) ... knowing that the current turbo has likely seen zero service despite more than 200K miles... But now that i have the unit apart, I'm wondering if I need a new impeller, too?

Kent talks in his video about the coke/carbon breaking free and chewing up the impeller. But what is not talked about (or what I can't find) is the amount of damage that constitutes the need for a new impeller.

Attached is a picture my current impeller. I hit it with a wire-wheel and brake cleaner to get rid of the exhaust build-up, and this is what i'm left with. It is simply the most-outboard sections that are damaged.

All other portions of the blades seem fine. There does not seem to be much scoring or other damage to the shaft.

Can someone tell me if I need a new impeller?

My guess is that the bad blades translate to worse performance ... but I'm certain that any work I'm doing will only improve the performance! Just curious if the extra $120-ish is worth it.


If so, what type/size should I order ... and from where? Kent is out of stock, and there seem to be plenty of other places, I'm just not sure what I should be asking for.

Many thanks!
Geoff

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