I've currently got a T25 water cooled turbo on my 2000 S-10 pickup. I have the water plumbed to it, and want to replace it with a newer turbo. The exhaust impellers are quite damaged on mine, although it still boosts well.

I'm looking at 2 different turbos. The first one is nearly an exact replacement for mine. The other one appears to be a newer style Garrett, with a 1-piece turbine housing. This would be a big improvement in the exhaust area. Then only downside I can see is that it's not water cooled.

How much hotter can I expect the turbo to get? I really like the idea of having the turbo water cooled, but is it really that big of a deal?

 

is it oil cooled as well?? its needs the cooling!

 

Of course it's oil cooled. That's assumed.

 

im not sure of this.. but i tihnk the oil isnt for cooling as much as it is for lubrication. Theres not oil cooler/oil rad type devise to cool the oil so it just gets hot and stays hot. I think the water is what actually keeps it cool.. use it!

 

Yeah, I think you're right. Oil makes a better lubricant than a coolant.

 

You should be ok with either one.
If you use the non-water cooled turbo, you might want to get an external oil cooler.

 

no oil is a damn good coolant, look at every performance turbo out there.. ie t3/t4, t04, t-88, all oil cooled, the water cooling is mostly for when ppl just shut the car off after driving and dont let it idle.

 

Zex Rex is absolutely right, back in the 1970s and 80s turbo cars where oil cooled only, but the manufacturers figured out that people don't understand turbo cars, especially people that drive Volvos and Saabs, so they started water cooling the turbo to make them last longer, this is an idiot proofing thing. If you take care of your turbo it will last for years, don't turn the car off right away after driving, let it cool down, spin your motor over with out starting it after you change your oil(to get oil to the turbo) use good sense and you will be fine.

 

Yeah, you guys are absolutely right. I started thinking about that after I posted it, and realized that oil is in fact a decent coolant for that application, since it needs the oil anyway for lubrication.