This is one of those jobs that should be simple and routine.

Instead it was one where nothing wanted to come apart, and none of the new parts would fit!

The main problem was the ABS unit being in the way of the new tubular manifold. With the manifold in position it was actually touching the ABS unit, and that doesn’t allow for the extra 40-50mm of space you need to install it with a turbo hanging off the bottom! Most S13s don’t have ABS so this problem is fairly rare.

I was able to move the ABS gear across and back by modifying its bracket, and ended up with a good 15mm or so of clearance between the manifold and the ABS bracket. It will have a heat shield added to protect it from radiated heat.

One part that needs modification in this upgrade (replacing the S13’s original T25G turbo with a T28 from an S14/15) is the turbo’s intake pipe.

The mounting bolts are at a different angle, so if you don’t get the later model intake pipe you have to modify the old one or make a new one.

I made an adaptor plate using a standard 2″ exhaust flange with a couple of M8 bolts welded to the sides at the right angle. It ends up being quite neat and the factory rubber hose connects up as normal.

Other parts needing modification are the turbo’s oil and coolant lines, and the oil drain to the sump.

The T28’s core sits at a different angle to the T25G, so none of the lines will fit directly.

You can rotate the housings to line it up, but in this case they wouldn’t come loose so I had to leave the core at its original angle.

The oil drain needed some modification, but fortunately this car was getting a set of braided turbo lines, which is much easier and nicer than trying to bend the factory steel ones to fit!

The last part of the job was to add an exhaust bracket, since the factory one was missing.

The front pipe (goes from the dump pipe off the turbo to the cat converter) had a bracket on it but it didn’t line up with anything on the car!
I modified it a bit, and made a new plate from the gearbox mount with a small rubber shock mount between the two.

This car had the usual blown turbo gasket problem, and the owner figured it was a good time to upgrade the turbo to a newer T28 ball bearing one from a Japanese spec S15 Silvia.

The leaking gaskets are usually caused by the exhaust hitting the ground, or not being properly supported when the factory exhaust is swapped for an aftermaket one.

In this case there was a broken stud in the head, causing the manifold gasket to leak, as well as the normal leak between the manifold and turbo.

Removing the stud involved drilling a hole into the part still stuck in the engine, then using an extractor tool to unscrew it. A new stud was then installed.

Upon inspection, the new T28 turbo proved to have substantial damage, having obviously been in a crashed car. The compressor housing had been broken and pushed back into the blades, damaging them beyond repair.

Fortunately the original T25G turbo checked out fine, so it was reinstalled - after removing a broken bolt from the turbine housing!