Ta 49 I.d.

[hiballin]

How can you tell the difference between a stock turbo vs. TA 49? I think I may have a 49 but when I compare the outsides, it looks like a stocker I have on another car.

Both turbos are installed, so I can't compare wheels. Are the center sections visually different? Are there different serial or part numbers on a 49? The outside of the turbine and compressor housings look identical between the two I'm comparing.

 

[pacecarta]

externally they could be identicle in appearance since they are both TA styles turbos and some TA49s were built using stock turbo parts only bored out for the larger wheels
take off the MAF pipe and look into the inlet , with the stock turbo and stock inlet bell there will about an 1/8" lip where the inlet bell mates to the compressor cover , the wheel (and the opening on the compressor cover) is smaller than the bell opening

the TA49 has a larger wheel 2.29" at inducer (top) and with stock bell there shouldnt be a lip . most 49s have the billet inlet bell but someone could have put a stock bell on there tto keep the stock pcv setup that runs to the passenger valve cover for picky emmision inspection people or just to be sneaky

the exhaust wheel on the TA49 is larger than stock as well but its a little harder to see on the car , the 49 exhaust wheel will measure 2.559"


you could take off the inlet bell easy enough and just measure , if the inlet wheel measures 2.29" then its a TA49

 

[hiballin]

Thanks for the tips, hope I'm pleasantly surprised!