I need some education on 12's too ....

[techboy]

So, I've been doing my research on these cars and I see there is a TC05-12a and a TD05-12a. It looks like the TC was used on the earlier cars (83-85?) and the TD on the later cars(86-89). What's the difference? I was looking at the turbo reference chart in the FAQ's, but it doesn't say anything about any Mitsu TC turbos.

[Indiana]

On this car you would find a TC05 on the 83 and 84 models. This is a cartridge that was cast without a water jacket. It used a long single bearing for the turbine shaft. In mid 84 the 85 models were being built and they were letting owners get rid of the those oil heaters for a new water cooled unit and it is the TD05 model. The parts are the same, the turbine shaft and the compressor wheel, but instead of one long bearing they put two snap rings near the middle of the cartridge and use two shorter bearings with a big gap in the center and its those snap rings that prevent the bearings from slipping around into the middle. The water cooling of the cartridge made the turbo have a longer life. Either cartridge can be swapped into any of the housings and in other vehicles there were water cooled versions of a TC05 but never in a Starion. Not all 83/84s were converted to a TD05. I own several examples of the TC05 models.

[techboy]

So if I am understanding the post correctly ... a water-cooled version of the TC05 is not that much different than a TD05 other than the shorter bearings with the snap rings.