Turbo options

[airhead]

I had to reweld the exhaust on the van the other day and seeing as I had the exhaust off I was looking at the turbo (AAZ engine). There's a lot of play in the shaft side to side but not in and out. The pipe from the turbo to the manifold is coated in oil as well but I wouldn't have called the engine excessively smokey. It does leave a bit of oil on the back of the van after a long drive though. Now I can't afford to replace the turbo right now, and I want to make the engine reliable and usable. I'm afraid of the turbo going and taking the engine with it.

My options are this... Do I
A) Get a second hand turbo and take a gamble?
B) Remove the turbo and run the engine as a 1y (and is it this simple)?
C) Leave it in and drive it until it goes?

Right now, option B is appealing to me the most, and when I do have some money I can put a turbo back on. I can use the turbine case off the old turbo from the JX engine to make a link from the exhaust manifold to the exhaust and figure out a way of blocking off the oil feed and return lines.

[Iceworx]

While its only needing a rebuild, whip it off and send it to turbo rebuild.co.uk. Get it back in a few days like new.
Also why damage it more and cost yourself more money to fix it. There are not many of these turbos around in good condition, most are 20 something years old, why take the gamble on a second hand one.

Running it without turbo is not ideal as fuelling will be incorrect.

[airhead]

I can't afford to rebuild it now. I only have a very small income and this engine has already cost me far too much.

[lloydy]

As long as yours is not totally knackered, unlikely as its working?
Midland turbo will rebuild it for £180 + VAT

[airhead]

Thanks for the info, but I just can't afford to spend that much money right now.

[lloydy]

Yeah, it will run poo without the turbo. If it works, and your only problem is a oily boost pipe (which is pretty normal) I'd just put it back together.
So I'd choose C