How To Install Turbo Thermal Blanket
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Sorry- is this for me?
If so, what’s the dowel for?
Someone had explained before that is is part of the manufacturing process of the engine, but once done serves no useful purpose. You can use a pair of vice grips and remove it if you wish. Mine is still there, no CELs. Just make sure your connection is snug and tight
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Can you help those of us who haven't purchased yet... what are the differences?
thanks
TheSalamander
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The Lava is made of different materials and has a higher heat rating.
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My SILA blanket still gets white powder everywhere and still stinks after heavy driving....
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Ok thanks. No CEL's yet...
intake is good and tight for sure
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Mine gets white powder as well, but it appears to have lessened. It no longer emits any odors.
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It seems they are different.
2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, fully loaded from the factory, with just a wee bit of aftermarket mods.
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You can look up UK Abarth shops and purchase an OEM engine cover for around $150. This is a photo of mine part way through my mods process. ....apologies in advance for the dust in the engine bay. This was after my June 12,000km road trip. It IS much cleaner now. lol
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That's a nicely dressed up engine bay.
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Thanks!
2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, fully loaded from the factory, with just a wee bit of aftermarket mods.
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Interestingly enough, the PTP blanket that I just received and installed DID NOT have anything in the package other than some really insufficient instructions and the blanket itself. I'm going to be posting another reply that gets into some of the things I ran into, but the biggest issue is that the grommets for the holes closest to the ignition coils are so large that the factory bolt heads easily slide through them... and the bolts are too short to allow the use of a washer to hold things down. Is that what you experienced as well?
2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, fully loaded from the factory, with just a wee bit of aftermarket mods.
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Okay, I finished my PTP Turbo Blanket installation today. No major blood loss, but ****, that lower heat shield towards the firewall is sharp as ****. The blanket itself is described as red, though a burnt umber might be a better colour description. After reading some earlier comments, I'm of the belief I should have been paying more attention to the specs rather than the aesthetics. I thought they were all the same, and the only difference was colour. Another poster inferred that the "lava" version is made to deal with higher temperatures. I guess I completely missed that bit on the PTP site. lol
I did however experience some peculiar things during the install, so will describe here and I'm hoping you folks can tell me where I went off the rails... or if what I experienced should be considered normal.
So, here's how it went down (the relevant holes in the blanket are identified by letters in the attached image, which I'll also refer to in my notes)::
I popped off the engine cover and set it aside.
I removed the two nuts and one long bolt (that also behaves as one of the posts to hold on the engine cover), and set them aside.
I did not remove the O2 sensor, but merely flipped the entire turbo mount assembly, with O2 sensor cable still attached, towards me... laying it upside down between the turbo and the fender.
My heat shield is only held on by two short bolts (topside), and one nut on a stud down low on the drivers side of the turbo assembly. The two short bolts and one nut were removed and set aside. The heat shield was then removed and dropped in my spare parts bin. (NB It was while I was holding my hand under the nut to keep it from dropping in the engine bay as I was removing it that I managed the slice the back of one of my fingers. I normally wear mechanic's gloves but this was too tight and too small and I didn't want to risk losing the nut, so I paid the price with a little O negative).
I did not have to remove that long bolt from the top rear of the turbo assembly, for in my case, it doesn't seem to hold anything in place. So it was left in-situ.
I laid the turbo blanket down, sliding the slot over the rear hosing, and carefully tucked the side closest to the ignition coils between the engine and over the top of the metal bracket that the original heat shield bolted onto.
But here's where I found I had challenges. All of the holes/grommets in the PTP blanket are much larger than the diameter of the heads of the bolts and nuts that hold the factory components in place.
So, for the small nut down low on the side of the turbo assembly (F, in the image), I used a larger washer to secure the blanket with the factory nut.
The large slot (E, in the image) fits very nicely and easily where it needs to go.
So now I attempt to put the two bolts back in through the two middle holes (A and B, in the image). The grommets are much larger than the heads of the bolts, and the bolts are too short to allow the use of a washer to properly secure the blanket in place, so I just snugged them up on the little bracket they bolt into and left them there.
Then I put the turbo mounting bracket back in place, and secured the two nuts and one bolt removed in the second step of the process. Once again, the hole (D) that fits over the mystery bolt at the back of the turbo assembly is plenty large to fit over the top of it without needing to do anything.
So, the end result is that my blanket is held in place by the tight installation of the turbo mount bracket, as it squeezes the blanket between the bracket and the turbo via the nut that goes over hole C in my image, and by the small nut at the lower side of the turbo at hole F.
The cover is then placed back over the engine, and I called it quits.
I'm not very happy with the fitment of the blanket as I think either the grommets and holes are too large to be fit for purpose, or I'm completely out to lunch when it comes to how I've installed it. I'll likely end up getting a couple of slightly longer bolts that I can use in holes A and B so I can use a couple of large washers to hold the blanket in place in that location.
For those of you who've installed PTP turbo blankets in your 2017 124 Spider Abarths, is this what you ran into as well?
I did however experience some peculiar things during the install, so will describe here and I'm hoping you folks can tell me where I went off the rails... or if what I experienced should be considered normal.
So, here's how it went down (the relevant holes in the blanket are identified by letters in the attached image, which I'll also refer to in my notes)::
I popped off the engine cover and set it aside.
I removed the two nuts and one long bolt (that also behaves as one of the posts to hold on the engine cover), and set them aside.
I did not remove the O2 sensor, but merely flipped the entire turbo mount assembly, with O2 sensor cable still attached, towards me... laying it upside down between the turbo and the fender.
My heat shield is only held on by two short bolts (topside), and one nut on a stud down low on the drivers side of the turbo assembly. The two short bolts and one nut were removed and set aside. The heat shield was then removed and dropped in my spare parts bin. (NB It was while I was holding my hand under the nut to keep it from dropping in the engine bay as I was removing it that I managed the slice the back of one of my fingers. I normally wear mechanic's gloves but this was too tight and too small and I didn't want to risk losing the nut, so I paid the price with a little O negative).
I did not have to remove that long bolt from the top rear of the turbo assembly, for in my case, it doesn't seem to hold anything in place. So it was left in-situ.
I laid the turbo blanket down, sliding the slot over the rear hosing, and carefully tucked the side closest to the ignition coils between the engine and over the top of the metal bracket that the original heat shield bolted onto.
But here's where I found I had challenges. All of the holes/grommets in the PTP blanket are much larger than the diameter of the heads of the bolts and nuts that hold the factory components in place.
So, for the small nut down low on the side of the turbo assembly (F, in the image), I used a larger washer to secure the blanket with the factory nut.
The large slot (E, in the image) fits very nicely and easily where it needs to go.
So now I attempt to put the two bolts back in through the two middle holes (A and B, in the image). The grommets are much larger than the heads of the bolts, and the bolts are too short to allow the use of a washer to properly secure the blanket in place, so I just snugged them up on the little bracket they bolt into and left them there.
Then I put the turbo mounting bracket back in place, and secured the two nuts and one bolt removed in the second step of the process. Once again, the hole (D) that fits over the mystery bolt at the back of the turbo assembly is plenty large to fit over the top of it without needing to do anything.
So, the end result is that my blanket is held in place by the tight installation of the turbo mount bracket, as it squeezes the blanket between the bracket and the turbo via the nut that goes over hole C in my image, and by the small nut at the lower side of the turbo at hole F.
The cover is then placed back over the engine, and I called it quits.
I'm not very happy with the fitment of the blanket as I think either the grommets and holes are too large to be fit for purpose, or I'm completely out to lunch when it comes to how I've installed it. I'll likely end up getting a couple of slightly longer bolts that I can use in holes A and B so I can use a couple of large washers to hold the blanket in place in that location.
For those of you who've installed PTP turbo blankets in your 2017 124 Spider Abarths, is this what you ran into as well?
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I just installed mine yesterday (PTP). There were three (3) longer bolts supplied with large washers [the bolts in step 8 of the above instructions]. I actually needed 4 washers (added a fender washer to the stud/nut on the side of the turbo, step 9). The three bolts are longer and replace two holding the original heat shield and the strange 'long' bolt on the top. All requiring fender washers.
So, yes, the original bolts cannot be used. I didn't have instructions, just a brochure.
2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, fully loaded from the factory, with just a wee bit of aftermarket mods.
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Thank you for the quick reply. I called the buggers when I first received the package and they told me that you just used the factory nuts and bolts to install it. I'm now angry like Hulk. Not green, but angry. I guess a phone call is in order come Monday when they open for business again.
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Just went to the PTP web site, and they do list 'Turbo Blanket Hardware'...
[I would take a photo, but unfortunately, dropped the car off for some minor body work after an 'incident'].
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Ordered the Lava PTP Turbo Blanket on Tuesday 11/20. Arrived today Saturday 11/24. Took 30 minutes to fit following the instructions in this thread (thanks to all). My PTP Turbo blanket came with 3 bolts and washers. I used them for the top 3 holes shown in step 4 of the first post, and then I used my own washer for the 10mm lower nut in step 4. Fairly easy to do, biggest worry was making sure I didn't drop the 10mm lower nut.
TheSalamander
TheSalamander
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