MG CAR OWNERS FORUM

Hello everyone,

visit to a nearby service for oil leak checks revealed an additional issue: the turbo shaft exhibits considerable play. Would you suggest buying a used turbo that's in better shape or fixing up my current one? A used one will cost around 300 euros, and repairing the old one will cost about 500 euros. A brand-new turbo costs about 1300 euros...

I could use some advice. Much obliged

I purchased a seemingly brand-new one on eBay. After a few years of ownership, the previous owner slammed 60,000 miles+ on it in barely two years, likely without changing the oil.

Buying a used one is risky because you can't tell what the part's history is like, and you might have to buy it again soon.
A satisfying middle ground is the refurbishment option.

Keep in mind that I replaced the turbo on my old Mondy for approximately half of what you've quoted for refurbishing yours. However, I handled everything by myself, so there were no labour expenses.

You can get a turbo cartridge—the internal component of the turbo—for a fraction of the price of the two alternatives you mentioned above if you're good with spanners.
Once upon a time, I bought a used turbo; it wasn't great, but it served me well for around a year until I had to buy a new cartridge and rebuild it.