Petrol And Diesel Turbochargers?

[trevor_stiles 0]

Can i use a petrol turbocharger on a diesel turbo car?

I ask as i have a bmw 325 td and the turbo is knackared and as the headgasket has gone aswell im geting the head uprated at the same time.

Im after a bigger turbo for the car as the original is pretty small and as theres turbos for 10 a penny on ebay, would it be possible for me to use a petrol turbo???

[M3Evo 0]

In principal yes, but a petrol turbo will almost certainly not be the right size for the engine.

 

From what I've seen, diesel turbos have relatively large turbine housings and small compressor housings, with petrol turbos leaning the other way.

 

If it were me, I'd replace like with like.