There is a CLT sensor on the back of the head, on the passenger side. There is a plug there on most 99 engines, mine has the CLT sensor, so I have to clear that. I'd go under but there is a transmission in the way.

 

You guys are going to laugh, lol, but here we go.

So, I was working on the water temp sensor problem and notices some oil smoke at the CHRA/turbine housing area. I drove the car and yep, more oil smoke. So I pulled the turbo and took it apart.

The first thing I checked was the oil return and it's not kinked; when I unbolted the return at the pan no oil came out so I know it's not a return/overfill problem.

There is very little axial slop and no radial slop (no rubbing either) and the shaft spins freely. Here is a video of the shaft slop through the oil return flange:

That looks fine, right? I have a .032" restrictor in there so now I'm left puzzled. What do you guys think? I'm sending that vid to my buddy at TiAL for his thoughts. If this is another bad CHRA, we might go back to NA.

 

looks fine. leaking oil feed at turbo?

 

Nope, tight as hell.

I should also note that after about 20 track days, the Inco bolts were still ultra-tight.

 

If it is bad, driving it more can't make it cost more then it would cost to fix now. So I say reinstall and enjoy.

 

I talked to TiAL guy:
One step closer to a motorsports turbo I guess.

 

Huh?

You have a buddy at tial?

Was that Jake who replied?

 

More importantly is it something that I will need?

 

Yes.

 

Two season old gear oil analysis of AMSoil is below. My 6-speed always shifted like ----, it got really bad at the last track day and I replaced it. I think its better after street driving, but haven't tracked it yet. Blackstone thinks I didn't have to change it, we'll see how it does on the track.

 

Ha two years, still good to go. Thanks for posting that.

FWIW I did a change of the gear oil in my T-56 (ATF) after about a year and a half of racing. It looked as good as the day I put it in.

 

detailed oil cooler pics:
the bottom (its zip tied and sealed with alumimum tape. Ugly but effective and it will tear the zip ties before it pull out the upper portion):

Oil cooler seal, riveted in place, sealed with tape:

another shot:


oil in (surprisingly low in 90*f heat):

The cooler works:

It shows only a 30*f drop, but I've run this car in the heat with the new set up at 103* ambient while chasing a Panoz and the oil temp gauge did not move.
This was fail:

 

I asked TiAL guy about my turbo today and he replied:
That sucks. Hopefully I'll find out how/why I beat it up so bad.

 

Congrats. Hopefully soon you get it back.

 

How the eff is a street car harder on a turbo than a BTCC car? I know it's not your ordinary street car (chariot of a Texan demi-god) but I would imagine a BTCC car beats the living sh*t out of it's turbo, and replaces it often.

 

You know all that stuff I posted about extreme manliness and testosterone, it's all true.

 

It could also be the prolonged exposure to awesome where a BTCC money bag would have intervened long before I did.

 

I don't see Mazda on the list of entrants into the BTCC, so of course they are not hitting the AWESOMENESS levels that you hit.

 

This is probably true, but I imagine BTCC cars are running higher boost pressure, not running a BOV, sucking through a restrictor plate, and generally doing lap times a bit faster than Le Hustler which I imagine all induce higher strains on the turbo.

I would guess the big teams are changing the turbos after ever race weekend though.

I dunno, that comment is still suprising to me.

 

so it took me like 3 weeks to read through this thread. I was hoping to find pics of your rad ducting, I've seen the oil cooler, did i miss the rad ducting?