Back on the road... Almost
11-15-2006, 11:49 PM
#1
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Back on the road... Almost
Finally got the car back on the road today. After my turbo started leaking oil out of the turbine housing as shown in my avatar photo i sent it back to the company that rebuilt it for the guy I bought the car from. They honored the warranty and replaced the bearings for free and it came back good as new.
Since then, i've spent all kinds of time doing other things.
I replaced the feed line with a -4AN braided line w/ restrictor at the turbo.
Replaced the hard baked drain line as well as the fittings.
Drilled and tapped holes in the intake manifold for 1/8" NPT and put fittings in for the BOV itself and the external Tial WG, so they both have devoted vac lines of appropriate size. I took all the IC setup out and cleaned it, because the previous owner never cleaned out the oil from when the seals went out and he had the turbo rebuilt. As well as replaced a bunch of hardware with stainless because that rusty garbage just won't do.
Results: The Tial BOV blows off clean and sounds great with a super crisp whip. My girlfriend now calls my car the silver dragon because of this noise, don't ask.
Most everything else is great except a small coolant leak that I will track down in the daylight tomorrow.
Now the big problem, my turbine housing is again leaking oil and smoking though not nearly as bad as before. Still of course unacceptable. The bolts on the turbine housing are tight, the oil feed is pumping oil away like a madman, though I do have the restrictor inline (1/8" aluminum poprivet).
All I can do i guess is call Turbo Auto and ask what the heck is going on. I do have an extra SR20 T25 sitting around, but I don't have the adapter so I can put a silicone coupler on it yet. Need to make that pronto. Anyway nice to have the car on the road again after over a month of it sitting in the drive. But the life of a DIY turbo owner is a painful one.
Anyone have any idea outside of my turbo seal being bad on the turbine side?
Since then, i've spent all kinds of time doing other things.
I replaced the feed line with a -4AN braided line w/ restrictor at the turbo.
Replaced the hard baked drain line as well as the fittings.
Drilled and tapped holes in the intake manifold for 1/8" NPT and put fittings in for the BOV itself and the external Tial WG, so they both have devoted vac lines of appropriate size. I took all the IC setup out and cleaned it, because the previous owner never cleaned out the oil from when the seals went out and he had the turbo rebuilt. As well as replaced a bunch of hardware with stainless because that rusty garbage just won't do.
Results: The Tial BOV blows off clean and sounds great with a super crisp whip. My girlfriend now calls my car the silver dragon because of this noise, don't ask.
Most everything else is great except a small coolant leak that I will track down in the daylight tomorrow. Now the big problem, my turbine housing is again leaking oil and smoking though not nearly as bad as before. Still of course unacceptable. The bolts on the turbine housing are tight, the oil feed is pumping oil away like a madman, though I do have the restrictor inline (1/8" aluminum poprivet).
All I can do i guess is call Turbo Auto and ask what the heck is going on. I do have an extra SR20 T25 sitting around, but I don't have the adapter so I can put a silicone coupler on it yet. Need to make that pronto. Anyway nice to have the car on the road again after over a month of it sitting in the drive. But the life of a DIY turbo owner is a painful one.
Anyone have any idea outside of my turbo seal being bad on the turbine side?
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11-16-2006, 09:12 AM
#2
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Finally got the car back on the road today. After my turbo started leaking oil out of the turbine housing as shown in my avatar photo i sent it back to the company that rebuilt it for the guy I bought the car from. They honored the warranty and replaced the bearings for free and it came back good as new.
Since then, i've spent all kinds of time doing other things.
I replaced the feed line with a -4AN braided line w/ restrictor at the turbo.
Replaced the hard baked drain line as well as the fittings.
Drilled and tapped holes in the intake manifold for 1/8" NPT and put fittings in for the BOV itself and the external Tial WG, so they both have devoted vac lines of appropriate size. I took all the IC setup out and cleaned it, because the previous owner never cleaned out the oil from when the seals went out and he had the turbo rebuilt. As well as replaced a bunch of hardware with stainless because that rusty garbage just won't do.
Results: The Tial BOV blows off clean and sounds great with a super crisp whip. My girlfriend now calls my car the silver dragon because of this noise, don't ask. Most everything else is great except a small coolant leak that I will track down in the daylight tomorrow.
Now the big problem, my turbine housing is again leaking oil and smoking though not nearly as bad as before. Still of course unacceptable. The bolts on the turbine housing are tight, the oil feed is pumping oil away like a madman, though I do have the restrictor inline (1/8" aluminum poprivet).
All I can do i guess is call Turbo Auto and ask what the heck is going on. I do have an extra SR20 T25 sitting around, but I don't have the adapter so I can put a silicone coupler on it yet. Need to make that pronto. Anyway nice to have the car on the road again after over a month of it sitting in the drive. But the life of a DIY turbo owner is a painful one.
Anyone have any idea outside of my turbo seal being bad on the turbine side?
Since then, i've spent all kinds of time doing other things.
I replaced the feed line with a -4AN braided line w/ restrictor at the turbo.
Replaced the hard baked drain line as well as the fittings.
Drilled and tapped holes in the intake manifold for 1/8" NPT and put fittings in for the BOV itself and the external Tial WG, so they both have devoted vac lines of appropriate size. I took all the IC setup out and cleaned it, because the previous owner never cleaned out the oil from when the seals went out and he had the turbo rebuilt. As well as replaced a bunch of hardware with stainless because that rusty garbage just won't do.
Results: The Tial BOV blows off clean and sounds great with a super crisp whip. My girlfriend now calls my car the silver dragon because of this noise, don't ask.
Most everything else is great except a small coolant leak that I will track down in the daylight tomorrow. Now the big problem, my turbine housing is again leaking oil and smoking though not nearly as bad as before. Still of course unacceptable. The bolts on the turbine housing are tight, the oil feed is pumping oil away like a madman, though I do have the restrictor inline (1/8" aluminum poprivet).
All I can do i guess is call Turbo Auto and ask what the heck is going on. I do have an extra SR20 T25 sitting around, but I don't have the adapter so I can put a silicone coupler on it yet. Need to make that pronto. Anyway nice to have the car on the road again after over a month of it sitting in the drive. But the life of a DIY turbo owner is a painful one.
Anyone have any idea outside of my turbo seal being bad on the turbine side?
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11-16-2006, 11:38 AM
#4
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The drain line is a smooth sweep from the turbo to the drain pan. No flat spots and no kinks.
The poprivet hole is very small i'll go measure it with a micrometer today to let you know. I know it should be small enough.
When i bought the car, it had like -6AN feed line going to it with a big 90 and a large hose barb going into the turbo without any restrictor whatso ever. He never had any problems which is a mind blower to me now because i've done everything to make sure i have no crank vent problems that i can think of and i've changed my oil lines out with precautions for high oil pressure.
The poprivet hole is very small i'll go measure it with a micrometer today to let you know. I know it should be small enough.
When i bought the car, it had like -6AN feed line going to it with a big 90 and a large hose barb going into the turbo without any restrictor whatso ever. He never had any problems which is a mind blower to me now because i've done everything to make sure i have no crank vent problems that i can think of and i've changed my oil lines out with precautions for high oil pressure.
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11-16-2006, 12:02 PM
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The drain line is a smooth sweep from the turbo to the drain pan. No flat spots and no kinks.
The poprivet hole is very small i'll go measure it with a micrometer today to let you know. I know it should be small enough.
When i bought the car, it had like -6AN feed line going to it with a big 90 and a large hose barb going into the turbo without any restrictor whatso ever. He never had any problems which is a mind blower to me now because i've done everything to make sure i have no crank vent problems that i can think of and i've changed my oil lines out with precautions for high oil pressure.
The poprivet hole is very small i'll go measure it with a micrometer today to let you know. I know it should be small enough.
When i bought the car, it had like -6AN feed line going to it with a big 90 and a large hose barb going into the turbo without any restrictor whatso ever. He never had any problems which is a mind blower to me now because i've done everything to make sure i have no crank vent problems that i can think of and i've changed my oil lines out with precautions for high oil pressure.
Well you said the turbo was rebuilt right? If they put new seals in it and the oil feed and drain lines are taken care of I dont know why it would still leak like that on you. Just to make sure, where exactly did you drill the hole for your drain? If you drilled excessivly low then you might be backing up oil in the drain line and thats why you are puking oil from the center section. or more likely you just need to get a new turbo, one that will make more power
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11-16-2006, 12:52 PM
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My oil drain is at the top of the oil pan in the front so it is above the oil line. I'll pull the drainline and see if there is anything in it. When i reinstalled everything i put new fitting in the flange on the pan as well as all new hose and fittings from the turbo. I'll let you know if I find anything.
It was a new PCV valve from a 323 GTX in it as well. Not sure if that will affect anything.
It was a new PCV valve from a 323 GTX in it as well. Not sure if that will affect anything.
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11-16-2006, 01:54 PM
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My oil drain is at the top of the oil pan in the front so it is above the oil line. I'll pull the drainline and see if there is anything in it. When i reinstalled everything i put new fitting in the flange on the pan as well as all new hose and fittings from the turbo. I'll let you know if I find anything.
It was a new PCV valve from a 323 GTX in it as well. Not sure if that will affect anything.
It was a new PCV valve from a 323 GTX in it as well. Not sure if that will affect anything.
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11-16-2006, 01:55 PM
#9
Give it a week or so, maybe a dozen heat cycles from full cold to full hot... it might just be residual **** baking off somewhere. If you call them, that's probably what they'll say.
Is it just smoking a little or is there actual oil seepage onto the outside of the turbine like in the avatar?
Is it just smoking a little or is there actual oil seepage onto the outside of the turbine like in the avatar?
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11-16-2006, 02:48 PM
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I didn't think the PCV would affect anything on the turbo side.
There is actual oil seepage out of both the turbine housing and there is now oil in my IC piping so I know it's coming out of the seals. There isn't any residual oil on it. I took it for a drive and made sure I burned all the oil from the reinstall off.
When I called he said to make sure my crankcase ventilation is good, that my drain is smooth and above the oil line, and make sure I don't have too much oil pressure going to the turbo. I've done everything but actually measure the oil pressure at the turbo which I may do later today.
There is actual oil seepage out of both the turbine housing and there is now oil in my IC piping so I know it's coming out of the seals. There isn't any residual oil on it. I took it for a drive and made sure I burned all the oil from the reinstall off.
When I called he said to make sure my crankcase ventilation is good, that my drain is smooth and above the oil line, and make sure I don't have too much oil pressure going to the turbo. I've done everything but actually measure the oil pressure at the turbo which I may do later today.
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11-19-2006, 04:06 PM
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I double checked the drain line, it's clear. I took it off and looked through it then i reinstalled it at the oil pan and blew through it, no obstructions that I can tell. What a deal, brand new rebuilt turbo with all new seals and I can't get it to work right.
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11-19-2006, 04:23 PM
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When I sent it to them it had liek 3 thousandths of shaft play. It now has the bare minimum as they replaced the bearings so there is just enough for oil to surround the shaft. So i know the bearings are new and I know they used new backing plate on the turbine housing as well. The cleaned everything, however they do it(hot tank?) and it came back looking great. So I'm sure the rebuild was legit, but it's possible this turbo is just a POS so I need to get off my *** and make an adapter to use my SR20, need to be able to clamp my IC piping on!
Should I try to just VTA my crankcase?
Should I try to just VTA my crankcase?
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11-21-2006, 09:27 PM
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So today I went and got the parts to check the oil pressure right at the turbo.
I bought a T with two male -4 AN ends and one Female -4 end. The female end went on the adapter at the turbo, the gauge went on the side with an adapter and the feed line went into the top. I read the oil pressure at the turbo with and without my 1/8" pop rivet restrictor inline. BTW, the pop rivet measures out to have a .075" inner diameter compared to the recommended .060".
Without restrictor engine warm:
Idle- 35psi
Max w/ Throttle- 60psi
With restrictor before gauge:
Idle- 28 psi
Max w/ Throttle- 53psi
The real phenomenom is not that the restrictor is actually lowering my oil pressure a decent amount. It's that after I took the car for a run with the gauge still installed I jumped out of the car and looked at the gauge. It read 0 psi at idle. I gave it some throttle and it peaked out at 25 psi.
The turbine was smoking but now I'm lost as to what is occuring with my car. It never did this before i changed out the oil lines nor did it do this before the rebuild.
Anyone have any ideas? There are also no kinks in my feed line nor in my drain.
I bought a T with two male -4 AN ends and one Female -4 end. The female end went on the adapter at the turbo, the gauge went on the side with an adapter and the feed line went into the top. I read the oil pressure at the turbo with and without my 1/8" pop rivet restrictor inline. BTW, the pop rivet measures out to have a .075" inner diameter compared to the recommended .060".
Without restrictor engine warm:
Idle- 35psi
Max w/ Throttle- 60psi
With restrictor before gauge:
Idle- 28 psi
Max w/ Throttle- 53psi
The real phenomenom is not that the restrictor is actually lowering my oil pressure a decent amount. It's that after I took the car for a run with the gauge still installed I jumped out of the car and looked at the gauge. It read 0 psi at idle. I gave it some throttle and it peaked out at 25 psi.
The turbine was smoking but now I'm lost as to what is occuring with my car. It never did this before i changed out the oil lines nor did it do this before the rebuild.
Anyone have any ideas? There are also no kinks in my feed line nor in my drain.
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