Scavenger Pump for Turbo Oil Drain
 

Does anyone have a recommended scavenger pump that would overcome a turbo oil drain issue? It's taken some time and research to figure out why my turbo, under high rpm/ boost, has had a slight leak in the chra/hotside area. I've got a .035 oil restrictor in the housing and the crankcase vent is to atmosphere. The only culprit is a previous owner tapped the oil pain way too low, not above the oil line in the pan. This is causing oil to back up under high rpm and slightly weep onto the chra housing. I don't want to try another tap location with the A/C, pwr steering, and turbo manifold all cluttering the area. I called a turbo specialist shop and he recommended a Turbowerx pump. Is there anything out there that is smaller and less expensive? Anyone ever used a scavenger pump?

Thanks,
Dan

I am opposed to adding cost, complexity, failure points, weight, and electrical load rather than plugging the hole and moving the existing drain to the proper location. You say you don't want to put more stuff down there but you're talking about about adding a lot more stuff down there.

I do not have a recommendation of a scavenge pump but would probably consult with the rear mount Turbo aficionados and see what works in their world.

In likely 1/10th the time to add all that stuff, you could drill/retap the pan properly and just epoxy a plug in the old fitting.

It looks congested under there. I suppose I would have to remove the compressor, or at least pull it out of the way. There's the lower radiator hose, the power steering lines from the pump, the motor mount, the exhaust manifold tubing and turbo clocked downward. It doesn't look easy to get the tap up high enough. I'm sure this is why the previous owner went low in the pan and even has the bung facing angled towards the driver's headlight assembly. It's not perpindicular to the oil pan.

How about adapting this check valve to your set-up. Worked wonders for me on my MSM in its intended application - oil use plummeted to near-zero.

With the A/C pump in place, mark a location that clears it. Then unbolt the A/C and Power steering and swing them out of the way. Remove lower radiator hose & drain then IIRC your clear to get in there. I did mine with a right angle drill and short bit. Just be careful and take your time. FM even has documentation with location of hole in Section 4: FM instructions

Get a new pan.

Thanks for the responses. A new pan would be a lot of work to take off and put on.

DeerHunter, do you think the MSM check valve will allow gravity fed oil by it to go to the oil pan? I feel like the oil could still build up and back up to the check valve and then back up to the chra and leak.

Well, if my understanding of the MSM catch can is correct: It collects oil from blow-by and then gravity feeds it back to the sump. Your problem is essentially the same, except the oil is pressurized by the oil pump and fed through your turbo, whereafter it is gravity fed to your sump. I can't see why it wouldn't work, except perhaps that the volume of oil is greater than for the catch can. A call to FM might shed some light as to the capability of this one-way valve.

I'm amazed anyone has ever been able to accomplish this on a Miata with air conditioning. I don't even know how I did it myself or was able to do it on the three other cars I drilled for other people.

Why not make a long-ass 2 or 3 foot drill bit for a straight shot to the oil pan?

https://www.miataturbo.net/diy-turbo...68/#post247297

Check valve wont do anything, current oil drain fitting is submerged in oil, so with high oil flow the drain gets backed up.

It's easy to drill a drain hole in the proper location, follow the FM instructions.

I drilled mine with a $40 harbor freight right angle drill. No problemo