Possible turbo oil seal leak. Please help!
05-27-2005, 07:35 PM
#16
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Tool, i looked again (with my limited knowledge) for any hoses that were loose or looked like they were leaking into the turbo. I couldnt find anything. the AFM has no oil in it since that is upstream. It starts from after the turbo. Where exactly is the crank vent and what is it supposed to be attached to? I took the car for another drive and it only smokes when the turbo kicks in other wise there isnt really any smoke. And the turbo itself sounds totally different. Its more of a buzzing sound then the normal "woosh" sound its supposed to make (because its gunked up with oil perhaps?). I think at this point my intercooler and the pipes are pretty full of oil. Before i clean it all out, i figure i better find out where the oil is coming from. To me it still sounds like it the turbo seals.
Im bringing the car back home today. Where should i start? Take off the pipes and look by the turbo? I read some other posts about air/oil separator hose. Is that a possiblity in this case? Please be as descriptive as possible, thanks !
Im bringing the car back home today. Where should i start? Take off the pipes and look by the turbo? I read some other posts about air/oil separator hose. Is that a possiblity in this case? Please be as descriptive as possible, thanks !
05-29-2005, 10:09 PM
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So i brought the car back home and have taken apart the intercooler and the hoses and am in the process of cleaning them out. I noticed oil in all the hoses, including the big hose going from the AFM to the turbo (which is upstream of where i thought the oil would be leaking from). Im not sure if it just backflowed and settled there or what. What should my next step be? Should i continue to dig until i get to the turbo itself and see if it is in fact leaking from the oil seals? would the turbo have to be completely out before i would be able to tell for sure? Im attaching a copy of the turbo diagram, can someone please tell me which part exactly it is that would most likely be culprit letting the oil into the turbo?
05-30-2005, 03:41 AM
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Those aren't the oil seals you're looking for. They do seal oil, but the ones you highlighted are just standard banjo bolt metal rings. That's just the oil supply line to the bearing section of the turbo from the balance shaft housing.
The seals on the oil circuit prior to the turbo would actually keep oil out of the turbo if they're leaking. (they would reduce the oil delivered at least depending on how badly they're leaking). If they were significantly leaking you'd also have a big oil covered mess under your hood. The seals that I think you mean are probably the ones inside the turbo itself that seal the main rotating shaft that the turbine wheels attach to. PET only treats the turbo assembly as a separate part. You'll need to go to a shop that rebuilds turbos if you're set on replacing the seals in the turbo.
The seals you need to replace if it's the ones in your turbo are roughly where the red spots are in this pic.
The seals on the oil circuit prior to the turbo would actually keep oil out of the turbo if they're leaking. (they would reduce the oil delivered at least depending on how badly they're leaking). If they were significantly leaking you'd also have a big oil covered mess under your hood. The seals that I think you mean are probably the ones inside the turbo itself that seal the main rotating shaft that the turbine wheels attach to. PET only treats the turbo assembly as a separate part. You'll need to go to a shop that rebuilds turbos if you're set on replacing the seals in the turbo.
The seals you need to replace if it's the ones in your turbo are roughly where the red spots are in this pic.
05-30-2005, 08:31 AM
#19
Sajid - a residue of oil inside these pipes is normal, and so is mayonnaise inside the oil cap - I have it on mine with my brand new widefire headgasket, and you can believe that mine is not leaking. 
. How much oil is it?
Also - is the car still running well?
. How much oil is it?Also - is the car still running well?
05-30-2005, 09:27 AM
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Tool, this was more than just residue. I would say about 1/2 a quart or so of oil in the intercooler and pipes. Now with the outlet pipe of the turbo exposed, i can see a puddle of oil in there also. The car does have +200K miles on it so maybe its just a buildup from all those years/miles of driving. But its just strange that this happpened all of a sudden. Although, I didnt drive the car for about 5 months and then immediately took it to this shop to have the tbelt/wpump changed before i started driving it for the summer. The car does not drive the same either as the turbo just sounds different and it doesnt have the kick it used to.
05-30-2005, 10:13 AM
#21
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Clean the oil, drive it 200-300 miles then check again. Make sure you have a clean air filter.. If after few 100s miles there is a puddle of oil check your rings (leakdown test). If rings are ok, it's time to rebuild the turbo.
