Full Blown Turbo Kit Owners Topic

[FullBlown]

We have a bunch of kits on the market and I've only seen this twice. They were turbos from blown up motors. Did they take the turbo apart to inspect it or just checked shaft play?

How is your crankcase pressure? What catchcan do you have and how is it routed?

[Reaper]

I run 9 quarts of oil at the track no issues with a deep pan and an oil return line below the oil level. You physically can't get oil level below the fitting on the pan. When filled properly the oil hight is ABOVE the top of the pan.

[Reaper]

Someone probably installed the crank case breather wrong and forced a bunch of oil into the intercooler using it as an air oil seperator. I poured over a quart out of a gtr intercooler that had the crank case breather hooked up wrong once

[grant]

yes the turbo was removed disassembled and inspected, it cost me $100

They are custom made catch can's (by the fab shop beside me that fixed the DP that didn't fit, and the larger capacity return/surge), I ran a rubber hose from the PCV to the can (blocked off the port to the intake mani) and the other side that's under the AC compressor that you say in the instructions to just leave off is ran to another catch can on the drivers side in the same fashion. I'm running them atmospheric, however I have thought of hooking them up pre-turbo. Not sure how to measure the crankcase pressure, if you want me to let me know the process.

so you haven't responded to the question about the oil return, and the person answering the phone didn't when I called. I'm still at bit lost regarding it being below the oil level by a fair amount, that only leaves about 4-5" of 1/2" tube as a return surge area before hitting the oil level creating back pressure on the bearings correct?

[grant]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Someone probably installed the crank case breather wrong and forced a bunch of oil into the intercooler using it as an air oil seperator. I poured over a quart out of a gtr intercooler that had the crank case breather hooked up wrong once

HUH? how would this affect oil leaking out the cold side of the turbo, that is only fed by a tube to a K&N filter? I'm sure my FMIC has oil in it but its from the turbo leaking and blowing it thru the system, I can take the elbow from the turbo off and watch the oil leak out of the turbo compressor.

[Reaper]

Ohh....ops. misread. I was thinking cold side piping from the intercooler. Yup blown turbo seal.

[grant]

your suggesting a turbo seal is gone on the turbo that I just had inspected and was ok'd by a profession rebuilder with 25 yrs experience and with 100's of ball bearing rebuilds under his belt? thanks for your help
@FullBlown how would you suggest me to proceed from here?

I'm at a cross roads here, do I spend the money on a scavenge pump and have a custom setup built to fulfill the only thing that makes sense to anyone that I know in the industry knows about turbo returns (but granted they have only built a handful of custom turbo setups), or like you keep suggesting spend the money on a new turbo to replace the one I just had inspected and ok'd. I can always continue to run the scavenge setup no matter the turbo's condition, but if I have 2 perfectly good used turbo's it doesn't benefit me if the turbo return is the actual issue

[Kiske]

post a picture of your return line. anything with even the slightest kink will fubar everything.

[grant]

which set up the original or the larger diameter surge tank one that's on it now? and yes I know that, its been suggested by everyone local that I have had come to the shop asking for their $0.02 because they thought the same thing, and after looking at it they all agreed that unless I go to something larger than -10an I couldn't increase the flow any more with whats provided (meaning its straight)

[FullBlown]

Does the car smoke at all? How does the downpipe and turbine wheel look? I've seen quite a few turbos push oil pass the seal due to a bad return and 99% of the time, it smokes out the turbine side. It is really weird that you have oil coming out of the compressor.

I am not downplaying the fact that it could be an oil return problem but it is highly unlikely with the amount of kits we have out there and some competitors kits that shares the same return style without an issue.

I know that does not answer your question because I really don't have an answer without looking at the setup myself. How much oil is it? dripping wet oil or more of a black oil residue along the walls?

[GsxrMe]

Let's say somehow he is applying boost into the crankcase. Theoretically.... doesn't that cause pressure on the oil drain? And causing oil not to drain properly?

[grant]

Originally Posted by FullBlown

Does the car smoke at all? How does the downpipe and turbine wheel look? I've seen quite a few turbos push oil pass the seal due to a bad return and 99% of the time, it smokes out the turbine side. It is really weird that you have oil coming out of the compressor.

I am not downplaying the fact that it could be an oil return problem but it is highly unlikely with the amount of kits we have out there and some competitors kits that shares the same return style without an issue.

I know that does not answer your question because I really don't have an answer without looking at the setup myself. How much oil is it? dripping wet oil or more of a black oil residue along the walls?

Not seeing much smoke, but honestly not behind the car often. It did however REALLY smoke white on one start this weekend for just the fire up, I will try and get the wife to drive in front of me some time to see if its smoking. A few people mentioned it was smoking on low rpm acceleration (don't think the car has seen more than 5000rpm since the turbo install) on the drive to the hyper meet on saturday, but they said black smoke (the tune I purchased is less than stellar, I was hoping to get this oil issue fixed before flogging on it on the dyno for a proper pro tune), from what I've heard oil leaking at the turbo smoke is typically more white. I haven't pulled the DP, but can do that this weekend if you want. The oil drips off the compressor housing at the bottom and at the silicon elbow going from the turbo to the air filter pipe, it drips enough that it goes onto the lower rad support and drips off it while parked it will typically leave 5 quarter sized spots, there is evidence on the motor/pulleys that wind blows it against them too, I try and keep the engine and bay clean and free from dripping since we have a new house/driveway and don't want to stain it. I lost about 500ml on the last 1500km oil change, and guessing it was from leaking and not consumption. The oil is fresh looking oil, nothing black about it, the engine only has 2500-3000km on it and has had 3 oil changes, the most recent one is only 500km on it, so its pretty golden still. let me know if you want me to do/try anything else, I'm more than happy to help and appreciate your suggestions and questions

[grant]

Originally Posted by GsxrMe

Let's say somehow he is applying boost into the crankcase. Theoretically.... doesn't that cause pressure on the oil drain? And causing oil not to drain properly?

I would agree, but the crankcase vents on both sides are running to atmospheric catch cans, and unless the head gaskets are toast I can't see how else it would happen, and this has been happening since before the car even saw boost (brand new engine break in, brand new clutch, and absolute fear from the last motor has us babying the car)

[Kiske]

^ No check valves/restrictor pills on your catch cans are there? There doesn't have to be much crankcase pressure to cause a restriction in the drain, just enough pressure where it doesn't drain as fast.

You will know if your burning oil via the turbo. White shitstorm everywhere behind you. And if you are smoking you will smoke for weeks, and like a sob when the cat is warm. The tinyest ammount takes forever to burn even after cleaning all the pipes.