Turbo Problem
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,522
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From: Arlington, Virginia
Turbo Problem
my friend is having a problem with his turbo. When he is driving and takes it to high RPM's the tubing with the BOV pops off of the IC tubing. What could be causing that. When I looked inside the tubing there is oil in it. Is that bad? Could it be something serious? Also is the turbo manifold suppose to be really hot? I put a drop of water on it and it just slid right off. It seems like it is hotter than normal. I need to know something ASAP. I am posting a pic of the tubing that pops off the ic tubing and a pic of the oil. Right now I have part of the tubing off so I can cget the oil out of it.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 395
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From: Nashville, TN
Well, that's not cool.
The pipe pops off because the pressure is too high for whatever clamp you are using... you are using a clamp, right?
Try getting a T-bolt clamp, they are much more solid that the worm gear type.
As for oil in charge pipes, a little is pretty normal, but a lot is not. Check the oil drain line, make sure it is nice and smooth with no kinks. It should be completely vertical as possible with no "low points" at all. It is gravity fed, and obstructions will cause oil to be pushed out the seals into the charge pipes, as you found.
The pipe pops off because the pressure is too high for whatever clamp you are using... you are using a clamp, right?
Try getting a T-bolt clamp, they are much more solid that the worm gear type.
As for oil in charge pipes, a little is pretty normal, but a lot is not. Check the oil drain line, make sure it is nice and smooth with no kinks. It should be completely vertical as possible with no "low points" at all. It is gravity fed, and obstructions will cause oil to be pushed out the seals into the charge pipes, as you found.
I'm made of meat!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,580
Likes: 0
From: Richmond, VA
Aside from the turbo failing, I can't help but notice there's no bead on that IC pipe. There's supposed to be a bead rolled around the lip so that when you use a clamp on the coupler, it won't slip past the end of the pipe. I made a lower IC pipe from a straight piece of exhaust pipe a few years ago to bypass a silencer box on my DSM. It worked for a few months, but once the blown-by oil from a good turbo got to it... I'd blow that pipe off every time it hit 14 PSI.
As for the oil in the IC pipes, there could be a few things causing it. Most likely it's a failing bearing on the turbo's center section. Check the turbo for shaft play by wiggling it with your finger, and also making sure it spins freely. If the car is blowing smoke under boost, that's a good sign of how bad the turbo's condition is. A little blow-by is okay, but a lot will make it smoke. Even with a healthy turbo, it's a good idea to periodically remove the IC pipes and clean them as well as the inside of the intercooler. Oil and funk will still pool in the lower points of the intake system. If he's had the turbo on the car for over 10k miles, it could be normal and just needs some minor cleaning. If he just put it on, there's a problem.
If you want to test the intake system to see if whatever changes you made to the pipes prevent them from blowing apart, do a search for "boost leak testing" in the DIY forum. I did a write-up on this kind of maintenance with photos and shtuff. Aw hell... here it is... I found it for you.
https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/s...d.php?t=148666
As for the oil in the IC pipes, there could be a few things causing it. Most likely it's a failing bearing on the turbo's center section. Check the turbo for shaft play by wiggling it with your finger, and also making sure it spins freely. If the car is blowing smoke under boost, that's a good sign of how bad the turbo's condition is. A little blow-by is okay, but a lot will make it smoke. Even with a healthy turbo, it's a good idea to periodically remove the IC pipes and clean them as well as the inside of the intercooler. Oil and funk will still pool in the lower points of the intake system. If he's had the turbo on the car for over 10k miles, it could be normal and just needs some minor cleaning. If he just put it on, there's a problem.
If you want to test the intake system to see if whatever changes you made to the pipes prevent them from blowing apart, do a search for "boost leak testing" in the DIY forum. I did a write-up on this kind of maintenance with photos and shtuff. Aw hell... here it is... I found it for you.
https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/s...d.php?t=148666
college kid
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,000
Likes: 0
From: New York
holy **** load of oil in charge pipes batman! damn. ur barely supposed to have any oil in your pipes.! the seals on that turbo could deffinitily be failing. check your drain but also check your feed!! you may need an oil restrictor. too much oil will put too much stress on the seals and will blow into your pipes.!
goodluck
goodluck
