Turbo splashed with oil

[tcm9669]

Hi everyone,
I have some oil around the turbo next to the air filter pipe. I have attached pictures for better explanation. When I bought the truck (in February) the RACV inspection guy said that there was some "oil aspiration" around the turbo which he deemed as normal. Around 3 weeks later took it for service and mechanic said that the "turbo is pouring oil".

2.5 Months later I decided to have a look at it myself and see what seems to be the problem. I am not too mechanically minded but this is my "project" truck and am learning as I go. I don't like to stuff around too much mechanical stuff but can have a look around.

Please note that these pictures were taken after I cleared most of the oil.

Anyways, it seems to be leaking oil from the airfilter pipe (Location.jpg). I noticed there was a bit of a gap (Gap.jpg) so I decided to remove the pipe and try to push it more down. When I removed the pipe there was some oil (no gunk) sitting in the turbo which I guess is normal since turbo needs the oil. Anyways tried to push down the pipe further down but it can't. The gap still remains so I guess that is normal? (Close Up 2.jpg). Inside the pipe was clean and no gunk or anything like that.

There is oil all around that area and underneath as you can see from pictures.

All the oil is new and only done about 800km or so.

Any ideas as to what could be causing this issue? Is it an issue from the actual turbo? The turbo seems dry everywhere else but around this area pictured.

All help appreciated. Truck is 2006 Nissan Navara ZD30

Thanks

 

[tcm9669]

More images just in case

Thanks

 

[tweak'e]

thats fairly normal, in fact i would call it clean compared to most.
its just oil from the breather leaking out the joins.
these blow quite a bit of oil out especially if overfilled with oil (by most mechanics!).
to fix fit a catch can, tons of info on here about it.

once you fit a catch can take the hoses off and clean the ends. that way they will seal properly.

one thing i noticed is your intake pipe is sitting quite a way back (the curved metal one from turbo to engine). it may not be pushed far enough towards the engine or turbo housing may have turned a bit. they are often a bit out but your looks more than normal.

 

[Old.Tony]

It's a little odd to get oil there, because that side of the turbo is usually under suction. The exception to this is when the engine is off, and oil residue inside the PCV oozes into the intake. The PCV is the small pipe directly on the other side of the air pipe from the arrow in Location.jpg. This is where blow-by gas (and oil vapour) comes from the crankcase so that the oil can be burned in the combustion chamber.

The immediate fix is simple. Remove the large hose from the turbocharger, clean outside and in, refit it and clamp it up tight. If the hose has gone hard and won't grip the turbo inlet, consider either replacing the pipe (needs to be replaced with same unit, there are heaps on eBay) or wrapping some pipe tape around (yes, like plumbers tape).

Long term you might consider a catch can. Forefront Industries sell suitable units, the Calibre brand from SCA suck (I have one, and it's crap).

It's POSSIBLE that it's actually a leak from the oil feed but you should be able to see that.

 

[tcm9669]

thats fairly normal, in fact i would call it clean compared to most.
its just oil from the breather leaking out the joins.
these blow quite a bit of oil out especially if overfilled with oil (by most mechanics!).
to fix fit a catch can, tons of info on here about it.

once you fit a catch can take the hoses off and clean the ends. that way they will seal properly.

one thing i noticed is your intake pipe is sitting quite a way back (the curved metal one from turbo to engine). it may not be pushed far enough towards the engine or turbo housing may have turned a bit. they are often a bit out but your looks more than normal.

As I said in the thread, I cleaned most of it before I took the pictures probably that's why it looks cleaner than others. It was quite messier than in the pics. As for the curved metal bit.. are you talking about the one in the first picture going down from engine to turbo attached with the black bit? How is that supposed to be sitting?

It's a little odd to get oil there, because that side of the turbo is usually under suction. The exception to this is when the engine is off, and oil residue inside the PCV oozes into the intake. The PCV is the small pipe directly on the other side of the air pipe from the arrow in Location.jpg. This is where blow-by gas (and oil vapour) comes from the crankcase so that the oil can be burned in the combustion chamber.

The immediate fix is simple. Remove the large hose from the turbocharger, clean outside and in, refit it and clamp it up tight. If the hose has gone hard and won't grip the turbo inlet, consider either replacing the pipe (needs to be replaced with same unit, there are heaps on eBay) or wrapping some pipe tape around (yes, like plumbers tape).

Long term you might consider a catch can. Forefront Industries sell suitable units, the Calibre brand from SCA suck (I have one, and it's crap).

It's POSSIBLE that it's actually a leak from the oil feed but you should be able to see that.

As I mentioned, I did take out the hose It was clean on the inside, no gunk or anything. I took it out from from both the turbo and the air filter side. At first I thought it was not pushed in tight enough due to the gap I pictured, but it seems to me like that's how its supposed to sit. The pipe felt good and not hard at all.. in fact I twisted it around and all that to take it out from both the air filter and turbo sides and it was quite flexible and no cracks. I tightened it as much as I could but I don't see that as being the problem? It was tight to begin with but on the inside it was too clean!

As for the oil feed.. not sure where that is? or how to check it?

I considered a catch can previously. Might consider that again however I want to know if this has anything to do with the turbo.. or the mechanic is just trying to suck my wallet dry for what could be a normal issue. When I took off the hose from the turbo I could see the turbo turbine and I saw some pictures on this forum that looked like the "fins" were quite worn out etc.. but mine look in IMMACULATE condition, also have a turbo gauge installed and turbo responds perfectly, doesnt make noises and gives me quite a good performance.. so.. I'm not willing to drop over a grand on a new turbo or refurb it just for some simple fix.. or a cheap catch can!

Thanks for your help.

 

[Old.Tony]

There should be some oil lines coming from the engine to the turbocharger. On my turbo, one of the oil seals wasn't seated properly when my turbocharger was replaced and as a result I had a small amount of oil coming from underneath. Dusty conditions meant that the dust would stick to the oily section and create exactly the sort of gunk you pictured.

There aren't a lot of oil sources there apart from the PCV and the turbo oil feed. You're spot on about not spending money straight away - but sometimes it takes someone who knows engines (and particularly, turbo diesels) to diagnose faults. They might be simple to describe their operation, but they can be complex little buggers.

 

[tcm9669]

Thanks. I will be installing a snorkel on Saturday so I'll have a look at the oil seals then. Thanks again for your help! Hopefully it's nothing major.

 

[tweak'e]

As for the curved metal bit.. are you talking about the one in the first picture going down from engine to turbo attached with the black bit? How is that supposed to be sitting?

thats the one. see the hose at the end of it connecting to the turbo, it should be straight not kinked like that. tho they always do seam to be a little off, yours seams to be way off.
as someone has replaced the hoses at some point i'm picking the one at the other end of the pipe is a bit long and the pipe isn't pushed in far enough.

 

[tcm9669]

I will have a look at that, I did find it to be sitting at a weird angle but that's how I got it, so I didn't think much of it. The previous owner said that the factory hose would "balloon" a bit and had to replace them twice, that is why he got these "Airflow" heavy duty hoses and got them replaced by his mechanic. I will try to push the other one a bit further in and make it sit right.

 

[ShortyNavros]

Also if you replace that shitty clamp with a decent worm drive on the oil won't leak out so badly

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk

 

[tweak'e]

Also if you replace that shitty clamp with a decent worm drive on the oil won't leak out so badly

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk

yes/no
once a bit of oil gets under the hose then no clamp will stop it. some guys find cleaning the hose and pipe with cleaner first helps a lot. once the rubber sticks to the pipe oil has a hard job getting between the hose and pipe.

 

[Stelianos]

i have replaced the clamps and never seen oil again.

 

[tweak'e]

i have replaced the clamps and never seen oil again.

your YD25 not ZD30. you don't get much oil with YD25. its nothing like what ZD30 get.

 

[tcm9669]

Thanks for your responses guys. Today I removed the airbox while installing the snorkel and I had a closer look. I found an empty hole there and there was LOTS of oil around it.. I attached a picture. Note that the picture is after I cleaned it.

Doesn't seem like the hose leaking oil can make this mess down there? Is that hole normal? Seems like a missing bolt.

 

[Rabbid-chop]

I think that is just a bolt hole. Check the other side for a bolt.
As to the amount of oil everywhere, as stated its usually just breathing oil. They all get it and a catch-can gets most of it.
As to catch cans, ive got a pretty efficient one (forefront), the clean hose is clean and its catching a lot of oil, but taking all my intake pipes off the other day, everything is full of oil. Is it coming from the turbo? Its got 200k+ on it and all the fins are eroded at the corners, probably about 1.5mm of slop on the shaft.

 

[tcm9669]

I'll have a look at the bolt, but that hole looks suspicious to me.

Also as for catch can.. Forefront have 2, big or small ones. Which ones you guys have?

How does this differ from a cheaper one like this
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=272059900471&alt=web

Or this

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=172161009727&alt=web

 

[Rabbid-chop]

Ok, that hole, is on the compressor housing which means it would be blowing compressed air rather than dribbling oil. Mine doesnt have it, i suspect maybe they drilled one of the compressor cover bolt holes a bit deeper than all the others.
Clean it out a bit with some WD40 and a toothpick or something just to make sure.

As to the catch-cans, the forefront or provent are the go as they have a filter element and actually separate and catch the oil. The ones you posted are just an empty can and require modification in the way of baffles and whatnot and will still never be as good as a proper oil/air separator.

I've got the small forefront, due to space constraints. It does the job very well, only thing is you need to hve them drain into another container of some sort which is a pain in the arse. I had mine draining into about a meter of clear 1" hose with a tap on the end for periodic emptying. I think im going to change that so it drains into the turbo oil drain and back into the sump.

 

[Rabbid-chop]

Ps, i dont know what the hell that red face is, lol.