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Turbo oil leak


Diablo

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Ever since the new engine and turbo last christmas I've had a spray of oil from the air outlet side of the turbo, which proceeds to spray all over the bonnet and engine bay. I managed to adjust the jubilee clip a bit better to reduce the amount coming out, but it still does.

How can I seal the joint properly - I presume something like exhaust sealant isn't suitable?

I've marked on the picture below where it comes out - I had just wiped the turbine house before taking the pic so it does look a bit clean.

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They've given a host of possibilities, the only one of which, bar the turbo seals, which I can think may be an issue is the breather system for the engine.

When I replaced the engine/turbo last year, I did give everything a good clean out, but the thing I couldn't quite work out was how to get the oil separator apart (the small plastic 'box' next to the rocker cover). Is it possible, or do you need a new one in order to get a 'clean' one?

This is a Defender 200tdi

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Not masses - about 1/4 to 1/2 a cupful (not very scientific I know) every couple of months I would guess. Maybe a bit less.

Runs like a dream though (as it should do, being 10 months old), it's just this oil spraying onto the bonnet/engine bay.

and at night, with lights behind you, you can just see smoke when putting the accelerator on after idling - which I presume is the 'build up' of oil.

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Here's a pic taken tonight, after approx 30 miles of driving.

Took the breather hose off the airbox and there was a noticeable amount of oil in it. Interestingly there are a couple of oil runs around the rocket gasket, so I wonder if the cyclone breather isn't breathing properly?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Took everything off at the weekend and there was oil everywhere. Clearly the cyclonic separator wasn't separating.

Gave everything a decent wash out with paraffin, today was first trip since weekend, so shall get it apart tomorrow and see what the hoses look like.

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They've given a host of possibilities, the only one of which, bar the turbo seals, which I can think may be an issue is the breather system for the engine.

When I replaced the engine/turbo last year, I did give everything a good clean out, but the thing I couldn't quite work out was how to get the oil separator apart (the small plastic 'box' next to the rocker cover). Is it possible, or do you need a new one in order to get a 'clean' one?

This is a Defender 200tdi

the cyclonic breather unit isn't meant to be dismantled, just clean it in a suitable fluid to get any old excess lumps of oil out of it & blow it dry, it can be replaced as a complete unit.

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  • 2 weeks later...

FWIW I replaced the breather today with a new genuine one.

Cut the old one open for fun, and everything looked fine, so time shall tell, though I'm not fully convinced. Note that, as rumoured by many, there is no gauze in these things

3ivi.jpgp6er.jpg

uskm.jpg

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Indeed, read so many 'facts' about what they're like, figured I might as well set the record straight!

The 'stuff' (ie oil/air mix) comes in from the engine, swirls around the outside of the pot. Oil in theory drains out of the bottom, whilst the air goes up the tube in the middle and out the pipe from there.

Not sure what the spring is all about though?

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  • 2 months later...

Still pissing out oil at a rate of knots

Not sure what the next avenue to go down is - Turners said it may be linked with the fueling - didn't quite get that one though?

There's a few small leaks around the rocker cover gasket too, so it appears to my naive eye, that the engine is breathing rather heavily, though the reasons behind that I'm not sure.

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The breather attachment to the air filter isn't so critical. to test, I'd just disconnect the breather from the air filter and maybe make a wee catch tank or something, but make it nice and tidy, then block the wee hole in the air filter housing, clean up the turb and run it for a bit, maybe 100-200 miles, keep checking and cleaning to see if the oil goes away - that would rule out the brather (if you haven't already)...

Now the only other logical place for oil to come from is the main turbo shaft seal OR the alu compressor side of the turbo isn't properly seated onto the turbo "cartridge" centre peice and under pressure its pushing oil out and spraying it around, I'd be onto the folk that re-built the turbo and be asking for a replacement unit, as I think its faulty.

I've been involved with the re-build of slightly bigger turbo's before and it doesn't take much for them to not be right if mating surfaces etc aren't cleanned and prepared properly... I hope its still under some kind of warranty...

An after thought after looking at your pictures again... did you use new copper sealing washers on the banjo fitting for the turbocharger high pressure oil feed (top oil supply pipe)?...

and just had another thought... you could maybe use kitchen foil wrapped around certain parts to maybe localise the precise point at which oil is being released...

... and on the topic of your rocker gasket... they are renowendly bad at sealing so I wouldn't put it too much down to "heavy breathing" more just a bad application of a sealing mechanism.

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thanks to both for your help

Intercooler was cleaned when the new engine went in - December 12. i'm sure it's full up again now, but not worth cleaning whilst the problem still exists.

Mav:

new washers were used and I guess you're right re: the rocker.

as for the oil - it is being released from the hose on the turbo output side. Obviously this should be properly sealed, but currently it reminds me that oil is leaking! Have checked all the oil pipes a couple of times and they're fine. And they're also on the wrong trajectory.

I guess it makes sense to stick the hose in a catch tank to rule in/out the engine/turbo and then go from there.

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Clean it up properly and find out exactly where it is coming from. The pictures do not look like the turbo discharge air hose. It looks more likely like a leak in one of the turbo oil hoses. Clean, then run for a few minutes and find where it is coming from. Don't wait until it is all dirty.

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It is hard to get a picture that shows it well.

when I replaced the cyclone breather, I cleaned everything out - the hose to the air box, and the pool of oil in the air box.

Once this was done, with the new breather, the oil spray stopped for a week or two - presumably whilst it 'filled up' again - this to me suggests that it is less likely that it is the turbo - the external hoses anyway.

Once the MOT is out of the way, I'll stick the breather hose in a bottle for a few 100 miles, then see what things look like.

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Oil leaks down the pipe into airbox.

Air is then sucked through turbo, from airbox, collecting some oil with it.

due to the slight leak on the output hose, some of this oil gets blasted at the bonnet, the rest goes into intercooler/engine and burnt off.

That's my current theory; the only external leak is the air hose.

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