Condensation in my oil, is this normal? Update 05/21/2015 Found a problem

[Jerryl]

. . . . I have oil sitting in the inlet bell. I must have a seal going out of the turbo. It's basically new but with the problems with that last motor it may have gotten hurt??

This is starting to get frustrating.

Frustrating for sure.

I am no expert but this doesn't sound like a ring issue . . . and believe a new motor and associated break in particles in the oil can damage the turbo seal.

You have another turbo you can throw on to verify?

Fwiw:
I had a fresh rebuild "non-Bison" turbo blow so much oil i had to pull it back off.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

I don't have a spare turbo to check it. I will get ahold of Bison today. I think he built this one for Husek then the customer who ordered it never picked it up so I bought it from Husek.

I could be wrong so don't quote me.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

Checked the up pipe and it's bone dry. Pulled the MAF pipe off again and then was an oil film in the inlet bell. I'll have more time to pull the down pipe loose tonight or tomorrow. I do have a little play in the turbo shaft up and down but not horizontal back and fourth.

 

[Lil Truck]

Checked the up pipe and it's bone dry. Pulled the MAF pipe off again and then was an oil film in the inlet bell. I'll have more time to pull the down pipe loose tonight or tomorrow. I do have a little play in the turbo shaft up and down but not horizontal back and fourth.

This is very interesting! I have the same symptoms after my new motor was running a few hundred miles. It has been over a year and around 2000 miles and this problem has occurred about a dozen times! I have checked plugs (clean) I did not pull the MAF as I did some research and learned that the T31 ring has had issues where it looses tension and leaks in to the exhaust. I have no external signs of this leak yet! I have been running 20lbs boost, the car runs perfect but every once in awhile either after backing up or a short stop light to stop light I will see blue smoke for about 3-5 seconds then it is gone?

I have a car show this weekend with 50 or more TRs, if no one has a better answer I will be pulling the turbo and sending it to Bison.

P.S. No oil leaks and I am running the same TA heads as in this post.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

In my case I'm leaning toward oil Vapor in the pcv system. I do have some shininess on the RJC plate in the plenum. I talked with Bison and downsized my PCV orifice. In my case I had been doing a lot of interstate driving that day at 70 mph. The weather was a little muggy. I haven't duplicated the drive nor the weather since but I have not had anymore issues.

 

[Lil Truck]

In my case I'm leaning toward oil Vapor in the pcv system. I do have some shininess on the RJC plate in the plenum. I talked with Bison and downsized my PCV orifice. In my case I had been doing a lot of interstate driving that day at 70 mph. The weather was a little muggy. I haven't duplicated the drive nor the weather since but I have not had anymore issues.

That is good news, I have been working on better crankcase ventilation, new breathers and catch can. I found that street driving at low boost the small breathers were fine, but with WOT and 20+ boost the breathers would get saturated with oil fast and drip on the valve covers along with minor drips from the rear main. This appears to be all fixed now, but I have never tried a smaller PCV orifice?

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Pronto]

I also have gone to a restriction in the pcv line.

 

[Lil Truck]

I also have gone to a restriction in the pcv line.

Thanks, are you adding an additional one way valve? or something else?

 

[Pronto]

For years I've run a US Plastics one way valve in the pcv line after my catch can.

 

[1952ray]

Trying to understand why some have leaking oil and others do not! I run the RJC billet brass pcv and one breather on each cover no catch cans. No leaks at all. Run 25-26# of boost 1-2 gear 23-24# of boost 3-4. I just don't get it

 

[Lil Truck]

Trying to understand why some have leaking oil and others do not! I run the RJC billet brass pcv and one breather on each cover no catch cans. No leaks at all. Run 25-26# of boost 1-2 gear 23-24# of boost 3-4. I just don't get it

What valve covers are you running? I had no problem with my stock motor built up running 25-26 # with stock valve covers breathers and PCV.

The new motor makes more power at 20 # than the old combo did when I ran it at 30 # but it has no baffles on the after market valve covers so the breathers get saturated with oil. The rubber baffles don’t allow enough relief and builds to much crank case pressure. Many have fixed the problem with a catch can system and no rubber baffles.

 

[1952ray]

What valve covers are you running? I had no problem with my stock motor built up running 25-26 # with stock valve covers breathers and PCV.

The new motor makes more power at 20 # than the old combo did when I ran it at 30 # but it has no baffles on the after market valve covers so the breathers get saturated with oil. The rubber baffles don’t allow enough relief and builds to much crank case pressure. Many have fixed the problem with a catch can system and no rubber baffles.

GN1 from Mark at TRCustom

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

I run the TA Valve covers with a breather in each. I also run the US Plastics check valve with catch can.

I have the rubber grommets with the baffles in them. I saw a huge design flaw in the fact that when you seat the breather crank case pressure could actually close the baffle. One of mine when new wasn't cut at the baffle area to let any air out. I kept them but drilled 3 small holes in the top baffle and 2 in the bottom. It's better than nothing but I still get oil in the breathers. I'd like to raise the breathers out of the oil but the TA valve covers don't have a screw in provision so the breather may get top heavy if you built some sort of extension seated with a grommet.

I had my grommets out when the motor was running and it don't take crank case pressure to oil down the breathers. My rockers throw oil everywhere.

 

[Pronto]

Maybe you should look at the Universal Metco valve cover breathers. They have stand offs and the grommets are free flowing.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

I'll check that out.

Do you use them?

 

[BEATAV8]

I run the TA valve covers with the little K&N breathers. I completely cut the bottoms of the grommets off on mine to let the gases flow freely.

Open flow area provides lowest possible gas velocity, and less oil carry over. Standpipes would be the next step if you still have too much oil carryover.

 

[Pronto]

I'll check that out.

Do you use them?

Not at this point. I am considering them. Like Beatav8, I have TA covers with the small K&N flat on the cover. The standpipe seems like a good idea along with the larger filter area.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

I had a set of K&N breathers that are 3" across that I stuck in the valve covers. I have less oiling problems with the larger breathers. The small breather's were soaked after 120 miles of highway driving. One of those deals where every car will be a little different.

 

[Justin85]

Any updates on the car brother?

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

The car's running again just fighting an oil leak at the intake which I hope to have fixed. Just need to button it back up this week. Thanks for asking.