oil in wastegate actuator

[tbaumann]

I just purchased a 87 gn and was doing some spring cleaning. I am olny getting about 10psi of boost. I have a Scantool and everything looks to be ok. I took off the actuator to modify it and make it adjustable. In the process I found that it contained oil in the diaphram area.

What is the cause of this???

Breather???

If not breather could it be seals from the compressor??

Do I need to replace te solenoid??

What else shoul I look at and clean??

 

[salvageV6]

The breather can do it, most cap that thing off, well 20 years ago. :biggrin:

PCV perhaps, turbo for sure, if you cap the breather turbo fitting off check the air inlet side for oil and clean it out.

Then check it after driving 200 miles or so, if there's oil back in there it's the turbo.

It's worth taking the stuff apart to clean it out.

If the solenoid works leave it alone.

 

[tbaumann]

Thanks for the help.

The breather is in place and capped off. I pulled the up pipe to the plenum and it was dry, very slight oily residue on one side and dry on the plenum side. Looked in the plenum and it did have some residue but is seem pretty minimal. Pulled the MAF pipe and looked at the compressor side of the turbo, it was dry. I looked at the hose from the compressor to the solenoid and it looked dry. The solenoid seems to be oil free from what I can tell.

I guess for now I will clean everything out and retest. The only thing I can figure is that it was build up from when the breather was uncapped.

Thanks again for the help. This is my first turbo car and I am a littel behind in the learning curve.

 

[RUQWKNF]

I agree with what salvageV6 just said, with one other recommendation. It sounds like you may have oil getting sucked up through the PCV valve at idle, into the vacuum distribution block on top of the t-body, then out to your other vacuum hoses when under boost. I would take the vacuum distribution block off and see if it's wet with oil. If so, clean it good, and replace all your vacuum lines and zip tie them, as well as replace the PCV valve and get a check valve. We definitely don't need the fuel pressure regulator filling up with oil, much less any other vacuum related items such as the MAP sensor, cruise control diaphram, EGR, boost gauge, etc etc. Also, if you are running a stock location IC, you might want to take it off and see if it might have oil in it, if so, flush it out really good and reinstall it.
Just a thought or two.

Patrick

 

[tbaumann]

Thanks for input.

I got a new pcv on the way. What did you mean "and get a check valve". Where can I find one and where does it get installed??

I will check the vacuum distribution block today.

I did take pipes to the intercooler off and things looked dry. I will pull the intercooler and clean it out anyway - I can't hurt.

I trying to get everything clean up so I can get a good baseline.
Right now I am only seeing 10 PSI of boost and I want to get that bumped up to 15 ish. Scantool numbers look good and fuel pressure looks good. I will try shortening the actuator rod. I hope that works.

If that does not increase boost what else should I check??