Oil Return Tube Replacement

[Hedge]

I saw some years ago a company that made very flexible what appeared to be made of rubber oil return line from the turbo to the block. I don't want to replace the stock one with another stock one because they are such a pain to get them hooked back up to the bottom of the turbo and a flexible one would be much easier. Does anybody know a company that makes these or anything like it?

 

[wbrophy]

I saw some years ago a company that made very flexible what appeared to be made of rubber oil return line from the turbo to the block. I don't want to replace the stock one with another stock one because they are such a pain to get them hooked back up to the bottom of the turbo and a flexible one would be much easier. Does anybody know a company that makes these or anything like it?

Eastern Performance

 

[Hedge]

Got a URL on that one?

 

[ESP Products]

It's our ESP turbo oil return kit, $46.

Hope this helps you.

 

[Hedge]

Yeah I found the item on your site earlier but I emailed the address on the site with some questions about it but the email came back as it said your box was full. My questions were...

It says on the site Oil return 3 bolt but underneath my turbo where it connects I only have 2 bolts. What is the 3rd bolt? Will this fit on a stock turbo/car setup?

Also is there anyway you could get me a better photograph of the product?

Thanks in advance for your response.

 

[phillyturbosix]

I have it on my GN. It's a really nice piece. Mounts right into the block and you toss that stupid adapter that always leaks. And yes it's only 2 bolts to mount it to the turbo. I guess that was a misprint on his site. I would replace the intake with one of their braided lines while your there! That too is a nice piece!

You can see it on my car here...

http://turbobuicks.net/gallery2/d/8850-3/3-4-06-003.jpg

 

[wbrophy]

Have not gone to ESP's site but I would think that "3 bolt" would refer to the oem style turbo which mounts with three bolts.

 

[Hedge]

I have it on my GN. It's a really nice piece. Mounts right into the block and you toss that stupid adapter that always leaks. And yes it's only 2 bolts to mount it to the turbo. I guess that was a misprint on his site. I would replace the intake with one of their braided lines while your there! That too is a nice piece!

You can see it on my car here...

http://turbobuicks.net/gallery2/d/8850-3/3-4-06-003.jpg

Thanks for the info and the picture that is exactly what I was looking for. Just wanted to make sure it was not cheesy looking. Judging from your motor I would say you don't put anything cheesy or cheap on it. Nice looking motor.

 

[phillyturbosix]

Thanks! I try to do a good amount of research on all the boards before I put stuff on my car. It's not a cheesy part and I've had it on and off several times. The stock drain tube is prone to leaking,cracks, and was a good idea for 1987! The braided stops all of that! And should last a long long time!

 

[ESP Products]

Have not gone to ESP's site but I would think that "3 bolt" would refer to the oem style turbo which mounts with three bolts.

You are correct.

Thank you.

 

[tom h]

Is one end, or the other, of the ESP drain hose "rotatable" ?

Else, if the NPT male end is tightened into the block, the 2-hole flange might not align with the turbo, without twisting the line.

From pic, I can't tell.

 

[wbrophy]

Yes, tighten into block than rotate other end to align.

 

[tbirdv6]

I purchased one & installed it & it got twistwed-I was kinda've pissed

They should have added a swivel to where it goes in the block
Also they should have added longer bolts-you'll need them

So you charge a few $$ more,at least it would be politically correct

 

[phillyturbosix]

I purchased one & installed it & it got twistwed-I was kinda've pissed

They should have added a swivel to where it goes in the block
Also they should have added longer bolts-you'll need them

So you charge a few $$ more,at least it would be politically correct

If you mount it to the block first then bend it up and mount the turbo end you won't have that problem. Also the bolts were perfect on mine Personally I thought the design was perfect for our cars. The only thing I'll ad if anything is spray a little gasket tack on both sides of the gasket and you'll never have a leak again. Going on 3 years and not one leak with mine.

 

[tom h]

Rotatable end(s)

If I'm understanding the construction of the ESP drain line correctly, it would seem to have 1 potential design flaw:

If you tighten the NPT connection to block properly, then the opposite end flange may not line up to the the turbo. Normally one might try to "snug" the NPT block end a bit , but if a large rotation is needed, it might not be possible to tighten the NPT end any more (eg, if a 1/3 turn was needed).

For this reason, a hose should have at least one end rotatable, and not have both ends "rigid". While a hose can tolerate some mild twist, it's preferred to have the hose in its "relaxed" state. A flared, AN, or Inverted Flare fitting is considered "rotatable", as the fitting may be tightened without rotating the hose or tube.

Of course, I could be totally misintepreting the design of the ESP hose. And even if the hose is not rotatable, maybe it's not a serious problem in practice.

 

[tbirdv6]

If I'm understanding the construction of the ESP drain line correctly, it would seem to have 1 potential design flaw:

If you tighten the NPT connection to block properly, then the opposite end flange may not line up to the the turbo. Normally one might try to "snug" the NPT block end a bit , but if a large rotation is needed, it might not be possible to tighten the NPT end any more (eg, if a 1/3 turn was needed).

For this reason, a hose should have at least one end rotatable, and not have both ends "rigid". While a hose can tolerate some mild twist, it's preferred to have the hose in its "relaxed" state. A flared, AN, or Inverted Flare fitting is considered "rotatable", as the fitting may be tightened without rotating the hose or tube.

Of course, I could be totally misintepreting the design of the ESP hose. And even if the hose is not rotatable, maybe it's not a serious problem in practice.

You are totally correct my friend,thats what I was trying to say
Plus, the flange to the turbo was was much more thicker than stock & my existing bolts were too short,had to go purchase new longer ones

 

[ESP Products]

Generally speaking, we've had very little problems with the ESP Turbo Oil Return Line. To use the swivel type fitting you are referring to would be 1) very expensive and 2) take up alot of room. This would be great in theory, but the oil return line must fit in a tight area and be flexable. We have sold this item for over 10 years and though many dealers with very good results. If I may suggest, when you install the line 1) screw the line into the block, snug, with thread sealer 2) install the flange onto the other end, with thread sealer, and only spin it to where you need it. Use common sense. At this point the ends are snug/tight and you still have room to make adjustments. We haven't supplied bolts in many, many years, no one said anything. If your bolt are too short, we can send bolts out. We will review the bolt suggestion and add bolts to the kit if needed.

Hope this helps.

 

[tom h]

ESP- thx for the additional info.

tbirdv6 - regarding the thicker flange at the Turbo (probably a good thing, more warp-resistant), and the stock bolts being a bit shorter than ideal, it now seems studs would be a better choice ... easier to relocate the flange when re-installing a turbo. Too bad you had to find out, in the way you did.

 

[ESP Products]

Have you used the studs? I can see the benefit and the problem with that idea.

Hope this helps you.

 

[tom h]

Have you used the studs? I can see the benefit and the problem with that idea...

No, not yet, but after struggling with threading bolts thru the stock flange, it seems a good idea. I just didn't have the correct studs on-hand.

What is the potential "problem with that idea"