Getting oil out of an Intercooler?
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Getting oil out of an Intercooler? So, I had a lot of problems out of my turbo and oil setup like a lot of guys here, I just found out that my return pump was turning off while I was driving the car and allowing the turbo to over fill. Well over a period of time i have got quite a bit of oil in my pipes and im sure in the intercooler.
I have taken the pipes off and cleaned them, the turbo is off right now due to a 12Bolt going into the car. But what can I do to get the oil out of the intercooler? Can I just pressurize it like I would do a leak test and then open a valve on one side and let it blow out? or should i take it off and clean/soak it with something?
And on top of that whats the chances something is wrong with my turbo now? I hate to think that in about 500 miles it already needs a rebuild. Just want to know what to look for when I get it back on in the next few weeks. But I want to be sure all the old oil is out so I know if it is pushing it again when it gets reinstalled.
I have taken the pipes off and cleaned them, the turbo is off right now due to a 12Bolt going into the car. But what can I do to get the oil out of the intercooler? Can I just pressurize it like I would do a leak test and then open a valve on one side and let it blow out? or should i take it off and clean/soak it with something?
And on top of that whats the chances something is wrong with my turbo now? I hate to think that in about 500 miles it already needs a rebuild. Just want to know what to look for when I get it back on in the next few weeks. But I want to be sure all the old oil is out so I know if it is pushing it again when it gets reinstalled.
This is how I cleaned oil out of my intercooler. Not sure if its the "right" way of doing it, but seemed to work fairly descent. I capped off one end. Then I put about a gallon of gasoline in it. I capped off the other end, then shook it back and forth, trying to get the gasoline all over. When I drained the gas out of it you can see all the oil that came with it. I then just took a air hose and tryed to blow out anything that might have been left in it.
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seems like a sound idea, although I don't know the consequences of gas on alum. I used break cleaner for the pipes, gets oil off and air dries really fast.
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I used hot water and laundry detergant same method but different stuff. Then i just flush it with cold water and used compress air to dry it out. I had Spring fresh air going in to the motor lol. Oh if the pump was coming on and going off if you used the sts relay system then chaces are the relay is bad.
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I used my own system, but I guess its the same theory as there's I tapped the fuel pump power wire for the signal and ran my own wire from the batt. for the oil pump power.
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Ahh **** I bypass all that. I just run a 12v source with a relay to the pump with switch and a dummy light. So if the pump fails light will go off and its bright than a **** so I will see it. Only thing is I turn the pump on manualy.
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it is terrible that oil problems become such an issue that that has to be done, but it seems like a good idea. I just hope my turbo hasnt taken any damage as a result ( by the way I saw your pics in the other thread and mine is no where near that bad! I only get a little bit down the hot side and nothing visible still one the blades)
easiest and most effective way to clean the IC is to take it off, cap one end and dump some gas in it, cap it off and slosh it around every way imaginable, then dump it out. Do that a couple times. you cant just blow it out or drain it, the oil will coat the inside of the tubes and drops the efficiency in a serious way, like a 30-40% reduction. Gas or alcohol is by far the cheapest and easiest.
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I would also do some sort of gas or soap method to clean out the IC. If you have your MAF after the IC you definately don't want bits of oil getting up and on the MAF and making it take a crap on you while at WOT.
I wondered about this problem too . What about while its on the car? I have been thinking of drill and tapping a petcock on one side of mine and filling it to the brim with gas.Then let it sit an hour or so and then just drain it thru the petcock.Would be easy maintanence for me since my intercooler isnt easily removed.
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I wish someone could find a chart or something of exactly what amount of oil needs to go through the turbo so you could test it and see if its a return problem or a feed problem and also how to average it so it works at both idle and wot as the feed pressure and amount changes. I had considered doing the .065 jet. But I would love a figure to test against
Edit: who has fixed the problem and not ran into turbo problems? I am still looking info on weather the turbo could be damaged as result of the blowby
Blow by will not damage a journal bearing turbo. Less oil will destory the journals. The way i have mine is i put the restrictor on top of the check valve but size will vary because I have a different turbo. Id say double check the check valve make sure its good then make sure u have a good power source for the pump and see. also make sure the turbo spins freely while the car is running spinning by finger wont tell the full story.
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Will do, what do you think the difference is between putting it before the check valve vs. putting it just before the inlet on the turbo. Also I thought you only needed a check valve on the return side not the feed side? I currently have both. But I wasnt going to put the one back on the feed side when i put it back in (changing feed lines) More info on that would be great
Will do, what do you think the difference is between putting it before the check valve vs. putting it just before the inlet on the turbo. Also I thought you only needed a check valve on the return side not the feed side? I currently have both. But I wasnt going to put the one back on the feed side when i put it back in (changing feed lines) More info on that would be great
Also having a check valve in the return side can cause a restriction which the pump will most likely not pull oil through. NO need to have one on the return side.
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Interesting, what about the fact that my oil pump is higher than my turbo and the return hole in the oil pan is even higher than that .. and oil running back into the turbo after the pump shuts off even if there is a check valve in the feed line? Seems like the same idea oil will fill the turbo back up with oil running back into it after the pump shuts off
Interesting, what about the fact that my oil pump is higher than my turbo and the return hole in the oil pan is even higher than that .. and oil running back into the turbo after the pump shuts off even if there is a check valve in the feed line? Seems like the same idea oil will fill the turbo back up with oil running back into it after the pump shuts off