I'm currently working on a turbo build with a 5.3 for my Trans Am. The piping is On3 for keeping the AC and the turbo is a Turbonetics 78/68. The hole at the bottom of the turbo where the oil drains out is level with the top of the crank. Is this too low for a gravity drain? I was hoping to get away without using a scavenge pump but this looks a little low.

 

Too low.

 

If its part of a kit what does the kit maker say?

 

I'm in the same boat with twins on a new edge mustang what's the best route for scavenge pump(s) to do the job affordably

 

The kit comes with a pump, which I have. Once I bolted it all up, it just looks borderline to me. It's a little higher than I thought it was going to be. I will probably take everyone's advice though and run the pump. Do most people run the pumps inline with the return line or suck it out of a catch can kind of deal?

 

What's a new edge mustang?

 

I've always thought that if the bottom of the turbo centersection was higher than the oil level in the pan, which it sounds like it is, then it will drain correctly provided you have a properly setup PCV/catch can.
I believe my SS turbo kit had it at about that level, drained just fine.

 

If the kit came with a pump, first off, I would not run the pump on3 sent me, and secondly, I would run a pump.

Just looking at the picture, there is no gravity drop of any kind. You need a pump. Preferably, a good one.

 

Better angle pic would help. Level with the top of the crank is fine if you have a straight shot and use 1"-3/4 ID drain to the top of the oil pan.

 

The answer to this question may lie in your location. If the drain looks questionable, but you live in a flat area, just pour fluid in and see if the drain works. If you live in an area with hills, any question about your gravity drain will be answered with NO.

 

The best mustangs ever lol

99-04

 

the placement looks similar to the Hurron Speed kit im running. I have a -10 draining a few inches above the oil drain bolt. Works fine for me.

 

Sounds fair.

As long as he can get a decent size drain and a clean shot into the oil pan above the level of oil then it should be ok. Given it may not be perfect, aim for a solid oil return pipe of around say 3/4" ID which should help negate the fact it isnt ideal.

 

I'm pretty sure (over 99% confident) you can make that work without a pump. Mine is very similar location, and I do not need a pump. One question, do you have room to get your crank pully/damper on there? It looks tight? Mine is so tight I have trouble getting a socket wrench on the crank bolt to turn the motor over, when installing converter bolts.

Now here is some advice from what I learned installing my return line. You want the return line to come into the pan above the oil level, but as low as possible to get as much downward slope to the line as possible. I just put mine on the pan about where I seen just about everyone else put their return in photos of builds.







It works so I should be happy, however in hind site where I put the bottom of my return hole is about 1/2" to 3/4" above the oil level. If I could do it all over again here is what I would do. I would put 5 quarts of oil in my pan, and with a pick scratch on the inside of the pan a mark 3/8" (using 23/32" bit for the main hole so this is very close to the radius of the hole) above the oil level. I would then drain the oil out and drill a pilot hole, with about a 1/8" bit, from this mark inside the pan through to the outside of the pan. You may need to use a right angle drill to do this to have your hole to be square to the side of the oil pan? I would then drill from the outside, on the drill press the 23/32" hole for the 1/2" NPT return fitting to be threaded into. The purpose for this would be to guarantee the return line is above the oil level, and would have it as low as possible, to have as much downward slope to your return line to give the maximum draining. I would bet that doing this will make it where you can get away from using a pump.

Also what RICE ETR said, the PCV is critical. You will need a working PCV system, and not be boosting your crank case like the factory PCV system would. That will blow the oil back up the return line and back into the turbo. That is a whole 'nother thread, this response is long enough without getting into how to design a proper PCV system for a turbo motor, see Mighty Mouse if you need more info. It should look something like this.

 

Thanks Scotty for the detailed reply and pictures. That should also help a lot of guys in the future that have the same question as me. Here's a pic of it's height. I think I will have about a 1.5" gap between the installed crank and the turbo. After looking at my pic, I'm going to run a gravity drain. I think it will work. If issues do come up, I will just install my pump.

Gametech, I do have some hills around here so that's something I will have to account for too.

 

Put on a drain flange and 90 degree AN fitting. You'll find that now you are 2" lower than the center section. That is what you should be using to look across at the oil pan for potential bung locations.

 

In that picture, I think yours is pretty much exactly the same height as mine. Now I'm 100% confident you can make it work without a scavenge pump. I'm guessing your leaving your radiator in the stock location?, as opposed to standing it up, and I have the same compressor housing as you do. I have about 3/4 of an inch clearance to the radiator. I think yours is designed the same as mine is, to be as high and forward as possible, without interfering with the rad. Should put our turbos in the same height. Since you can optimize the slope on your line, using the method I'd use on all future builds, you can likely get a slightly better angle on it than I did. If you wanted to just sloppy it, I know mine is about 1/2-3/4" higher than it needs to be, you could eyeball mine from the photo and just put it a little lower. I'd recommend putting the 5 quarts of oil in the pan, and doing it that way, to be precise. Your golden!

If you've never had a turbo car before, you are going to love it, 700 rwhp is crazy fast. I had a range rover on my *** in the interstate the other day about 3-4 feet off it at 75-80 mph. He was kinda pissing me off, as I was behaving. I kicked it down, and the tires broke loose and the tail of the car started drifting out. so I'm cocked about 15 degrees from strait going down the interstate with smoke coming out of the rear fenders, blowing the tires off. The dude crapped his pants and backed way off.

'98 Z28 -- $5800
Upgraded fuel system - $1400
Turbo Kit $3500
Yuppie in range rover crapping pants - Priceless

 

As long as you route the oil drain down hill and above the oil level of the tank you should be ok with out the pump. I'd hate to rely on a pump, you'd never know it went out till to late

 

I have a Griffin radiator that I was going to stand up but I haven't installed it yet. That involves cutting the upper and possibly the lower radiator support. Are you running your stock radiator and fans? Have any issues with overheating? The kit I bought is suppose to keep the AC and use the stock radiator. The engine is going to sit on a BMR turbo k-member for extra clearance to keep the AC. Eventually I want to upgrade to the 78/75 and I didn't think it would clear the stock positioned radiator so I was going to get an early start and install a Griffin.

 

I'm running the stock radiator with Derale fans pushing. I deleted my AC, but I am running the same BMR turbo K. Having the AC condenser out of there greatly increases air flow, and I don't have that heat from the condenser being dumped in there either. I run a 165F thermostat, and have not had over heating problems. The hottest I've seen it get is about 185, but I've not sat in traffic with it, on days of triple digit temps. Mine basically drives from my house to the track, and takes the odd spirited drive down the country roads.

The 78/75 is basically the same size physically as the one you have, the turbine housing is bigger, but it really is the compressor that is the size limitation. Your NA motor is similar to mine, it was making within about 10 hp of what you were making before I put the turbo on it. You will make considerably more power than most people do with JY 5.3 motors with stock heads, at the same boost level.

I do hope to one day to stand up my radiator, so I can go with an S485 or the like. I'm starting a 365 build with all top shelf stuff, using an iron 6.0 only 4.005 bore, and stock stroke. Weisco pistons, and Lunati rods and crank. Using all ARP fasteners, 2000 rod bolts, APR main studs, head studs etc. I'm thinking I'm going to use my same heads, although I do also have a set of 821 heads here ready to go too. I'd need to buy and LS3 intake and 4 bolt throttle body. I'm not sure it's worth it, since my Advanced Induction 317's work so well, it has always been easy for me to get higher dyno numbers than one might expect from the combo's I've run with those heads in 'em.