Any suggestions out there about oil returns for twin turbos? I’ve considered a bunch of things:
- the turbos will probably be above the valve covers, could I dump right in there? Would I have problems with it draining back fast enough?
- I’ve considered making a fitting for the fuel pump blockoff, seems like the perfect spot, but I don’t think that I could get the driver’s side around that far and keep a downward slope in the whole line.
- Fittings in the pan. This is probably the best solution. Is it possible to do right without pulling the pan? What do you use? Where do you put them?

Other suggestions? Pictures/descriptions what people have done?

 

For that matter, how hard is it to pull the pan in a 3rd gen with the engine in the car?

 

The pan isnt really that hard to pull, just time consuming.

Basically, out the car on ramps. Why ramps? You need all the room you can get when doin this job, and jack stands REALLY get in the way. Pull the distrib. cap, undo the motor mounts, tranny mounts, starter, flywheel cover or t.c. cover and y pipe. Remove all the pan bolts you can get to, jack the engine up as much as you can from the front crank pulley (floor jack works fine). Go slow. Get the rest of the pan bolts out, and pull the pan. If it doesent seem like its gonna clear the cross member, let the engine down, rotate the engine by hand 1/4 a turn, jack up, and the pan should come right out. Some times the pan gets hung up on the crank. All in all, should take about 2-3 hours to get out.

Installation reverse of removal! ( to all you Hanes manual guys!)

Oh BTW... if you have an oil cooler, the coolant hardlines are a major pain in the ***. best bet is to cut the 2 soft lines goin into the oil filter pickup, and replace them with new ones.

Good Luck!

 

Crap, it sounds like exactly the hassle that I expected it to be (about the same as doing it in a 4th gen), and something that I really don’t like the idea of doing. With my luck I’d put it back and it would leak.

I’m not too worried about the oil cooler lines, I think I’d use this opportunity to get rid of them, and then run them through coolant housings on the turbos. In other words, the coolant would flow across to the driver’s side of the engine across the top to make the connections with the turbos so I could get rid of the hard lines on the bottom. I'd probaly also consider running the return to the port on the back of the water pump rather then all the way back across the engin bay to the connection on the radiator. Or hell, get rid of the oil cooler all together (I would assume that there would be some heat transfer from the oil in the turbos to the water in the turbos).

So any other comments/ideas? What about my other thoughts about where to run the drain lines? Am I best off using fittings or just welding a piece of pipe to the pan?

 

I've had to pull the oil pan with the motor in the car because of my turbo fittings leaking 3 times....now I have to pull it a fourth because I halfassed it the first time. Get used to it

You pretty much have to pull the pan and weld in fittings. Just be sure the fittings are as high in the pan as you can get them, don't hit the motor mounts or get in the way of the pan bolts, won't hit anything and aren't adjacent to any crank throws on the inside.

 

Grrr, thanks for further confirming what I’m fearing Jester. Any pics of your setup?

So, if I was going to do something funky like try to punch the fittings with the pan on it anyone have a good idea where to do it so: “the fittings are as high in the pan as you can get them, don't hit the motor mounts or get in the way of the pan bolts, won't hit anything and aren't adjacent to any crank throws on the inside?”

For that matter, if you’re welding them on, why would you bother, couldn’t you just put it anywhere where you’re clear of the motor mounts and pan bolts as high as you can on the pan?

How high is the oil level in the pan anyway?

 

Hey Jester, you got any pics of your oil pan in the fittings area?

 

For the drain lines, you should have no restriction at all. It must be a downgrade all the way to an open area. I think the fuel pump area might drain out fast enough. If you have the turbos high enough that its a downward grade to the valve covers, that would work. I'd put stand-offs so the oil drains back in the rear, and enlarge the drain hole a bit. If there is a "Trap" in the line, you'll have higher pressures inside the turbos, and will eventually start blowing oil through the seals. I've got -10AN drains from each turbo to the front corner of the oilpan.







I hope this helps!

 

Thanks Andris, I'm not sure if it helps or just confirms the fact that chances are pretty good that pulling the pan is the best way to go.

What fittings did you use to attach the AN fittings to the pan (I'm assuming that you welded something)?

Sounds like nobody really thinks draining into the valve covers is a bad idea... hum... I'm still a bit afraid of pumping the pan dry while the oil drains from the top of the engine.

 

this is all I have up. Not the best pic, but you can kinda see them.

Yes..I know, there is wayy too much rtv Like I said I couldn't get the SOB's to stop leaking

 

Jester, what kind of hose is that (yea, I’m a cheap bastard and will probably route 90% of my lines with hard line or rubber if I can get away with it)? I hope it's not heater hose (most heater hose will disintegrate from the heat and oil).

Do you have a web site or pictures of your setup up somewhere? I clicked on the link that you have as your web page and although enlightening, it wasn't what I was looking for...

BTW, how do make a custom avatar (I figured you and andris are moderators, you should know). I’ve found where you choose them but didn’t see anyplace to add your own.

 

It's heater hose Actually it seemed to hold up ok..it just got kinked. I replaced it with 3/4" hydralic line.

jester.iroczone.com is my homepage. Most everything on it needs to be updated....but there it is.

 

oh yeah and for the avatar thing, go to the top of the page and click user cp

 

I welded some 1/2" NPT bungs onto the oilpan. The turbos have a 1/2" NPT flange -> 1/2" to '10AN straight fitting -> -10 braided line -> 45 degree -10AN to 1/2" NPT -> 1/2" NPT bung on oilpan.

If I were to do it again, I'd probably weld an AN bung onto the pan next time to eliminate a possible source of leaks. With the teflon tape, it doesn't leak, but there is always a little "moisture" there.

Andris

 

I've asked this in a couple of other places, but not here, where do you get weldable NPT fittings? I suppose that I could go with AN, but that would be more expensive and leave less options on how to connect to it.

- mmp

 

I got my bungs (TP for my bunghole!!!) mail ordered from Chassis Works. Doing it again, I'd just take some solid rod, drill and tap it.

A.

 

I went to a hydraulics place and got a steel 1/2" NPT union, then cut it in half with a sawzall. Zoila...2 bungs for about $3

 

Andris, that's what I was planning on doing if I couldn't find any. Jester... I like it... that sounds like the easy/cheap way

 

When my car had a turbo the oil return went into a bulkhead fitting in the fuel-pump area cover.