I had a thread going last week about an oil consumption problem. It lead me to start checking things. when I pulled snorkle off I had oil in compressor housing and a ton of end play in turbo. I mean a ton. I ordered new turbo and checked end play on that turbo it was pretty tight. Installed, pre lubed, let idle for 3-5 minutes as stated in instructions. Drove around a little that evening everthing seemed fine. Well here's were the trouble starts. I noticed tonight the I again had oil in exhaust, a stream of oil after driving around. Funny but when I let truck idle exhaust pipe dries up oil, but as soon as I drive down road stop and check exhaust pipe wet again. Now I know there could be a small possibility that new turbo has blown seal but I don't think that is it since I had same wet oily exhaust pipe with bad turbo. When I was diagnoising before I pulled dipstick, pulled oil fill cap and put engine under load and nothing blew through either hole. So now what the #$&#)@* can it be. I have read that these engines are prone to cracked heads, blocks. That could make some sense to me except I have no overheating problems, unless crack is in oil passage some where. I'm looking for some help. I thought about pulling DP and starting truck, but I don't think that will tell me where oil is coming from. If I had ring or piston damage I thought I would have seen some oil passing through dipstick or fill neck. To help check to see if I got a bumb turbo I ran CDR valve to external oil catch can. No oil in compressor at all, so unless I got a bad seal on hot side I really don't think it's turbo. Guys I'm struggling with this one any ideas?

You could have some oil from the old turbo still lingering in the exhaust. I would say take her for a good long hard run to try and burn it all out...whats the warranty on your turbo? Its reman right? Its possible the piston right on the exhaust side is not seated properly or the bearing was damaged somehow, unlikely but possible. Does the turbo make any strange noises? Power seem what it should be? if you had an oil leak from the turbo, you would get white smoke, sweet oily smell instead of eye irritating raw fuel smell. Of couse this could also be caused by oil in the exhaust burning.

TDG,

I agree or thought that about lingering oil in exhaust, but it's using oil. When I did turbo swap put fresh oil and filter on it. When I checked today it was down. Turbo whines louder that old turbo but I expected that since old turbo bearing were wasted. It spins down when shut off engine which old on didn't but that was expected too. Power seems much better. Purchased from individual from Borg Warner, we have talked quite a bit so if I had to and turbo was bad I'm sure he would fix it. The center section is brand new unit from Borg Warner. I am getting white smoke at idle, but wierd thing is exhaust pipe dries up at idle, covered in oil as soon as if drive down block. Now I know this could be oil past turbo, or oil passing in engine somewhere. I think later is more possible as I had same problem before turbo swap. The thing I really don't understand is all these problems started when exhaust was put on. That shouldn't make any difference but it's sure is a coincendence. What do you mean piston not seating. Engine has 100k on it and runs really well. #$&#%^ I thought I had this problem licked when I noticed the end play (axial) movement in turbo.

Excessive blow by or restricted oil drain can cause the turbo to blow oil. You didn't put a lot of silicone on the oil drain gasket did you? You did change the oil before installing the new turbo?

Turbo depends on gravity to get the oil out of the center cartridge. Any restriction will allow the oil level in the cartridge to get to high and flood the sealing of the turbine shaft. Oil will then blow out as you describe, much more so when under way.

YOu know what it could be....I saw this once on a 6.5 with a two car flat bed on it. The oil return line was blocked, and when he put a load on it it would blow the rubber boot off the turbo oil return and COVERED the side of his truck in oil. He had a lot of blow-by as well, and a big spring on the WG actuator too... is there any sign that the oil could be coming from the return line, it would make a mess under the engine if it was.

I did use a little silcone, I will check that tomorrow. Doesn't pressure help push oil through center section. Maybe my oil drain is clogged previously all of a sudden. Or maybe while installing turbo they somehow kinked line. How is oil drain connected to pan. Can I pull oil drain from pan and start truck to make sure oil is draining?

Pull the turbo again, check the exhaust elbow for wet.

Also check the exh manifold flange for wet.

The turbine shaft shold be checked with engine at operating temperature, immediately after shut down.

Bushing-type bearings are full-floating, require full hot oil interface to remove seemingly excessive play.
Neither wheel should touch respective housing at up-down, side-to-side, or in-out shaft movement
Axial - in\out - movement should be considerably less than radial - up\down, side - play.

If orig turbo has wet exh elbow, but flange is dry, then that is your culprit, and it will take some time to heat and blow the oil out of your exh system, as per TDG.

I agree with heating oil out of exhaust but oil consumption is still happening. Blockage is making more sense, or somehow creating vacum causing oil to be sucked in motor somehow. If elbow is wet how do I know if it's coming from turbo or internal motor? Is that by looking at elbow compared to exhaust flange?

Oil at engine pressure feeds the turbo bearings.

The spinning shaft turns the oil into a whitish froth, at almost zero pressure.

The low-density froth then settles down the drain pipe into the oil pan, requiring the drain pipe be angled directly downward to the drain cover, where the old mechanical fuel pump once resided.

Just pull the cover and the pipe to check for open path, including the area in the block - maybe a 3/4" dia hole.

Oil drains by gravity. Any pressure in the center cartridge will cause oil to be driven out the "seals". Suspect oil is being blown out the exhaust side of the turbo. Fix restriction.

I will look for restriction, but how does oil get pumped to center section. I assumed the oil supply line to center section was pressurized somehow?

Secondly if oil is being pushed by seal on exhaust side of turbo, does that mean turbo seal is now shot?

Oil enters turbo center section under normal oil pressure, goes thru the bearings, gets really whipped up into a foam and then drains back to the oil pan. Your seal is not shot. But you do have some oil to burn out. The "seal" is nothing more than a cast iron ring very similar to a piston ring except somewhat smaller.

Is there a breakin/ seating time for this seal?

Pull off your oil return line and check for restrictions. Be sure to check the rubber hose at the bottom where the steel line connects to block, the rubber could have failed on the inside. Any type of restriction on the return will force oil out the exhaust past the turbo seal.:eek:

Will pull this evening to check.

Fixed problem I think. I wasn't a block oil return line. It was my poor turbo installation, when attaching oil return line gasket moved on me a blocked oil return. Pulled turbo fixed gasket drove around no smoking, still have oil dripping from exhaust but a a much much slower pace and almost done. I think it is residual oil from faulty install from yours truely. I'll take it though. Going to drive to work tomorrow to hopefully burn off remainder of oil in exhaust should have final report tomorrow.

Once had a customer with a big turbo, probably off a big V12 marine engine. I built the turbo and him and his partner took it to be installed. Next day he came back in with his buddy with oil coming out both ends of the turbo. Asked him about the drain and all the other stuff. No problems there. Then I asked him who installed the drain. One guy said he did. Asked who removed all the plastic plugs from the turbo before installing and they both said the other guy did. Then I showed them the plastic plug that was still in the drain and where they had installed the gasket and tightened the drain over it. Oil has gotta go somewhere. Just won't go thru a plastic plug.