Intercooler oil?
 

Just fitted some Samco hoses onto my MY99, but noticed that when I took off the i/c, there was small amount of oil on the inside of the large hose and y-piece. Also there seemed to be a fine coating on the core of the intercooler!

Any ideas as a little bit concerned, now the car has had a new bottom end (before I bought it) along with a new turbo which got trashed when the engine went. I'm hoping this is a leftover from the turbo failing but would n't mind bit of advice? If that's all it is, would it be a good idea to spray a load of degreaser in their and clean the core out?

cheers

easiest to clean with petrol i would think. wouldn't worry about it myself

you can use an oil catch can to prevent the intercooler from filling back up with oil.

Most likely build up from the previous engine/turbo. If it's only a fine coating and you haven't got heavy build up and oil poruing out the thing, there isn't anthing to worry about.

Personally I use Brake cleaner to flush it out with (As I know it won't damage any rubber and completely evaporates), But any degreaser will do the job.

Maybe worth cleaning out your boost solonoid as a precaution while your messing with the hoses :)

The turbo maybe leaking oil from when it was changed. As per above, clean intercooler with brake cleaner and then just keep an eye on the engine oil level. If no change, you're in the clear! Agree with previous post about it being there from when the last one blew up, very possible.

We find there's always a small amount of oil in the intercoolers and we probably see more than most people. Nothing to worry about.

If you want to be sure, clean it, run for 1000 miles and look again. Then decide. Too much of course, will end up as a two stroke mix which will cause det. but I'm talking heaps not just a smear.

David APi Engines / APi Impreza

Thanks for the posts. Pretty much what I hoped.
Will give the i/c a flush through next chance I get.
cheers

What would cause a fair bit of oil to be present? Where does the oil come from?

cheers,
Kev

You have a number of oil breathers discharging into the turbo inlet, plus if the turbo bearing and seals are worn then some can be sucked in.

Nick

Kev, The oil would be dragged through the turbo bearings from the oil pressure supply. Inevitably, there is always a bit, but any serious amount is usually indicative of an imminent turbo failure. Equal amounts [ sort of ] will go through to the inlet side or the exhaust side when this type of failure occurs.

David APi Engines / APi Impreza

Would there be any oil residue in the intake manifold if there is plenty in the intercooler and adjoinging pipework. My engine is getting rebuilt and I am fitting a front mount intercooler and pipework. Should I clean the intake manifold prior to re-installing it to the block.

Thanks David and Nick, I recently had a sprint type day and i had a problem with oil escaping from somewhere and flashing off on the hot turbo. I had a look today and oil came out a leak on the intercooler inlet pipework. There was a fair bit of oil in there, enough to spray onto the turbo and cause a small pool of oil in the throttle body inlet tube. The oil was also dripping out the intercooler.I am running a TD05/06 20g.

Turbo on way out then?

could be way off here but here goes...


The breathers (2x cam and 1x crank) recirculate to the inlet hose and carry blow-by gasses in which trace amounts of oil can get suspended.

fitting a catch can removes this problem, as does VTA down by the roll-bar ;)
the theory is something along the lines that the air travels far enough and cools down therefore letting the suspended oil "mist" fall out of suspension.
there are many variations on what to do with the breathers, some vta, somw recirc after a catch can others vta after the catch can.

most do nothing and get trace amounts of oil inside the i/c pipework.

just an addition to my post above, i have had the intercooler off many times but never seen this amount of oil, usually just a trace as described.

Does sound like Crankcase pressurisation or a Turbo problem Either way, something has gone or on it's way out.

Crank case pressurisation? What would cause that, piston rings?? ( for info I do have the sump breather line on the inlet to the turbo going to a catch can at the moment)

Thanks

Sounds good enough to me.

David APi Engines / APi Impreza

My old MY01 when it was 6 weeks old had some oil in the intercooler pipework, the only time it increased was when i had it re-mapped and it was running higher boost.

I have seen oil in every intercooler to some degree especilally the pipework, i wouldnt worry unless it was leaking out.

Zippy

If your breathers are running into a catch can then really the only thing on the induction system that can put oil in there is the turbo.

:(

David - right on!
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by APIDavid

Kev, The oil would be dragged through the turbo bearings from the oil pressure supply. Inevitably, there is always a bit, but any serious amount is usually indicative of an imminent turbo failure. Equal amounts [ sort of ] will go through to the inlet side or the exhaust side when this type of failure occurs.

David APi Engines / APi Impreza

Kev, David is right, if the turbo seals are gone, then you'll get some oil out of inlet and exhaust sides of the turbo, which means clouds of white smoke out the exhaust, getting bigger as the seals get worse.

Need to have a look at the I/C and piping as well as the turbo to acertain the damage (if any, but I doubt there is any, could be a blocked breather pipe causing crankcase pressurisation)

Russell