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oil in intake tube


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1987 gl10 turbo, um i have a thin coating or oil in my intake tube. i go through about a quart of oil every 500 miles or so. can i rebuild the turbo, or does anyone know what else I should do? this thing rips and i want it to continue ripping...

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1987 gl10 turbo, um i have a thin coating or oil in my intake tube. i go through about a quart of oil every 500 miles or so. can i rebuild the turbo, or does anyone know what else I should do? this thing rips and i want it to continue ripping...

 

This sounds like the shaft seals on the turbocharger are starting to go. Under sustained boost conditions, see if your exhaust is blowing a lot of blue smoke or if you smell oil burning. If you are, then you have blown shaft seals. You can either use this as an opportunity to put something newer/better in, or replace/rebuild. If you're going to replace or rebuild the stock unit, you can attempt to rebuild it yourself, or buy a cartridge kit and keep your turbine and compressor housings.

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it doesnt blow smoke unless i have been off the throttle for a while, like when I go down a long grade. Then, when I get back on the throttle, bluish/white smoke billows for a second or two, depending on how long I have been off it.

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Which intake tube are you refering to? Is it the one with the cast aluminum piece that says "Subaru 4WD" on it, or are you talking about the inlet pipe that comes from the airbox to the tubocharger?

 

If it is the cast piece, it could very well be a blown seal in the compressor housing of the turbocharger. Otherwise, check your PCV valve and make sure that it isn't stuck open or plugged up. If by chance itis the PCV system, you might want to invest in an oil catch can to prevent further ingestion of oil. But beware, this could also be an early warning sign of something more serious(i.e. - mechanical failure within the engine). I hope this helps.

 

Patrick

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Which intake tube are you refering to? Is it the one with the cast aluminum piece that says "Subaru 4WD" on it, or are you talking about the inlet pipe that comes from the airbox to the tubocharger?

 

If it is the cast piece, it could very well be a blown seal in the compressor housing of the turbocharger. Otherwise, check your PCV valve and make sure that it isn't stuck open or plugged up. If by chance itis the PCV system, you might want to invest in an oil catch can to prevent further ingestion of oil. But beware, this could also be an early warning sign of something more serious(i.e. - mechanical failure within the engine). I hope this helps.

 

Patrick

the piece between the turbo and the intake manifold. I replaced the stock piece with a mandrel bent homemade pipe. check out my gallery for a picture of it. the oil problem existed before i replaced it. i will check my pcv valve. thanx you guys

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Well my friend, it sounds like you are in for a turbo rebuild, unfortunately. You may have to do a little searching around on the internet to find a shop that will do it. You may also want to check the classified section here on the USMB as some members have used VF7s and VF4s that are still in good, usable condition for sale.

 

Patrick

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  • 2 months later...

sorry about the post hijack:

I have the same problem - oil in the intercooler. The intercooler acts as an oil catch can, so it doesn't run into the intake. But I lost a quart of oil in 1000 miles and I found most of it in the intercooler. I checked compression 8 months ago and it was good. No problems since then, 'cause car was mostly sitting. I changed turbos from VF7 to VF11 and same problem. So I was thinking that both turbos have blown seals or it has something to do with the PCV system. My PCV system is hooked up like factory, but I replaced all the hoses with straight hoses (IE. not using factory molded hoses). If one of the PCV hoses were really long, or if there was a slight kink, or if the pcv hoses collapse because they are not as strong or stiff as the factory hoses, can this cause the problem?

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