My new Garrett GT2560 turbo (~3K miles) is leaking oil - Any

[Christos Adam]

Hi guys

I wanted to ask if anyone has experience with warranty clams with Garrett.
I got a new ($1100) GT2560 about six months and 3K miles ago and I noticed that it's been leaking oil from the seals. More specifically the BOV (which is placed at the turbo side before the IC) is squirting oil and the air intake (before the turbo) has also oil!

Check out this pictures to get an idea of what I'm facing...
Overall engine bay


BOV


Area in front of the BOV (see the signs of oil)


Pipe that goes to IC (turbo out)


Turbo out


Turbo in (CHECK OUT THE OIL THERE!)


IC (luckily no oil there)

[Aaron Goldsmith]

I take it you're sure it's not from the PCV/Crank Case venting system. Every turbo car i've had's intake pipes look about like that from the oily vapor being vented from the crank case/valve covers. Though maybe not quite as bad, not far off.

[Steve Ekstrand]

I think you're right about the leaky seals. But as Aaron was saying, every turbo car I've had too sucked/blew oil out the crankcase. Sometimes plumbing in an oil catch can to the PCV path will help reduce oil being sucked into the intake path.

You wouldn't believe how much oil I take out of my intercooler pipes on the boosted Neon.

[Christos Adam]

I take it you're sure it's not from the PCV/Crank Case venting system. Every turbo car i've had's intake pipes look about like that from the oily vapor being vented from the crank case/valve covers. Though maybe not quite as bad, not far off.

Don't assume anything but I did installed an oil catch can a week before noticing this but of course I didn't clean the pipes - so the oil might have been there... I think I'll need to check that out - thank you for your comment Aaron!

[Christos Adam]

You wouldn't believe how much oil I take out of my intercooler pipes on the boosted Neon.

Wow I had no clue Steve... - I never check my Saab Aero and it was too old anyways to care about leaks... I'll try create a isolation box for the intake to make sure that engine breaths clean air and I'll check again....The oil catch can is already in place so these two things should reduce or even eliminate this condition if the problem is not at the seals...

[John Fendel]

Looking at the amount of oil in your compressor inlet, I would guess that it is coming from the engine PCV system. The compressor inlet ducting is before the turbo, so there can't be any turbo seal leakage oil there.
You also have a lot of oil in your compressor outlet ducting. That could be from a seal leak at non boost conditions when you have engine vacuum there. But with all the oil in the compressor inlet, I would bet that the compressor out oil is just from oil passing thru the compressor from the inlet.
Your PCV valve probably dumps its oil vapor into the inlet in front of the compressor inlet. How old is the PCV valve? I'd start by replacing it and cleaning out all the intake ducting. Then run it a while and check again.

[Mako Koiwai]

Some Suby Turbo system's leak. Mine never did (fairly modified). Some people put in catch cans and need them, some don't. I have no idea why some do and some don't. My IC was always perfectly clean and dry. BUT, the car DID use oil. Half a quart during an AX weekend. Supposedly because I went to Synthetic oil too early (at 1K) ... before the rings had seated themselves properly. So I also had slightly low compression. I didn't think that was too bad of a thing on a mod'ed turbo engine with higher boost.

Karen's Suby Outback, 45K, just blew it's Turbo. Who knows why? Car was never driven hard. Oil/Water/Exhaust looked great. Driving to Timmon's Subaru, to have the turbo looked at, something must have broken off on the intake side of the turbo. By the time she got there the engine was smoking and ... after a tear down, the bearings where found to be shot. SOA is rebuilding the engine under warranty and paying for a rental. It's been three weeks now ... and they're still waiting for parts. First they took off the oil pan to look for sludge, to see if we hadn't been doing our oil changes. Passed ...

[Bob Beamesderfer]

Some Suby Turbo system's leak. Mine never did (fairly modified). Some people put in catch cans and need them, some don't. I have no idea why some do and some don't. My IC was always perfectly clean and dry. BUT, the car DID use oil. Half a quart during an AX weekend. Supposedly because I went to Synthetic oil too early (at 1K) ... before the rings had seated themselves properly. So I also had slightly low compression. I didn't think that was too bad of a thing on a mod'ed turbo engine with higher boost.

Karen's Suby Outback, 45K, just blew it's Turbo. Who knows why? Car was never driven hard. Oil/Water/Exhaust looked great. Driving to Timmon's Subaru, to have the turbo looked at, something must have broken off on the intake side of the turbo. By the time she got there the engine was smoking and ... after a tear down, the bearings where found to be shot. SOA is rebuilding the engine under warranty and paying for a rental. It's been three weeks now ... and they're still waiting for parts. First the took off the oil pan to look for sludge, to see if we hadn't been doing our oil changes. Passed ...

Subie turbo cars use oil regardless of when you go to synth. Adequate oil is especially important in horizontally opposed engines. I've seen what happens to WRX exhaust valves from oil starvation and it wasn't pretty.

[Mako Koiwai]

I didn't make up the "going to synthetic to early" excuse. Some Suby's use a lot of oil auto crossing, others don't. Some hemorrhage oil before the heads, others out of the rings/turbo and exhaust. Michael H's STI bubbles oil out of the top seam ... LOTS of oil ... something like a quart a week. Disgusting ... across my garage and driveway.

Suby boxer cylinders and pistons come with a green anti-friction coating to prevent scuffing during the breaking in. Perhaps when you add synthetic before this coating is rubbed off IT DOES interfere with the rings setting themselves?

[Todd Victoria]

Does it still boost? Do you have an oil restrictor on the oil inlet to the turbo?

[Bob Beamesderfer]

I didn't make up the "going to synthetic to early" excuse. Some Suby's use a lot of oil auto crossing, others don't. Some hemorrhage oil before the heads, others out of the rings/turbo and exhaust. Michael H's STI bubbles oil out of the top seam ... LOTS of oil ... something like a quart a week. Disgusting ... across my garage and driveway.

Suby boxer cylinders and pistons come with a green anti-friction coating to prevent scuffing during the breaking in. Perhaps when you add synthetic before this coating is rubbed off IT DOES interfere with the rings setting themselves?

I didn't think you made it up, but the last bit about the coating makes sense.

Head gasket leaks aren't uncommon, nor are front crank seal leaks.

[Christos Adam]

Does it still boost? Do you have an oil restrictor on the oil inlet to the turbo?

It does boost strong, I don't have any oil restrictor on the inlet to the turbo.

[Christos Adam]

Looking at the amount of oil in your compressor inlet, I would guess that it is coming from the engine PCV system. The compressor inlet ducting is before the turbo, so there can't be any turbo seal leakage oil there.
You also have a lot of oil in your compressor outlet ducting. That could be from a seal leak at non boost conditions when you have engine vacuum there. But with all the oil in the compressor inlet, I would bet that the compressor out oil is just from oil passing thru the compressor from the inlet.
Your PCV valve probably dumps its oil vapor into the inlet in front of the compressor inlet. How old is the PCV valve? I'd start by replacing it and cleaning out all the intake ducting. Then run it a while and check again.

Thank you John, I think what you say it makes sense... the PCV valve I believe it's new, but I'll clean the pipes and see if the problem is still there.

[Christos Adam]

Some Suby Turbo system's leak. Mine never did (fairly modified). Some people put in catch cans and need them, some don't. I have no idea why some do and some don't. My IC was always perfectly clean and dry. BUT, the car DID use oil. Half a quart during an AX weekend. Supposedly because I went to Synthetic oil too early (at 1K) ... before the rings had seated themselves properly. So I also had slightly low compression. I didn't think that was too bad of a thing on a mod'ed turbo engine with higher boost.

Karen's Suby Outback, 45K, just blew it's Turbo. Who knows why? Car was never driven hard. Oil/Water/Exhaust looked great. Driving to Timmon's Subaru, to have the turbo looked at, something must have broken off on the intake side of the turbo. By the time she got there the engine was smoking and ... after a tear down, the bearings where found to be shot. SOA is rebuilding the engine under warranty and paying for a rental. It's been three weeks now ... and they're still waiting for parts. First the took off the oil pan to look for sludge, to see if we hadn't been doing our oil changes. Passed ...

Wow I guess turbos are not always bulletproof... I think when I'm done with turbos I'll squeeze and LS2 in there

[Todd Victoria]

Without an oil restrictor the oil pressure can definitely blow the seals in the turbo. Did you check the shaft play
of the compressor wheel?