Turbo Oil Lines
01-22-2008, 11:22 AM
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Hey all,
I just finished installing a T3 super 60 turbo in my baby. The last item in place was the oil lines. Some people will tell you not to cheap out on parts like the turbo, wastegate, and manifold, but go ahead and look on Ebay for the oil lines. DONT!!! And here's why. If you dont want to read the whole story below, I'll sum it up at the end!
I bought the Ebay specail oil lines for around $100 shipped. First mistake. I got the package everything looked awesome, all kinds of connectors, lines, flanges and gaskets. Heres the next problem, the feed line and return line are the same size (a #3 line, i think). I never thought anything of it, so I had a fitting welded to the oil pan for the return line while the engine was off being rebuilt and upgraded. For those of you who have turbos know, the feed line is under pressure and the return line is not... but when you use the same size lines, the return side will pressurize. When the return side pressurizes, the oil has no where to go but through the seals and bearings of the turbo and out your exhaust, leaving a nice trail of blue smoke behind you. I was stumped. Three weeks of messing with it and a couple busted knuckles, I was so fed up I was ready to scrap the whole project and go back to stock. I finally went to a perfomance shop, where I got the slap in the face.
So here it is a month later, and I have replaced all of the oil lines that I orginally used from the kit with correctly sized ones from the performance shop. I have also replaced my oil pan so that I could have the correct fitting for the return line. And pending the final installation tomorrow, I may have to rebuild the turbo with new seals.
SUMMARY/MORALE
- Dont buy Cheap Ebay Oil lines ($100)... I did and I paid for it.
- Ended up replacing all the parts from the kit with good ones($100)
- Replaced oil pan ($175)
- Was so frustrated and confused that I was ready to scrap the whole Turbo project.
- May have to replace turbo seals (? ~$150 ?)
- Burned up over 10 qts of Mobil One Synthetic Oil ($55)
- Do yourself a favor, buy your oil lines from a performance shop. They know what they're talking about and will help you. They Ebay specials will end up costing you more in the end. Dont repeat the same mistakes that I did. I hope this thread helps everyone who is in the process of putting a turbo together.
I just finished installing a T3 super 60 turbo in my baby. The last item in place was the oil lines. Some people will tell you not to cheap out on parts like the turbo, wastegate, and manifold, but go ahead and look on Ebay for the oil lines. DONT!!! And here's why. If you dont want to read the whole story below, I'll sum it up at the end!
I bought the Ebay specail oil lines for around $100 shipped. First mistake. I got the package everything looked awesome, all kinds of connectors, lines, flanges and gaskets. Heres the next problem, the feed line and return line are the same size (a #3 line, i think). I never thought anything of it, so I had a fitting welded to the oil pan for the return line while the engine was off being rebuilt and upgraded. For those of you who have turbos know, the feed line is under pressure and the return line is not... but when you use the same size lines, the return side will pressurize. When the return side pressurizes, the oil has no where to go but through the seals and bearings of the turbo and out your exhaust, leaving a nice trail of blue smoke behind you. I was stumped. Three weeks of messing with it and a couple busted knuckles, I was so fed up I was ready to scrap the whole project and go back to stock. I finally went to a perfomance shop, where I got the slap in the face.
So here it is a month later, and I have replaced all of the oil lines that I orginally used from the kit with correctly sized ones from the performance shop. I have also replaced my oil pan so that I could have the correct fitting for the return line. And pending the final installation tomorrow, I may have to rebuild the turbo with new seals.
SUMMARY/MORALE
- Dont buy Cheap Ebay Oil lines ($100)... I did and I paid for it.
- Ended up replacing all the parts from the kit with good ones($100)
- Replaced oil pan ($175)
- Was so frustrated and confused that I was ready to scrap the whole Turbo project.
- May have to replace turbo seals (? ~$150 ?)
- Burned up over 10 qts of Mobil One Synthetic Oil ($55)
- Do yourself a favor, buy your oil lines from a performance shop. They know what they're talking about and will help you. They Ebay specials will end up costing you more in the end. Dont repeat the same mistakes that I did. I hope this thread helps everyone who is in the process of putting a turbo together.
01-22-2008, 11:42 AM
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Vehicle: 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
I have lines from ebay to. Cost me about 70 shipped I think. The feed line is very nice and good quality, perfect size. The return line is much bigger how it should be but it uses regular fittings with clamps so I will be changing that to AN line. I think its more which lines you buy. I also got my bov off ebay. Brand new Greddy RS for a great price and my Turbo Timer is an apexi off there as well. Its more that you buy stuff thats an actual brand.
Glad to hear you got it fixed though.
Glad to hear you got it fixed though.
01-22-2008, 12:22 PM
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sounds more like 100% error on you for buying the wrong stuff and not doing ANY research and not an eBay issue.
they may have sent two feed lines instead of one return and one feed..
you should have done more research on oil lines for a turbo before you decided to put a -3AN return line on your turbo and ruin an oil pan.
the return line wouldn't pressurize any noticable amount because of the small line.. it just wouldn't drip/flow into the pan very well. it had nothing to do with return side being pressurized, just too small of a line to drain the oil efficiently.
buying oil lines off ebay is PERFECTLY fine as long as you actually know what you are supposed to buy, which obviously you didn't.
if you burned up 10 qts. of oil before you did anything to fix the problem or realize what the problem was, then you shouldn't have a turbocharged tib.
FYI: i searched for oil lines on ebay and i cant even FIND a listing that sells a -3AN feed with a -3AN return line. they all have like -10 or -8 sized return lines.
eric, its not as much that you need brand name stuff, you just need to get the right stuff, which this guy obviously didn't lmao.gif owned.gif
they may have sent two feed lines instead of one return and one feed..
you should have done more research on oil lines for a turbo before you decided to put a -3AN return line on your turbo and ruin an oil pan.
the return line wouldn't pressurize any noticable amount because of the small line.. it just wouldn't drip/flow into the pan very well. it had nothing to do with return side being pressurized, just too small of a line to drain the oil efficiently.
buying oil lines off ebay is PERFECTLY fine as long as you actually know what you are supposed to buy, which obviously you didn't.
if you burned up 10 qts. of oil before you did anything to fix the problem or realize what the problem was, then you shouldn't have a turbocharged tib.
FYI: i searched for oil lines on ebay and i cant even FIND a listing that sells a -3AN feed with a -3AN return line. they all have like -10 or -8 sized return lines.
eric, its not as much that you need brand name stuff, you just need to get the right stuff, which this guy obviously didn't lmao.gif owned.gif
01-22-2008, 12:30 PM
#5
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Wow, they may have screwed up the order and gave you the wrong size line, but there's a huge difference in the size of the return vs. the feed line. And YOU should know that when putting a turbo kit together.
98% Your fault.
Moral of the story: Know WTF you're buying and how a turbo works.
(I have an ebay SS return line with aluminum fittings and it's awesome.)
98% Your fault.
Moral of the story: Know WTF you're buying and how a turbo works.
(I have an ebay SS return line with aluminum fittings and it's awesome.)
01-22-2008, 08:27 PM
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drillsergeant.gif If you read the post you would know that the point of this was to give good information to help other people from making the same mistakes I did (<-- This implies it was my fault!!!) owned.gif Not to take cheap shots at me. And FYI I know how a damn turbo works. Ive done many many hours of research. The install would have been completly professional (so I wouldnt get caught up on the little details) but the three diferent shops I took the car to didnt know WTF they were doing. I got more accomplished in an hour than three months of mechanics. So unless you are reading this for the information, keep the rude comments to yourself.
By the way, sometimes you learn more by making the stupid mistakes! nana.gif
By the way, sometimes you learn more by making the stupid mistakes! nana.gif
01-23-2008, 08:18 AM
#7
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I did read your post. I also read the TITLE to your post which says to "stay away from ebay" when buying turbo lines. Well, you're wrong. What it should say is, "Know what you're buying off ebay."
If you knew even the basics of how it works, then you would have known not to put a 1/4" return line on a turbo.
Instead, you should have contacted the seller to return it for the correct size hose.
Sorry, but this post is not going to deter anyone from buying the kits off ebay. If anything, it will just tell them to make sure the kits have the correct parts in them when recieved.
QUOTE
And FYI I know how a damn turbo works.
If you knew even the basics of how it works, then you would have known not to put a 1/4" return line on a turbo.
Instead, you should have contacted the seller to return it for the correct size hose.
Sorry, but this post is not going to deter anyone from buying the kits off ebay. If anything, it will just tell them to make sure the kits have the correct parts in them when recieved.
01-23-2008, 11:07 PM
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I have to agree, this looks like it was your fault.
I really don't think it's the seller's fault that you installed the same size feed and return lines.
I bought both of my lines on eBay. Both are Earl's full stainless braided. 4 an feed, 10 an return. I'm having the same issue as you right now, but because the return is pinched, not because it's the wrong size. Just have to take a day to move it.
It greatly annoys me when people say not to shop on eBay. It's like anything else. If you went to a food court in a mall, and there was this dirty homeless dude selling food out of a shopping cart that looked the same as Panda Express, but cost 90% less, right next to a Panda Express, which would you choose? It's just a matter of making intelligent buying decisions.
I really don't think it's the seller's fault that you installed the same size feed and return lines.
I bought both of my lines on eBay. Both are Earl's full stainless braided. 4 an feed, 10 an return. I'm having the same issue as you right now, but because the return is pinched, not because it's the wrong size. Just have to take a day to move it.
It greatly annoys me when people say not to shop on eBay. It's like anything else. If you went to a food court in a mall, and there was this dirty homeless dude selling food out of a shopping cart that looked the same as Panda Express, but cost 90% less, right next to a Panda Express, which would you choose? It's just a matter of making intelligent buying decisions.
01-24-2008, 07:51 AM
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^^ love the homeless guy analogy lmao.gif
also, speaking of ebay parts..
theres someone on here running a non-brand name CHEAP ebay turbo and pushing more power than any rd guy on here. so yeah, theres no harm in buying from ebay if you know what your purchasing, which you didnt nana.gif
also, speaking of ebay parts..
theres someone on here running a non-brand name CHEAP ebay turbo and pushing more power than any rd guy on here. so yeah, theres no harm in buying from ebay if you know what your purchasing, which you didnt nana.gif