Mysterious oil leak on 97gsx.. near turbo.

[mattn]

My car keeps leaking oil and I can't pinpoint exactly where it's coming from. It looks to be leaking from the oil return line where the flange is. However, the Stainless Steel oil line from RRE appears to have oil around the outside... I don't see how it could be leaking (SS line) because I've tightened it a few times, but then again, there appears to be oil coming out of it somehow at the top of the line (Where the banjo bolt is i presume).

My question is... Is there ANYWHERE ELSE that oil could be leaking from around the turbo?? All I can think of is...

-SS line at the top... how would I go about fixing this... new crush washers and maybe some telfon tape around the threads? Does anybody know anything about it leaking out of there and why this would happen?

- Oil return flange... I have already replaced the flange, so I really don't think that this is where the oil is leaking from..

BTW the turbo is a 14B with about 88k miles on it, no shaft play at all.
Also, my car loses about a quart of oil every 40 or so miles, so this is really starting to piss me off, let alone driving around with my car smoking cuz the oil is hitting the downpipe...

 

[mattn]

anybody?

 

[td06hkiko]

I am having the same problem too. I also went and replaced the Gaskets on both sides of the oil return and I am still getting oil from the top of the pipe. I hope its not the turbo. someone help.

My car keeps leaking oil and I can't pinpoint exactly where it's coming from. It looks to be leaking from the oil return line where the flange is. However, the Stainless Steel oil line from RRE appears to have oil around the outside... I don't see how it could be leaking (SS line) because I've tightened it a few times, but then again, there appears to be oil coming out of it somehow at the top of the line (Where the banjo bolt is i presume).

My question is... Is there ANYWHERE ELSE that oil could be leaking from around the turbo?? All I can think of is...

-SS line at the top... how would I go about fixing this... new crush washers and maybe some telfon tape around the threads? Does anybody know anything about it leaking out of there and why this would happen?

- Oil return flange... I have already replaced the flange, so I really don't think that this is where the oil is leaking from..

BTW the turbo is a 14B with about 88k miles on it, no shaft play at all.
Also, my car loses about a quart of oil every 40 or so miles, so this is really starting to piss me off, let alone driving around with my car smoking cuz the oil is hitting the downpipe...

 

[Lordpaxin]

I had the same problem,
I replaced both upper and lower return line gaskets, and still leaked.

apparently the bolt holes were leaking, where the bolts hold the line into the turbo.
I got a sheet of thick ass gasket material, razor bladed out the gaskets for the line.
for the bolt holes i made the holes small enough that i had to physicall press the bolts through the material, then i gobbed sealant on both sides of the gasket, bolt it up snug, and left it to dry over night.

hasnt leaked since.

some day the bolts need small washers, copper crush washers. but my method was easier for my at the time.

 

[td06hkiko]

I'll go ahead and try that. I went to kragen and bought me some hi temp gasket material and cut me out four pieces. 2 gaskets for each side and still no luck. (Did you use RTV as the sealant?) I drove for about 15 mins and its still leaking. I will go ahead and use rtv on the bolts so that it wont leak.

I had the same problem,
I replaced both upper and lower return line gaskets, and still leaked.

apparently the bolt holes were leaking, where the bolts hold the line into the turbo.
I got a sheet of thick ass gasket material, razor bladed out the gaskets for the line.
for the bolt holes i made the holes small enough that i had to physicall press the bolts through the material, then i gobbed sealant on both sides of the gasket, bolt it up snug, and left it to dry over night.

hasnt leaked since.

some day the bolts need small washers, copper crush washers. but my method was easier for my at the time.

 

[Lordpaxin]

yea, jst rtv, it was copper forget the numbers but it was like, super mega zord high temp ninja power rtv copper sealant.

 

[Sinclair159]

i didnt even know that the oil return line had gaskets on it???? wen i had my turbo assembly out of my car the other day i had to unhook the oil return line to get it out... but the line had no gaskets on it... so i presumed it didnt need any.. now that i have put it back on i believe that its leaking from the top and bottom flange of the oil return line.. now i have a 1st gen. is it any difrent from your guy's cars??? if not were can i find a gasket that will fit my oil return line..???

 

[Lordpaxin]

its the same gasket.
you can either look at machv.com or dsmparts.com and order gaskets, or get a sheet of gasket material and razor blade your own,

 

[mattn]

Ok well after almost losing my engine to this damn oil leak... it leaks like crazy, its a constant flow, but when you sit there and watch at idle, it doesnt look like that much is coming out. BUT when im driving the sh*t just pours out i think... I'm gonna replace the crush washers for the Banjo bolt on the SS line, then replace the gaskets on the turbo return line, and the gaskets down near the oil pan coming from the oil return line. Hopefully this will solve my problem. If it doesn't I don't know what the hell im gonna do.. probably go crazy.

 

[Sinclair159]

im having the same problem... the oil looks like its leaking from the oil return line... but i think it might be coming from the oil feed line banjo bolt on the turbo... so i went to losin the banjo bolt up and it SNAPPED! did the same thing with the banjo connected to the head... so now i have no banjo bolts... a leaking oil return line and waiting on delivery for gaskets for the oil return and banjo bolts???? this is preety krappy and i have to be to work in like 45 mins...

 

[mattn]

I replaced the gaskets (turbo oil return line to oil pan) and my leak stopped. hallelujah.

 

[td06hkiko]

I am still waiting for my return line I ordered from forced peformance. I found that my original line has a small crack in the center.