Oil in intercooler pipe, possible bad turbo?

[121xgigawatts]

I just bought my car last week. It is a 93 gsx with an a/t. The car has very little power most times, but there are times that it seem right. Mostly off the line, it has no umphf. In fact its very slow, as if there is no turbo at all. The boost gauge reads between 12 and 14 psi, but it is a stock gauge. I can hear the turbo spool but it is not whistle I associate with turbo's. Finally I took off the upper intercooler pipe today, and there was a considerable amount of oil in it. I have owned 2 other dsm's and a mr2 turbo, so I have a fair amount of knowledge about turbo systems. I think the turbo is shot, but I dont want to start buying parts I dont need.
Does anyone have an definate answers given my symptoms.

Thanks in advanced
Roric

 

[LiquidOC]

there is actually a line that runs from your head back into your intake system that can produce blowby. many people have installed a catch-can
( http://www.tgilmore.com/talon/catchcan.html ) to keep the oil from blowing out of the engine through this little tube. best bet would be to clean the intercooler/piping and go from there (also install the catch-can)

 

[crankbender]

Originally posted by LiquidOC
there is actually a line that runs from your head back into your intake system that can produce blowby. many people have installed a catch-can
( http://www.tgilmore.com/talon/catchcan.html ) to keep the oil from blowing out of the engine through this little tube. best bet would be to clean the intercooler/piping and go from there (also install the catch-can)

blowby produced in the intake system???

Blowby is typically used when referring to gasses excaping past the rings into the crankcase. However this blowby has to go somewhere or else the engine would pressurize. To accomplish this the little vent you described is used during intake pressure above atmospheric. During times when you have an intake vacumme the PCV handles this duty.

 

[LiquidOC]

i might have gotten the terms wrong, but still, isn't it that tube that lets oil and stuff into your intercooler?

 

[121xgigawatts]

thanks for the ideas, im going to clean the intercooler tomorrow, and just ordered the greddy catchcan. Ill let you know how it goes. Is there a chance that the turbo is bad, given the extreme lack of power. Also i noticed tonight, even with only alittle throttle, the boost gauge was reading 14 psi, with no accelleration at all. Wierd.

Thanks
Roric

 

[LiquidOC]

IMO, the greddy catchcan is a waste of money. why waste like 60 bucks on something that does the same thing as a little 4 dollar part? oh well, your money other than that, i'm not an expert on anything at all when it comes to cars, but it might be that your BOV has started to leak or maybe the wastegate actuator is stuck open? possibly even a bad maf? i'm just throwing out suggestions for you to check, but as i've said, i'm nowhere near an expert, just throwing out stuff that other people seemed to have problems with whenever they were experiencing lack of power.

 

[fasteclipse1992]

i used a gator aid bottle for a catch can.

 

[crankbender]

Originally posted by LiquidOC
IMO, the greddy catchcan is a waste of money. why waste like 60 bucks on something that does the same thing as a little 4 dollar part? oh well, your money other than that, i'm not an expert on anything at all when it comes to cars, but it might be that your BOV has started to leak or maybe the wastegate actuator is stuck open? possibly even a bad maf? i'm just throwing out suggestions for you to check, but as i've said, i'm nowhere near an expert, just throwing out stuff that other people seemed to have problems with whenever they were experiencing lack of power.

None of these would put oil in the intake system.

i might have gotten the terms wrong, but still, isn't it that tube that lets oil and stuff into your intercooler?

Yes...sorry i didn't make that clear. With the gasses comes the oil they are carrying.

 

[fasteclipse1992]

bad seals in your turbo will blow oil into your bov, ic and tubes. my turbo did.

 

[LiquidOC]

Originally posted by crankbender
None of these would put oil in the intake system.

i was referring to his "loss of power" that he said about

 

[crankbender]

Originally posted by LiquidOC
i was referring to his "loss of power" that he said about

yeah those will cause a loss of power. As for the turbo did you check for shaft play?

 

[121xgigawatts]

I did the cheap $3 fix for no. I took the intake completely apart uicp, ic, and cleaned them very well. The car is much more responsive now. I am hoping that was the problem, but I am concern is, when I took the uicp off, there was a considerable amount of oil in it. Would such a large amount of oil come from the head? For the amount of oil in there, I could only think it to be the turbo. I checked for shaft play, but it didnt budge. Although I had a hard time getting at the shaft.

Thanks for all your help
Roric

 

[121xgigawatts]

Ok so here is what I have found from owning the car for a week. After I drive the car for over an hour, its great. Performance is what it should be, but when I first get in or if it sits for a while, its terrible again. I dont seen anything burning, any ideas what this could be?

Thanks
Roric