I was very happy to come across this part on prothe's site. I, like others, had experienced a leaky oil return line. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to find these lines at the junkyard and classifieds. Even more difficult to find ones that are leak-free.
Well, I ordered and got it pretty quick. Just looking at the line in person showed it to be of pretty poor quality, with sloppy "welds" and inaccurate cuts. However, the flex joint looked to be decent from outward appearances.
It installed easier than the oem, due to the upper bend allowing better wrench access. I tightened the two bolts down snugly. I used the midpoint attachment to limit flexing. I never bent the flex joint more than a few degrees.
So, I finally finished the other repairs I had been doing and started the car up. Interesting to note is that I switched from 0w40 synthetic oil to 15w40 dino oil due to borderline main and rod bearings. I thought oil leaks would be a thing of the past.
Well, after letting the car warm up and taking it for a run, I noticed a few drops of oil under the engine. Hmmm, I was optimistic, so I chalked it up to the omnipresent valve cover leak. I tightened the valve cover down a bit more. After a few more drives (and more puddles), I really opened it up. After these more spirited drives, I could actually see the oil dripping from the back of the engine.
At this point, it was dripping at a good drop of oil
per second. I jacked the car up while the engine was still warm (and dripping) and I could actually see a little river of oil pouring out of the upper flex joint crimp.
In conclusion, if you've got a leaky k24 return line, save yourself some headaches and go get a custom made hydraulic line. You get what you pay for.
Topic: Review: prothe k24 turbo oil return line (Read 4364 times)
