Rebuilt turbo + slanted oil drain = oil in intake piping?

[Shaggy0911]

Just had a k24 rebuilt and installed it on my AAZ.  Used the upper half of the k24's drain line, and the lower half of the AAZ's flex line and mated them together with some oil hose and worm clamps.  Clocked the turbo as much as I could before the upper half of the k24's hard line was just about contacting the wastegate, but there is an S bend on the way down and it's not a straight shot down into the block.  I'm attaching some photos.   

I've only driven the car around the complex here, less than 1 km in total and when removing the intake pipe earlier tonight had a little stream of oil run down the turbo.  Not sure if the centre section is overpressurizing and oil is getting past seals or what but it doesn't seem normal. 

I did drive the car into the front without an intake air filter or any tubing connected, but I don't see how that could make much if any difference to the situation; I'm asking for opinions from others who may have some more insight however.

Orientation of centre section feed angle.


K24 upper oil drain hard line connected to lower AAZ flex line S bend

[theman53]

I custom made a drain for my 1.6 and it has more bend than that. It should be fine. These engines require an oil mist to lube the valves as the VoA mechanics have said for years. I would guess it is that oil coming from the breather off the valve cover. Especially if the rings are older. I don't see it a problem unless you have a runaway. My new engine has a small line in the bottom of the intake piping...don't worry

[Shaggy0911]

I custom made a drain for my 1.6 and it has more bend than that. It should be fine. These engines require an oil mist to lube the valves as the VoA mechanics have said for years. I would guess it is that oil coming from the breather off the valve cover. Especially if the rings are older. I don't see it a problem unless you have a runaway. My new engine has a small line in the bottom of the intake piping...don't worry

As I mentioned, I had no intake piping or pcv system hooked up at the time and still have a bunch of oil in the intake tract. The motor is fresh and has less than 5k on it. 

[R.O.R-2.0]

well then apparently the seals on the turbo are leaking a little.. if you have no piping in front of the turbo intake.. but you have oil after the turbo, its coming from the turbo. and theres nothing wrong with your feed or return lines. they look fine.

[Shaggy0911]

well then apparently the seals on the turbo are leaking a little.. if you have no piping in front of the turbo intake.. but you have oil after the turbo, its coming from the turbo. and theres nothing wrong with your feed or return lines. they look fine.

I don't know enough about turbos to know how the oiling system and seals work, but if this thing were put together and the 'piston' seal was 'open' at the time of the first start could some oil have slipped through the seal?

[R.O.R-2.0]

piston seal? like pistons in the block? the "seals" are called rings.. and how is that gonna make oil in your boost piping?

what seal would be open letting oil thru seals where its not supposed to go thru?

my VNT turbo on my rabbit is good, good seals and all.. and it still makes the intake piping oiley.. im not worried about it.

and honestly, i dont see why people are so hung up on a little oil in their intake piping? its not a big deal. if the car wont use a whole quart in 3000+ miles, then your doing good.

[Shaggy0911]

piston seal? like pistons in the block? the "seals" are called rings.. and how is that gonna make oil in your boost piping?

what seal would be open letting oil thru seals where its not supposed to go thru?

my VNT turbo on my rabbit is good, good seals and all.. and it still makes the intake piping oiley.. im not worried about it.

and honestly, i dont see why people are so hung up on a little oil in their intake piping? its not a big deal. if the car wont use a whole quart in 3000+ miles, then your doing good.

To just have spent $650 on a rebuild, run the thing for 1km, undo the clamp of the intake pipe and see a stream of oil run down the fresh turbo was somewhat disheartening if you can understand what I'm sayin.

I've read that the seals inside a turbo resemble pistons so that's what I was reffereing to.  Like I said, not sure how the oiling system works specifically but was just wondering if the rings hadnt seated properly during the rebuild if oil could have slipped through them.  And I am reffering to the rings in the turbo, not the block.

[AudiVWguy]

Try to find out if you need to size down or restrict the oil feeding the turbo. Talk to the turbo rebuilder to see if this will help. Let him know about the problem to see if he can help.
My digital oil pressure gauge reads 100+ psi on cool mornings, but I'm using a -4 an line to supply the turbo. I think it's about half the size of stock.

[rabbitman]

Any chance there is any issue with the crank case ventilation being restricted?  

Good point, that would pressurize the block and push oil out any seal that isn't perfect......and turbo seals aren't perfect.

[Shaggy0911]

Any chance there is any issue with the crank case ventilation being restricted?  

Good point, that would pressurize the block and push oil out any seal that isn't perfect......and turbo seals aren't perfect.

Appreciate the replies and opinions on the oil feed/drain line orientation.

I've specified a few times that the initial run of the 1km around the complex was without any crank case ventilation piping connected.  The turbo flat out leaked a stream of oil down the compressor as I let off of the worm clamp on the compressor pipe.  


I called the turbo shop and the guy says that the seals sometimes need a few hundred km's to seat.  Don't know how much truth there is to that statement.  I have since connected all piping and have run the new turbo through a couple hundred kms and will attempt to pull the compressor pipe once again to see how the oil leak situation is.

[Shaggy0911]

It seems you didn't understand my comment about the crank vent and haven't actually answered the question.  I did read and understand that you did not have the crank vent connected.  That is not relevant to my inquiry or attempt to assist you.  I didn't ask if the crank vent was connected.  I asked if there was any possibility of any obstruction to it.  There is mesh in the valve cover under the hockey puck that can get plugged and the hockey puck itself could as well.  If there is any obstruction, then the easy place for relief of any excess crank pressure is to push oil back up the turbo oil return line and out the turbo seals.  A similar situation could occur simply from excessive blowby causing more crankcase pressure than can be relieved by the crank vent.  Oil leaking out of the turbo seals is *almost never* caused by a failure of the seals themselves.  

Sorry about that. Misunderstood the suggestion.  Got to remember libbypapa is one of the one's seen in searches actually giving good advice and suggestive feedback. 

As it was running with the crank breather hose disconnected it seemed like it was an ample supply of clean air but I'm not so certain how much crank case pressure is supposed to be seen out through the puck and through the hose in a fresh built aaz

[Shaggy0911]

Just over 5000kms at the moment.  Just had someone tell me she gave a puff of blue out the back when I accelerated off from first gear.  It's not consuming a hell of a lot of oil but it'll go down to about half the indicator mark on the dipstick every 1000kms or so.  

edit:  running 15w-40 Rotella non synth in it.  It's got 3 oil changes on it so far.  Running a Bosch Premium oil filter.  Turbo seems to be drippin oil out the bottom of the compressor housing slightly aswell so some of the oil dissapearing will definatley be due to that.

edit#2:  Seeing as how there is oil getting past the rubber o ring on the compressor outlet side to be able to be dripping out the bottom, does this mean that boost may also be leaking out of the same orifice?