Oil consumption AAZ

[paolomarks]

Hello, I have a Vanagon with an AAZ 1.9TD.  The engine was completely rebuilt 40,000 miles ago.  I have the k03 turbo set to 15 psi, and pushing the vanagon through these mountains it maxes out quite a bit.  Recently It's begun to burn a lot of oil.  1-2 quarts per 400 miles depending on how fast and hard I push it. 
      How can I tell what the culprit is.  What's most likely to fail first ; Valve stem seals, piston oil rings, turbo seals.   Thanks,  Paolo.

[vanbcguy]

Yep, that's an unreasonable amount of oil consumption!

Check for leaks first, I'm assuming you've already done so...

My first suspect would be the turbo. A K03 is about maxed out at 15 PSI, coupled with a heavy Vanagon it has been working pretty much as hard as it can. Pop the intake boot off and check for shaft play - it should have no axial play (in and out) but may have a little radial play (side to side). However you shouldn't be able to make the compressor wheel contact the housing.

You will almost certainly see oil in the intake boot, that is normal.

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[ORCoaster]

At the rate you are using oil you have to have a leak going on there someplace.  Get yourself a clean piece of cardboard.  A big box would work and flatten it out by finding the seam or cutting a corner.  Then when you come home from a drive slide that cardboard under the engine area and wait an hour.  Come back and look at it and see if it has oil dripping on it.  Match those areas up to the part of the engine or transmission and look on the block for those tell tale oil drips that might be hanging on a hose or a bolt or something.  Is your oil pan gasket tight?  At 40K it might now be loose in a place or two.

Oil filter on tight? 

Just seems about twice to four times the oil use I would expect to have on a rebuilt engine.  You didn't say it was smoking blue clouds out the back so I am thinking leak not use in the engine.

[theman53]

I bet you will find the k03 is toast. I had a friend with a kubvan go through 2 of them. They kept boosting but he was using oil just like you were. The one the drain in the center section was rotating and cutting off the flow of oil. IMHO the K03 is for the trash can only

[paolomarks]

I just checked shaft play at the compressor side and there is noticeable side to side play( close to 1mm I'd say) but no noticeable in out play.  Would you recommend rebuilding it or buying a new cartridge?   40000 miles ago I took it apart to rebuild it but found out that the shaft had considerable wear and ended up buying a new cartridge from G Pop shop.  What do you think of the kits and aftermarket cartridges sold on Ebay?  Paolo.

[theman53]

side to side is fine, in and out is bad, I would check it out more and see if the oil return is messed up