STS Guys... Oil in IC Up Pipe
04-28-2007, 08:58 PM
#1
Teching In
Thread Starter
STS Guys... Oil in IC Up Pipe
Ok, first off let me explain from the beginning.
While deployed overseas, my father decided to install my STS kit. He is an excellent mechanic and I taught me everything I know to include rebuilding engines and helping me work on my 87 GN. So he begins to install the kit while I am deployed overseas. He installs the oil pump and didn't quite like how high it was and was worried about it causing the compressor to leak a bit. So when he got time, he moved it down 2-3 inches and made his own aluminum bracket. During these 4 weeks, he would start the truck *cold weather* and drive it around the block twice to make sure everything was sealed correctly. *He idled around the block not haulin **** Well, when I came home I noticed that the exhaust tip had some oil seep in it but looked awfully old. So I called STS and was assured that a few things could go wrong but how to check them and they would send out parts to fix it asap. Oil Check valve, Turbo Clocking, and the oil pump being up too high. *Higher than the compressor wheel. Well after I cleaned the exhuast pipe out and we wrapped up the install no oil returned to the exhaust pipe, so I gave it no more thought. He had it clocked correctly, lowered the pump, and pre checked the check valve after install. Good to go.
Today *a week after I got home and had been driving the truck with a safe tune and little boost* we were getting ready to pop in a 160* thermostat and viola. The up pipe from the IC had some seep around the connecting hose. I pulled it off and began to cry. Oil was dripping out and it looked as if it was fairly old and dirty. I had changed the oil in the truck after coming home so it was not matching the oil color that was in the oil pan in the truck now. So I thought well, must have seeped before he lowered the pump and then when I came home and got er fixed up and put a little boost to it, it prolly pushed it on down. So I had to clean the MAF and we removed all the piping from the compressor housing up.
Reinstalled, got the thermostat in and hopefully it will stop leaking. I looked real hard in the compressor housing to see if any oil looked fresh and really couldn't determine it because it was pretty dry way back there.
Anyone have any advice or a similar problem? I will be driving down to TRT to have them triple check my install on Moday or Tuesday. I figure if I drive a little and continue to check the compressor housing and the lowest point in the intake piping for fresh oil I should solve the mystery pretty soon. I hope it was just the oil pump being up to high. Thanks for reading, hope this helps someone out in the future.
PS - STS kit rocks, truck sounds like a beast.
Come on FLT! I need my tranny parts! 
While deployed overseas, my father decided to install my STS kit. He is an excellent mechanic and I taught me everything I know to include rebuilding engines and helping me work on my 87 GN. So he begins to install the kit while I am deployed overseas. He installs the oil pump and didn't quite like how high it was and was worried about it causing the compressor to leak a bit. So when he got time, he moved it down 2-3 inches and made his own aluminum bracket. During these 4 weeks, he would start the truck *cold weather* and drive it around the block twice to make sure everything was sealed correctly. *He idled around the block not haulin **** Well, when I came home I noticed that the exhaust tip had some oil seep in it but looked awfully old. So I called STS and was assured that a few things could go wrong but how to check them and they would send out parts to fix it asap. Oil Check valve, Turbo Clocking, and the oil pump being up too high. *Higher than the compressor wheel. Well after I cleaned the exhuast pipe out and we wrapped up the install no oil returned to the exhaust pipe, so I gave it no more thought. He had it clocked correctly, lowered the pump, and pre checked the check valve after install. Good to go.
Today *a week after I got home and had been driving the truck with a safe tune and little boost* we were getting ready to pop in a 160* thermostat and viola. The up pipe from the IC had some seep around the connecting hose. I pulled it off and began to cry. Oil was dripping out and it looked as if it was fairly old and dirty. I had changed the oil in the truck after coming home so it was not matching the oil color that was in the oil pan in the truck now. So I thought well, must have seeped before he lowered the pump and then when I came home and got er fixed up and put a little boost to it, it prolly pushed it on down. So I had to clean the MAF and we removed all the piping from the compressor housing up.
Reinstalled, got the thermostat in and hopefully it will stop leaking. I looked real hard in the compressor housing to see if any oil looked fresh and really couldn't determine it because it was pretty dry way back there.
Anyone have any advice or a similar problem? I will be driving down to TRT to have them triple check my install on Moday or Tuesday. I figure if I drive a little and continue to check the compressor housing and the lowest point in the intake piping for fresh oil I should solve the mystery pretty soon. I hope it was just the oil pump being up to high. Thanks for reading, hope this helps someone out in the future.
PS - STS kit rocks, truck sounds like a beast.
Come on FLT! I need my tranny parts!
04-28-2007, 10:12 PM
#2
Yep -- been there 
First, riding through the turbo and pipes makes even brand new oil look like it came out of a 1973 pinto wagon.
If you park with the nose of the truck lower than the tail, you might get oil spilling over the seal in the turbo and seeping into the intake. If the tail is higher, you typically get oil in the exhaust.
If the pump was too high, (as you say, higher that the wheel) there can be problems clearing the turbo of oil and oil pressure causes oil to go over both seals (front and back). Sounds like that may have happened in your case, and then the oil rode around in the piping, sucking up every bit of dirt it could find.
I'd do 2 things: 1) jumper the pump to high speed and make sure the pump is running (it would be smoking like an MF if the pump wasn't running), 2) clean out the charge pipe really well and then drive for a week and check it again. If you have a ton of new oil, run the pump on high all the time (by jumpering it) and check again. If you still have it, get a new check valve (heck might wanna do that anyway).
For the most part, you don't need to worry. If there is a serious issue, it will smoke like a white smoke grenade (and if you see that, pull over immediately and turn it off to avoid grenading the turbo for real).
First, riding through the turbo and pipes makes even brand new oil look like it came out of a 1973 pinto wagon.
If you park with the nose of the truck lower than the tail, you might get oil spilling over the seal in the turbo and seeping into the intake. If the tail is higher, you typically get oil in the exhaust.
If the pump was too high, (as you say, higher that the wheel) there can be problems clearing the turbo of oil and oil pressure causes oil to go over both seals (front and back). Sounds like that may have happened in your case, and then the oil rode around in the piping, sucking up every bit of dirt it could find.
I'd do 2 things: 1) jumper the pump to high speed and make sure the pump is running (it would be smoking like an MF if the pump wasn't running), 2) clean out the charge pipe really well and then drive for a week and check it again. If you have a ton of new oil, run the pump on high all the time (by jumpering it) and check again. If you still have it, get a new check valve (heck might wanna do that anyway).
For the most part, you don't need to worry. If there is a serious issue, it will smoke like a white smoke grenade (and if you see that, pull over immediately and turn it off to avoid grenading the turbo for real).
04-29-2007, 01:32 AM
#4
Teching In
Thread Starter
Thanks for the replies gentlemen. I figured the same Erik with the Turbo. If it persists then I will have to see if I can find a solution to lessen it. On the GN oil will accumilate in the IC and every year for spring cleaning you take it off and clean all the plumbing up. But this was much worse for just a few days, so I figure or *pray* that it was the oil pump being too high, when I stop by TRT I'll have them check it all out and give me a thumbs up on the install and see what options I have. Hopefully if it continue it is just teh check valve being a nuisance. I drove it a while crusin tonight and will do so tomorrow as well, I'll check it out and keep this post updated in case anyone else runs into this problem.
BTW, the truck is parked in a 4 car garage that is cement slab leveled, even the drive way is nice and flat so it should be ok as far as parking wise.
BTW, the truck is parked in a 4 car garage that is cement slab leveled, even the drive way is nice and flat so it should be ok as far as parking wise.
04-29-2007, 01:57 AM
#5
Originally Posted by quicksilverado
Need to be careful about getting into boost also. The oil will mist into the intake under booost and drop the octane way down causing detonation.
Also...Orion231, glad to hear you like your turbo, how much boost you running?
04-29-2007, 11:32 AM
#6
Staging Lane
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry to hear about your problem. I'm also working thru an intermitant oil pumping problem. Also got the 4 page check list from STS and went thru everything but the check valve. Mine only does it after I've been driving for a bit. That's why I've never did but will check it out today, what the hell. GOOD LUCK and hope you work it out!
04-29-2007, 03:20 PM
#7
Teching In
Thread Starter
Well it's more of how much boost am I not running. With the transmission being stock I am in no hurry to rip it up so I have been moderately accelerating and driving easy on it, I have done some roll ons at speed with EFI Live logging for tuning purposes but I am sitting at 6 PSI.
Trending Topics
04-29-2007, 08:57 PM
#10
Teching In
Thread Starter
Well if ANYONE comes up with any improvments for the kit or fixes man let me know. Brain fab me up a duplicate and I will buy it. Dad made about three aluminum brackets and such just to make the kit a little cleaner. I am concerned about crankcase pressurization too, will try to buy an evacuator kit later on. Oh well. One thing at a time, tranmission first. Come on FLT!