 | Home > Tdi > Oil in intercooler hoses .. how much is too much? |
 
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1853  
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Did a search, but couldn't find this specific question. I was taking the radiator out today, and 'while I was there' thought I'd take the intercooler out as well so I could tidy up the cradle or frame they both sit in.
There is a sh*tload of oil all around the bottom hose from the interooler, and I found somewhere between a teaspoon and a tablespoon of oil in the top hose. Looking at the turbo itself, there seems to be quite a lot of oil underneath it, on the linkages and pipe clamps. I know I'm definitely getting something from the turbo - the car would be hopeless without it - but is this much oil normal, or what is this telling me? I could get pics (should have done) but my hands were too manky to pick up the phone! Ta. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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10th Feb 2018 8:09pm |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4410 
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Hi Don. It is entirely normal for a TDI to have oil in the hoses, usually it is light coating with the majority of the oil being collected in the intercooler.
The majority of the oil originates from the top of the head (rockers) in the for of a hot oily mist. This is drawn out of the rockers via the cyclone breather unit on the side of the engine by the vacuum caused by the turbo and induction system. The idea is that oily mist is swirled around the walls of the breather allowing the oil to fall out and return to the sump. The remaining gas carries onwards to the air intake hose before the turbo... perfectly clean... or not! The problem is that the black plastic cyclone breather works OK at best. The original 200tdi Discos had metal versions of these breathers that reputedly worked beautifully, but due to penny pinching the design was changed for the plastic version. I do not know when you last cleaned out your cyclone breather and intercooler, but if not for a while then I advise this is the place to start. Clean them out, make sure they are internally dry, refit and monitor the amount of oil after that. At this stage it is definitely not worth doing anything else. As for the turbo. Feel free to post some pics of it in all its oily-ness. From your description I cannot tell if the oil is emenating from the rubber intake hose or the oil feed/drain pipes. The former is probably old age and the latter will need a few gaskets to repair. Out of interest what is the mileage on the engine? |
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10th Feb 2018 8:31pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1853
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Thanks very much for all that detail Geo. I'll have to go out to the car and follow all that through and improve my understanding of how it all works.
The engine's done 218k. I've had the car for 16/17 years, and to be honest I don't recall the turbo or intercooler ever getting much attention, so no doubt well overdue for some TLC. Ii will take and post some pics tomorrow and take advantage of any advice that follows that. If the 200tdi cyclone breather works better, can that be fitted to the 300 or is it a completely different design? Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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10th Feb 2018 9:44pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1853
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So here's some pics taken earlier:
the intercooler itself:  Click image to enlarge the area around the bottom hose - I think all the oil here is coming from the intercooler pipes: Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge top hose - this is where the oil I mentioned in the first post was found: Click image to enlarge the turbo itself, showing quite a bit of oil in the area: Click image to enlarge I actually wondered if maybe the intercooler was a bit blocked, whether there would be any 'backpressure' pushing oil out of the hose connecttions?? As suggested, I reckon I'll give it a clean, as well as removing/cleaning the hoses. But yeah, if anyone has any advice to pass one having seen these pics, please do so --- apart from the general advice to tidy the old thing up! Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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11th Feb 2018 3:03pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1853
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Excellent, thanks again Retro.
Got a busy week ahead, and the car won't be moving anyway while the radiator's off being recored, but should have some more time from next weekend. Pressure testing the intercooler - that's something I could get round to in the meantime, but thinking about the 'how' of what you've suggested, I got to "cutting up an old bicycle inner tube, fitting/tie wrapping bits of that to the inlets to seal them off, but having the valve still attached on one of the off-cuts.... ". That about right, or is there something more effective? Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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11th Feb 2018 4:11pm |
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| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2706 
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That’s it yes. Don’t overdo it with the pump, it doesn’t need much to show if there are any leaks.
I think the 300Tdi is supposed to boost to about 15psi. |
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11th Feb 2018 4:16pm |
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| trickster5000 Member Since: 12 Dec 2015 Location: East Yorkshire Posts: 512 
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Allisport make an aluminium oil breather tank but at £80 you're going to want to be sure that's the source of your problem and that a metal one will fix it.
https://roosemotorsport.co.uk/allisport-de...-9087.html I would start by thoroughly cleaning out your plastic one first  Matt.
'89 90 CSW with a 3.5 V8 conversion (WIP) - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic46809.html |
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11th Feb 2018 4:18pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1853
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many thanks Retro!
I'll come back once I get the chance to try that. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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11th Feb 2018 4:19pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1853
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Thanks Matt, I'll have a look at that. Every day's a school day. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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11th Feb 2018 4:26pm |
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