Pressurized Oil Lines for Turbos (from old site)

Larry Callahan
Administrator
Posts: 685
(4/26/03 7:26 pm)
Reply
Drilling for oil? Presurized oil feed lines needed.
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I don't really like the idea of taping into the gauge port on the top of my smallblock Chevy to feed my oil hungry turbos.

I have a late 60's vintage block and I don't see any other option. Near the oil filter there is a blind hole that on later blocks I belive are tapped. I once saw a vette with a oil temp gauge mounted in that hole. I am wondering if I can drill that hole deeper into the oil filter pocket and tap it?

Any thoughts would be greatlly apriciated ASAP.

Thanks!

Here is a picture of the vette with the fitting I talked about above.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Larry Callahan

Creator of www.pro-touring.com & www.g-machines.com the web sites.

Please support our site. If you purchase parts or services found here
please tell them where you found them.

Edited by: Larry Callahan at: 4/26/03 6:30:41 pm

zbugger
Registered User
Posts: 438
(4/26/03 7:37 pm)
Reply Re: Drilling for oil? Presurized oil feed lines needed.
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That would be a good place for it. Do you have the hole on the front of the block tapped and plugged? If not, plumbing into the guage port is the easiest way to go. Unless of course you want to drill the boss above the filter. That would be the best place for it.

o1mrquick
Registered User
Posts: 685
(4/27/03 11:41 pm)
Reply Re: Drilling for oil? Presurized oil feed lines needed.
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Hey guys,i dont think you have the front tap open either,how about a filter sandwich plate,you know the ones you would use with an oil cooler.Its got two 3/8 npt openings.Either a sandwich one or a plate style oil filter relocater one.Run a tee off for the turbos before the cooler or before the filter.I wonder if it would be a good idea to run it after the cooler? Cool oil into the turbos?Just a thought C-yaa Vince

zbugger
Registered User
Posts: 442
(4/28/03 12:30 pm)
Reply Re: Drilling for oil? Presurized oil feed lines needed.
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Well DUUUUHHHH!!! Why didn't I think of that?

SHMOOV69
Registered User
Posts: 257
(4/28/03 9:27 pm)
Reply Oil?
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Larry, just out of curiousity why not the sending unit? I was leary of it on mine, but I had never found out any evidince about it being bad, so I did it and it works fine. But, I had always wondered if it was good or bad! Some blocks have a port above the timing cover in that little flat area, and it can be drilled too, just has to be at the right angle! The one above the oil filter can have the plug pulled on it and it tapped if that is what you want to go with, and the same as what they said with the remote cooler provision. You can get them off of (I believe) mid 80's pickups with the towing package also! But you got to keep in mind how you are going to route the lines around all the exhaust tubing! That is the final reason why I went off the sending unit on mine!
Jimmy

Larry Callahan
Administrator
Posts: 732
(5/18/03 10:05 pm)
Reply
Re: Oil?
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Quote:
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Larry, just out of curiousity why not the sending unit?
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I am worried about the gauge reading low if I tee off and run the turbos and the gauge off the same port. With some of the pressure bleeding off to the turbos the gauge I think I will always see a false low pressure. Since I am running a remote oil cooler in the radiator I think I will look into taping into the adapter that will go between the filter and the block. I can get pressurized oil from there but don't know if I will see full pressure.
Larry Callahan

Creator of www.pro-touring.com & www.g-machines.com the web sites.

Please support our site. If you purchase parts or services found here
please tell them where you found them.

gmachinz
Unregistered User
(5/18/03 10:29 pm)
Reply Hey Larry, have you thought about this?
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I made a mock-up set of SB Chevy valve covers where I made an 1/8" tee from the back of the intake to the front of both valve covers. I tack-welded a 3/16" brake line up inside both and drilled 1/32" holes above each valvespring to help keep them cooler instead of relying on pushrod driven oil. Just something to think about. I have no way of measuring the effect of this but after reading articles on how the valvesprings are one of the LAST things to see oil and also how the rapid valve movement builds TREMENDOUS heat, I thought it would be a good idea anyway. Hopefully mine will keep their tensile strength longer.

o1mrquick
Registered User
Posts: 775
(5/19/03 7:39 pm)
Reply oil pressure
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Hey guys,if your passages are free and clear all ports should get full pressure right?Hydraulic pressure law states all passages will recieve equal pressure readings regardless of number of ports...now does this apply to port size...I thought it didnt.Any ideas?C-yaa o1

parsonsj
Registered User
Posts: 809
(5/20/03 7:28 am)
Reply Re: oil pressure
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Larry,

You won't get a false low on your pressure readings. No worries there. Mr. Fluid Dynamics (Vince) is right about that.

The real question is if the 1/8 pipe thread provides enough fluid volume for the turbos to enjoy a long and fruitful life. I'd ask the turbo manufacturer what they recommend as far as minimum diameter of the oil feed lines ...

John Parsons

YTRY
Registered User
Posts: 7
(5/20/03 4:34 pm)
Reply Oil
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This may be basic but worth noting:

I've learned that the drain lines should be larger than the feed lines. The larger the better. It seems that the oil gets whipped up and foamy in the turbos and it takes up more volume on the drain-side. Combined with the fact that the drain is not pressurized, and drains by gravity only, the lines should be as unrestrictive as possible. You may even want to run a -10 or larger.

In your set-up, Larry, you could feasably drain into the valvecovers or even tap into the bulkhead at the intake valley, if the turbos sit high enough.

TT 65 Nova
Registered User
Posts: 22
(5/21/03 6:19 am)
Reply Re: Oil
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I'll throw my 2 cents in here. I have actually heard that you can get too much volume to the turbos. Most guys are running a -4 AN from the galley to the turbos with a 3/4" or larger drain hose (can't really go too big there). If you get too much volume, it can overwhelm the seals, and cause smoking, or bearing problems further down the road. Recently this same topic came up on one of the Turbo groups I am on, and the Garret factory recommendation for pressure is to stay under 54psi for any of their line of turbos. Forget a high pressure pump oil pump I guess

-- brad


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I knew I shoulda bought a camaro...
my nova site (in progress)

pdq67
Registered User
Posts: 120
(6/14/03 9:04 am)
Reply xx
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Suggest either going off an aftermarket sandwich plate like mentioned, (that's a good idea!!!), or enlarging the hole at the front of the block coming off the front cam bearing.

I personally like the idea of coming off the front of the motor b/c I would think it would be easier piping from the front, down and back on both sides instead of from down low on one side and forward plus, then up and around the hoghead, then foreward on the other side.

Have you thought about installing a drain back de-air can before you return the oil so that it gets de-foamed IF this may be a problem like the roundy-rounders do with their dry sumps...

I have never done any of this but rather am just thinking off the top of my head to offer suggestions..

Good luck with whatever you come up with... pdq67

zbugger
Registered User
Posts: 580
(6/14/03 8:15 pm)
Reply Re: xx
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I don't know why I didn't think of this before. If you're really worried about loss of oil pressure try an accusump. This should help protect from just that. You could also use it as a pre-oiler to protect the engine on initial start up. It will definitely extend the life of any engine that way.

Larry Callahan
Administrator
Posts: 673
(4/19/03 6:50 pm)
Reply
How do I plumb the oil lines for my turbos? Where to drain?
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I just realized I don't know where to take pressurized oil from the feed my turbos on my small block Chevy. Are there two places to get it from?

Where can I drain it to? If possible I don't want to pull the oil pan to put returns lines.

Thanks all!
Larry Callahan

Creator of www.pro-touring.com & www.g-machines.com the web sites.

Please support our site. If you purchase parts or services found here
please tell them where you found them.

Edited by: Larry Callahan at: 4/19/03 5:58:40 pm

o1mrquick
Registered User
Posts: 661
(4/19/03 7:07 pm)
Reply Re: How do I plumb the oil lines for my turbos? Where to dra
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Hey Larry,Best way is pan off...well since you have the oil pan on it still,you might try the Vortec SC way steel pan only!...they use a sharp round punch to poke a hole in the oil pan about 7/16" wide then run a 1/2" npt tap with grease on the end of it to catch the metal.When its tapped,flush out the hole to be sure then change the oil.It works very well and I never had a leak(20 installs).You may get info on locations for hole on there web site and I may have an instruction manual laying around.
On the oil supply just run a tee either off your oil press port or if its an early block the oil galley plug near the oil filter boss.Both get clean,pressurized oil.Good luck and cant wait to hear it again.C-yaaaa Vince

SHMOOV69
Registered User
Posts: 252
(4/19/03 9:31 pm)
Reply Oil pressure
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Larry, for the pressure side it depends on what provisions your block has. I have mine running from the pressure sending unit behind the intake and "T"ing to the turbos at the front. Some blocks have a port above the timing chain cover kind of on the pass side in that little "flat" area, or as Vince said above the oil filter boss if that spot is tapped. The oil pressure might be affected (by the guage only I belive) by running a "T" from the sending unit because it will not "deadhead" like it normally would, so it might read a little lower. On the drain, I had the pan off and welded a 1/2" pipe thread on each side below the motor mounts. You will prolly have to do something like that to keep the flow downhill so it will drain, because it will be hard to run the lines into one side and keep the flow going correctly. Or you could buy a pump for it and drain it wherever you want on the engine, top or bottom.
Jimmy
BTW- what turbos are you running?

Monty
Registered User
Posts: 21
(4/21/03 9:06 am)
Reply Do it right...
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Larry,

You're building a very nice turbo system, don't get lazy now. Pull the pan and weld a -10 bung on each side of the pan. ensure the bung is located so that the oil will be returned above the oil level in the pan and make sure it is not blocked by the main caps, etc.

Most of the turbo companies like PTE, Turbonetics, etc sell billet aluminum -10 AN adapter that bolt to the bearing housing drain flange. Then just build a pair of -10 drain hoses making sure to run it as vertical as possible to ensure unrestricted flow. As you know, the turbo seals are not designed for high oil pressure or volume and any backpressure in the oil return lines will force oil past the seals into the turbine or compressor.

As mentioned, running a t-fitting in either of the oil galley ports is fine, then run a -04 line to each turbo. Oil right off the oil filter circuit is preffered.

YTRY
Unregistered User
(5/8/03 8:49 pm)
Reply Plumbing
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I've got mine set up to supply from the galley just above the oil filter, -6 line up to a T into 2 -4's and a -10 from each turbo to the pan where I have nipples welded into the pan, below the windage tray.