4722 replies to this topic

[Nev]

Nipper developed a water leak at the weekend, some 50 miles from home. Had a £156 ride of shame on the back of a flatbed, though to be fair it's the first time in 10 years.

 

Just jacked it up in the garage now, and as I guessed the water drain pipe from the turbo was pissing water out. Am waiting for it to drain out at the moment into a bucket and will pull it off shortly and inspect it. It's right next to the turbo and shielded with an expensive silver sheath/guard, but I suspect it's rotted from the inside out, simply due to 10 year of heat from the turbo.

 

Should be a piece of cake to replace with new stuff, assuming I can find a 5 year old child's hands to get up there and tighten the fittings!

Edited by Nev, 02 October 2018 - 04:44 PM.

[Nev]

Only took an hour to get the hose and clips off!! Fooking car, so little space to work on anything, especially around the turbo.

 

The old hose was mush for the first 9" of tail from the turbo, squishy as hell.

 

Looking for some good quality (hot water tollerant) 3/8" hose now... not so easy to find... anyone know of some I can buy online please? Most of the Ebay fukwits advertise their hose as both 3/8" and 10mm, when the 2 sizes are quite different. I specifically need 3/8" (not 10mm).

Edited by Nev, 02 October 2018 - 05:51 PM.

[Nev]

Ordered the hose from Merlin, twice the price, but hopefully fit for purpose (rated to +120 degrees C).

[ditonics]

I used PTFE lined braided hose which is the highest temperature rated stuff I could find. Even then I put it in a silvered heat sleeve too.

Good it was a simple fix. Hope you checked the other turbo connections while you were there.

[Nev]

Yea, checked the other pipework and it was fine. My suspicion is that it's just the exit pipe from the turbo that sees massive temps (which I suppose is obvious as the thing runs continuously at circa 900 degrees!).

 

I also suspect switch off of the engine allows the water to try and steam, so an inline pump for 2 mins after switch off on that pipe would help reduce the issue I think.

 

I guess the moral of the story is to check the turbo exit pipes every few years.

Edited by Nev, 03 October 2018 - 05:56 AM.

[Arno]

Or go OEM style and fit metal (steel/alu) rigid pipe sections from the turbo to an area closer to the block and then switch to flexible hoses later on. Plain hoses will always have heat/age problems in that area with the radiant heat from the manifold and turbine side cooking them. Will need to be guided/fixated to stop them cracking from vibration.

 

If you want to keep hoses then using AN fittings on the turbo core for oil and water connections and running smooth bore stainless braided PTFE hoses to the connections (cladded in good reflective heat shields like for instance ThermoTec sells) are the best 'flexible' option. PTFE core hose can handle around 230C sustained and 300C intermittent (basically same hose as braided brake hose, just bigger diameter). Using steel AN fittings is preferred here though.

 

Bye, Arno.

[Nev]

The tip on PTFE lined pipes is a good idea, thanks.

 

I can't get access to change the "hard" water pipe fittings unfortunately (total lack of space), I'd have to take the turbo off which is a major job.

[ditonics]

I had to do mine with the bulkhead panel out and it makes life a lot easier removing the cold side housing.

I looking at using the OEM concertina metal drain pipe but it's in the wrong place once you go Garrett.

[siztenboots]

the metal pipe was later superceded with a rubber hose section for the oil drain

[Nev]

I think the pragmatic solution is to fit a decent rubber hose on there for £10 and then start checking every year or so (after 6 years have passed).

[smiley]

10 + 156.

 

[Nev]

10 + 156.

 

Ha ha, yes, got caught with my pants down last time. Won't happen again with that pipe now that I know it's a risk, I can even check it every oil change (which I do about 8 times a year), so no chance of it bursting again.

 

I know that it burst when I parked up to take a picture. I think the water in the turbo boils (due to lack of pumping) and the steam caused high pressure in the outlet pipe, which then burst. The water system only runs at a few PSI, so making steam at circa 20 PSI (ABS) doesn't take much temperature.

 

I live and learn.

 

The only worry is that I haven't cooked the engine or turbo, as temps got to 115 degrees when I turned the ignition on.
 

Edited by Nev, 03 October 2018 - 05:34 PM.

[ditonics]

I'm sure your ECU would have the facilities to run a second fan. Put that output into the aux watery pump relay. Then configure the rad fans and aux pump too run on after shut down for X minutes.

[Nev]

I'm sure your ECU would have the facilities to run a second fan. Put that output into the aux watery pump relay. Then configure the rad fans and aux pump too run on after shut down for X minutes.

 

That sounds a bit like doing some work on the car!

 

I might buy a 12v pump and plug it in with a manual switch, that would only take a couple of hours. The problem with putting a pump inline, is whether it will cope with 100 degree water for long...
 

[ditonics]

A turbo comes as standard with an aux pump. You take the switched earth from the relay and plug it into your ECU. That will be far quicker than reinventing the wheel bud.

[Nev]

A turbo comes as standard with an aux pump. You take the switched earth from the relay and plug it into your ECU. That will be far quicker than reinventing the wheel bud.

 

LOL, the aux pump is on a switch from my cabin (ie no longer ECU triggered), but you're right I could plug another pump onto it (assuming the wiring can cope with double ampage pull).
 

Edited by Nev, 03 October 2018 - 06:44 PM.

[Nev]

New water pipe was on the doormat when I got home, have stuck it on and also did an oil + filter change whilst I was there (1300 miles since the last one).

 

The pipe from Merlin Autosport looked worse quality and thinner than the old pipe I took off (which I think was a remnant of OEM pipe from Jimmy Jams car when we worked on it). 

 

Anyway, it's all ready for this weekends blat. In the end it was quite fun having a tussle under the car, as I've really not done much to in the last few years.

Edited by Nev, 05 October 2018 - 07:07 PM.

[Nev]

Took it out this evening just to check the engine or turbo hadn't cooked with the 115 degrees and all is well. Flipping cold weather though, grip is certainly down a lot. Might swap the front wheels and put some V70 tyres on for this winter as I'm feeling flush now that I'm a working man.

Edited by Nev, 06 October 2018 - 07:01 PM.

[Nev]

Nice drive and walk at the weekend, the new hose seems to be working fine. I quite like civil engineering and went for a walk to investigate a dam that I've been meaning to look around, as I've noticed that it mysteriously no longer has any water stored behind it. A quick look round showed some points of weakness on the "water" side and also some seepage gullys on the earth side of the dam where it had escaped out. Not of much interest to many, but I happen to like such things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jocke_D]

That dam is AWESOME !!!

 

Could you post a google maps pin so I can take anpther look?