Thread: Turbo leaking coolant !

If you have a rapid boost leak and the pressure drops the EGTs will spike. I had this going up a hill when the boost gauge hose blew off - in a second I went from 20psi & 500 deg EGT to 8psi and 750deg EGT.

Internally the water housing should be completely separate from the shaft or either the impeller or compressor housings - so the issues of the EGT spike and the water leak may not be related (unless there is something majorly wrong!).

Is the water leaking from the housing? or a hose? or a joint?

Many run our turbos without the water cooling as the lower EGTs of a Diesel vs a Petrol engine means we don't have too.

If it is time for an upgrade there are plenty of modern turbos to choose from depending on what you want to achieve and what you're willing to spend.

Originally Posted by Samtownsend

I have a 4BD1T with a water cooled turbo on it and yesterday after about 300km of towing, the pyrometer gauge which was keeping around 5-600 with me doing 100 km an hour, it then jumped up to around 700-800, with about 4 psi of boost, the turbo is leaking water out of the bottom somewhere, looks buggared to me, what would you guys do? Replace the water cooled turbo or go something better ? I don't know the best place to source a turbo from either and any help would be appreciated

See if you can find out where the water is coming from first, it may be just a loose union on the turbo water pipe. You say 4psi boost - is that what it is normally at that speed and do you know what turbo is it. If it's a standard 4BD1T it will be either an IHI or garrett, there should be a tag on the turbo centre housing with some id on it. Also what vehicle model is it in.

When considering getting a non-water cooled turbo,they have a deffinate advantage over oil cooled turbos.The heat in the turbo will still cycle coolant in the same way a solar hart water heater does after shut down.Oil cooled/lubricated turbos cant do this unless a accumulator is fitted.
Worth considering.
Andrew

I've not had time to have a real good look at it, I've been flat out moving house, I've tightened all the hoses and fittings up on the turbo, I had abit of a look today and there seemed to be what looked like a small crack, the thing is rusty as buggary I'll try to get a picture up so I can show you,

image.jpg

My intake is also full of oil, that can't be good?

Originally Posted by Samtownsend

My intake is also full of oil, that can't be good?

It looks like you have the crank case venting to pre turbo/intake. So you should expect to see the results of oil vapour accumulating there.

Originally Posted by Samtownsend

image.jpg

My intake is also full of oil, that can't be good?

That water pipe setup is not standard, looks like the turbo water cooling is integrated into the heater hose line. As you say, very rusty, could be a cracked housing. But that doesn't explain the surge in EGT's. The intake hose will have oil in them as your breather goes into it pre turbo - you can see it in the pic.

Originally Posted by Bearman

That water pipe setup is not standard, looks like the turbo water cooling is integrated into the heater hose line. As you say, very rusty, could be a cracked housing. But that doesn't explain the surge in EGT's. The intake hose will have oil in them as your breather goes into it pre turbo - you can see it in the pic.

Yes, looks like heater hose.