Where to get Garrett Carbon Seals?

[Silsport]

Hi guys,

This is my problem: We got our engine running a while back with the turbo (GT12) installed. Our big mistake was that we did not monitor the oil pressure to the turbo. We were supplying 40 psi oil pressure at idle when according to Garrett specs, it should have been around 10 psi. Now the pressure is controlled properly but the turbo still leaks alot of oil. Would you guys say that I blew the seals?

In order to change them to the carbon seals, does anybody know where I could get them from?


Thanks.

[James Waltman]

We have been trying to find some as well. We haven't had any luck yet. If you find a source will you please post it here? I doubt that you blew the seals – or I hope you didn't because we did the same thing. Now we have a valve inline that can be adjusted for oil pressure. Our engine guy installed a piece of clear tube in between the compressor and the manifold. Then we could watch the oil as it moved out of the turbo.

We haven't found a good solution to the oil problem yet – (I'm not complaining). It would be nice to try these magic seals.

More about the GT12 (http://fsae.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=763607348&f=125607348&m=62910029211&r=39110359211#39110359211)

[Silsport]

Sure. I'll post the info if I find any.

Did you get alot of oil in the compressor? I actually heard the compressor trying to spin in the oil. It doesn't make a nice sound. That was due to the fact that I didn't drain the oil yet so it accumualted. I opened the compressor and a nice big stream of oil came out. I also have a clear tube to catch the oil after the compressor.

Did you get any oil problems when you were under boost?

[MoTeC]

Hi Guys,
I am having a similar problem on my street car at the moment. It is the first turbo engine I have built so there is still a bit of a learning curve on the mechanical aspects (ECU control is sorted though).
http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Anyway, while a drain back to the sump seems like a fairly simple item just make sure it is big enough to accomodat oil which may be fairly bubbly. The drain back needs to be bigger than you think, on my 1.6lt engine with a T28 I now have a 3/4inch drain back.

Another thing I am looking into is the problem of oil in the compressor housing and in the turbine housing, I get a decent cloud of smoke every now and then but it is very intermittant and hard to trace the problem. What I think is happening is that because I do not have a blow off valve and each time I change gear the compressed air has to go back through the compressor (not good I know) I think some of the air manages to push through the bearing housing and blow oil into the turbine causing the smoke (it does not happen all that often).

Another thing I thought of doing is have a catch can, more or less, in the drain back as a bit of a resevior and have a breather line up to my external catch can just in case there is some crank case pressure stopping the oil flowing. Might be worth the experiment. I have heard of a similar setup on Porsches where the turbos may be very low compared to the sump oil level.

Might not be relate but thought I would share. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Ryan Schoffer]

get a BOV (or bypass valve if you are going MAF)

if the problem recurs, then you probably have a turbo with bad seals]

i have *never* seen a proper street turbo setup collect oil in the compressor - that kind of thing only happens if:

-too high of an inlet oil pressure, blows seals
-too small of an outlet line with high oil pressure, again tends to blow the seals (and cokes the bearings)
-no BOV or BPV
-turbo that is NFG (bad seals, wobbly shaft, etc.)

[Robert]

I am sorry to say but this is not a proper turbo setup. Because of the restrictor and rules for the location of the turbo, the seal has oil pressure on one side and vacuum on the other side. (Not ideal)
We had a dry sump system sucking oil out of the turbo through a half inch I.D. line and the pressure where it is suppose to be (10 psi at idle and 30 psi under load) and the turbo did okay at boost but at idle and when letting off the throttle oil was flowing. So instead of wasting more time trying to solve the problem we went N/A.
Maybe one next years we can make it work.

[MoTeC]

The BOV is the way to go I would say.

There is no wobbly shaft problems on this turbo, no end float, minimal side movement, it is in very good condition. I have been through the scenario with many of our dealers who know turbos and all the symptoms (takes too long to type) leave everyone scrathing their heads. All the symptoms don't definitely point to anything in particular which is why I am having trouble finding the problem.

A quick update though, I disconnected the waste gate acctuator last night so it had no boost....problem goes away.http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif