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I'll be removing my turbocharger to rebuild it and I figured I'd fix this oil leak while I had everything apart. There is a pool of oil in the valley of the engine but the oil doesn't need to be topped off at all.
What is this part called? It runs across the heads, it looks like, and attaches to the bottom of the turbocharger. I want to get the gaskets on either side.
The turbo part number is included in one of the photos. It is Garrett 1831383C92.
I THINK you are referring to the plenum boots on the bottom of the spider(the part of the CAC system that routes the air to the inner cooler and then to both heads. They are known to leak a little oil residue but I can almost guarantee that is not where the puddle is coming from.
The most common leaks in the valley are from the turbo to pedestal o-rings or the pedestal to block o-rings, the Exhaust back pressure valve actuator or from the HPO system/hoses.
It it would be a good idea to rebuild or delete the EBPV and clean and inspect all the inner cooler boots. Use break cleaner on the boots and be sure the tubes and plenums are clean and dry before reinstalling. Some people (including myself) spray a little hairspray on the boots before reinstalling to help keep from blowing them off from the boost pressure.
Also be sure to replace all the pedestal o-rings and insulate the fuel line clamp that supports the fuel line that runs along the passenger head. It is known to rub a hole in the line at the most inopportune time.
Thank you very much for the advice. Does that "spider" have any other names? I have searched through the service manual and parts stores but can't find this gasket. I'm assuming there's a gasket...
It looks like a Y pipe that goes from both heads to under the turbo. The turbo rebuild kit is supposed to come with all of the o rings and seals.
The spider as we call it is just a junction point for the compressed air from your turbo. Your turbo is driven by the exhaust from the engine which spins the turbo compressor drawing the air from the intake. It pulls air in compresses it and sends it through the large tube on the driver side of the engine out to the intercooler which is nothing more than a large radiator. Once it goes through the radiator it's pushed back through the large tube on the passenger side and back into the Y duct or spider where it is split to go to each head for compressed air to go into the heads for combustion. In the tube between your intake filter and the inlet to the turbo is a fitting that comes out of the driver side valve cover. Crankcase gases are recirculated through this fitting back into the turbo and these crankcase gases have a lot of engine oil in them. What you're seeing at all of the blue and orange boots is oil that has seeped through overtime. You can clean all of your duct Boots really well or you can buy new ones at riff-raff diesel if yours are in poor condition.
There are a lot of other components and oil Connections in the valley between the heads that can leak oil and cause pooling. If you're going to pull your turbo off for a rebuild you need to go ahead and address these while you're in there. Go to the blue bar at the top of the page click on the search button and then click advanced search. Type in oil in the valley in the search box then go over to the username drop down and type in Jesser02EX. He did a really nice write-up on how to find oil leaks in the valley and which component their associated with. I would find a link for you but I'm on my phone and it's not user-friendly. Hope this helps
The "pool" I'm referring too is maybe the size of a half dollar and does not look fresh at all. It looks like a slow leak that is accumulating in the valley.
The truck doesn't leave any oil spots on the ground. I'm mostly concerned on finding the part number for the gasket for where the spider connects to the heads. Could this square gasket be it? It's labeled "Turbocharger gasket" on Rock Auto.
I believe you are asking about the intake plenums. If you are then there is no gasket from the factory. They are sealed to the heads with RTV from the factory. If you are wanting to eliminate that oil leak you first need to clean the engine bay really well and then pinpoint the leak. There are a few things that can leak oil in the valley but those plenums aren't the source of your oil leak if that is what you are referring to.
Riffraff sells some billet aluminum ones that use an o-ring to seal them so you don't have to worry about the RTV blowing out at high boost levels.
The "pool" I'm referring too is maybe the size of a half dollar and does not look fresh at all. It looks like a slow leak that is accumulating in the valley.
The truck doesn't leave any oil spots on the ground. I'm mostly concerned on finding the part number for the gasket for where the spider connects to the heads. Could this square gasket be it? It's labeled "Turbocharger gasket" on Rock Auto.
Again, great advice and knowledge. I'm new to diesel, but not new to mechanical work. I'm learning quickly now though.
I do not recognize that gasket, are you sure it goes on a 7.3 anywhere? The spider itself has no gaskets, it has boots that connect it to the CAC tubes and the two plenums, one on each head. I believe that there is an O-ring at the turbo to spider connection.
The spider as we call it is just a junction point for the compressed air from your turbo. Your turbo is driven by the exhaust from the engine which compresses the air from the intake. It pulls air in compresses it and sends it through the large tube on the driver side of the engine out to the intercooler which is nothing more than a large radiator. Once it goes through the radiator it's pushed back through the large tube on the passenger side and back into the Y duct where it is split to go to each head for compressed air to go into the heads for combustion. In between your intake filter and the inlet to the turbo is a fitting that comes out of the driver side valve cover. Crankcase gases are recirculated through this fitting back into the turbo and these crankcase gases have a lot of engine oil in them. What you're seeing at all of the blue and orange boots is oil that has seeped through overtime. You can clean all of your duct Boots really well or you can buy new ones at riff-raff diesel if yours are in poor condition. There are a lot of other components and oil Connections in the valley between the heads that can leak oil and cause pooling. If you're going to pull your turbo off for a rebuild you need to go ahead and address these while you're in there. Go to the blue bar at the top of the page click on the search button and then click advanced search. Type in oil in the valley in the search box then go over to the username drop down and type in Jesser02EX. He did a really nice write-up on how to find oil leaks in the valley and which component their associated with. I would find a link for you but I'm on my phone and it's not user-friendly. Hope this helps
Took all of the above advice into account. I was worried this may be an RTV silly-cone gasket... That stuff sucks.
My plan now is to degrease everything back there and find the exact leak. The turbo is going to be run as is for now, and will simply be upgraded later this summer. That's when I'll do all the work.
I say replace all your boots after you simple green the valley a couple times to clean it up. It all goes out the valley drain hole in the back passenger side of the valley. Riffraff can help you with almost all your needs on a ton of stuff. Pricing and service is awesome.
After you cleanup the valley, it'll give good perspective on where the leak(s) might originate.
How many miles on the rig?
I say replace all your boots after you simple green the valley a couple times to clean it up. It all goes out the valley drain hole in the back passenger side of the valley. Riffraff can help you with almost all your needs on a ton of stuff. Pricing and service is awesome.
After you cleanup the valley, it'll give good perspective on where the leak(s) might originate.
How many miles on the rig?
The truck rolled 290000 miles on the clock last trip, towing my Jeep to the trail.
05-24-2017, 09:28 AM
