I've really missed this forum lately....been away for a few months. Got a question. I have a '04 with a '04 build date, 6.0 with 38,000 miles. Lately, I have noticed oil seeping out of the rubber boots coming off of the discharge side of the turbo, going to the cooler. Oil from the lower boot at the cooler, had dripped so much that it coated the frame. My dealer explained this was normal, because the vent coming out of the crank case connects to the air intake tube, just behind the air filter and this was normal venting (he still could not explain why oil was coming out of the boot). I took that at face value and thought no more about it, until I replaced my air filter at 32,000 miles and noticed the air duct was completely dry with no oil residue. I took it back to the dealer and this time, they told me the boots had dry rotted (checked boost and it was OK), and they replaced the top boot with a neopreem boot ( bottom one is still on order). Can't help but think, the turbo seal has gone bad. Any ideas out there? Sorry for the long thread.

 

The neoprene couplings on the turbo to aftercooler lines do have a tendency to seep some oil. They're considered to not be an issue by Ford since they're permeous. Almost every single 6.0 I've seen has had oily residue around the couplings. If a seal in the turbo was damaged or leaking, it would put a significant amount of oil in the tube leading from the turbo to the aftercooler, or out the exhaust.

 

It seems that ford needs to make a design change. I have read this many times on these forums and I know the problem is not normal. I will be picking up my first 6.0 later this week so I will be able to better help diagnose the problem.

However after 14 years experience working with elastomers and now owning a silicone hose company that makes nothing but turbo hoses and clamps, I can tell you that they are not using the right material. I need to look at that boot because 99% of the time they use silicone for the heat resistance. If they were actually neoprene they would start to melt around 225-250ºF, whereas silicone melts around 500-600ºF.

The downside is that silicone is not oil compatible. The oils will breakdown the silicone from the inside out so it will be hard to notice. They become soft and will crack over time. Additionally the oils will affect the compression set which is why I think these boots are leaking.

I will have more info later this week when I actually get my hands on my own!

Jim

 

hightemps, i am now having the same problem at 58K. is there a reasonable solution out there? thanks, gm.

 

I spent the 72$ and purchased a new lower boot, and that solved my problem with the seepage. I believe mine might have had a pin hole in it!

 

check out my post 6.0 blowing charge hose, somebody mentioned something about a ccv reroute mod to eliminate the oil problem.