turbo blowing oil?

ricb · Jan 16, 2014

I have a friend that has a JD 4450 that had a drip of antifreeze leaking from the head gasket. It leaked less than 1 gallon a year & the tractor doesn't get 200 hrs a year. I would have just added until it got worse but he couldn't leave it alone. Head came off cleaned up & new gasket. While doing this they discovered the turbo felt "loose". Replaced it & thought all was well...started it and the exhaust was blowing oil. Checked turbo, again " loose". Got another. Started it, still blowing oil. None of this was going on before they pulled the head. Had JD tech out, cause we farm dummies can't' put a turbo on a tractor. He says turbo fine. Engine may need to be tore down. I can't believe this is possible because the tractor didn't use drop one of oil before they pulled the head.
Who has ideas on what it might be? Has anyone run into similar problems?

moresmoke · Jan 16, 2014

Turbos normally feel a lot looser than you would think is right. Is it blowing liquid oil, or just smoke. If you have oil wetting the stack you should be able to tell if it is only after the turbo or coming through the manifold. Not sure where the oil runs to the head in that engine, some engines could leak pressurized oil at the head gasket.

ricb · Jan 16, 2014

It is oil not smoke. Not sure how to tell where the oil is coming from, is why I was looking for advice from my pals!

RGMartin · Jan 16, 2014

Is the oil return line restricted somehow? They can't have pressure on them. Maybe he stuffed a rag in the line to keep dirt out when the head was off?? Knocked a chunk of crud/gasket into it which got stuck at a turn?

Russ from MN · Jan 16, 2014

I bottle of Barr's stop leak sure could of saved a lot of expense!

Steve@Advance · Jan 16, 2014

Not familiar with this particular engine, but would it be possible to test start the engine with the turbo removed and the oil line plugged? Then you could see if the oil is coming before the turbo.

What about pressure testing the turbo while it's off? Plug the return and pressure it with air and a regulator?

Anonymous-0 · Jan 16, 2014

Take the oil return line off and clean it out. It's either restricted or the seal ring in the turbo cartridge is broken or missing. Have dealer check don't do it yourself or they will blame you.
Later Bob

buickanddeere · Jan 16, 2014

A leaking engine can be kept going by swapping the ethylene glycol antifreeze for propylene glycol antifreeze. Even if propylene glycol makes it"s way into the crankcase. It doesn"t curdle the oil and ruin the bearings.
Is there restriction somewhere along the air intake system?
How much of the "oil" is stack slobber from putting around?

Bob · Jan 16, 2014

I think RG nailed it... there"s a plug, rag or other debris in the return line.

My renter had a nearby CAT shop replace the waterpump in his semi. First cold snap, he gelled up "cuz the heaters in the fuel tanks and filter weren"t getting a flow of coolant. (He"s had the truck through several winters, and fuel heaters previously worked.)

After some messy mucking around, we found a red plastic "Caplug" wedged sideways in a hose nipple, FAR from the replaced part.

NOT really sure HOW it was able to migrate there!

He talked to the guys at the shop and they said it couldn"t have POSSIBLY been from there "cuz they only use BLUE plugs!

johndeerefan · Jan 16, 2014

Not sure about a 4450, but on a 4020 we had an injector go bad and caused the oily slobber out the exhaust. Could you have gotten crud in an injector when you removed the head?

guido · Jan 16, 2014

Hello ricb,

Take off the exhaust manifold, or get it loose enough to see all the exhaust ports. If the head side are all dry, then its the turbo. If one of the ports is wet, the oil will go through the engine and into the exhaust, making it look like its the turbo. If you have a fuel dilution problem, your oil will be thinner, you may be able to smell the diesel in it, and the crankcase level will rise,

Guido.

sotxbill · Jan 16, 2014

oil seals on a turbo are not much more than washers... due to the heat. The drain side of the turbo MUST be facing down. Not sideways, but down, streight down. The line must be open, and large enough to allow unrestricted gravity flow back to engine. Engine must be vented and no pressure on turbo drain line. otherwise turbo will leak like a firehose. Drain must be free!!!

jon f mn · Jan 16, 2014

I don't know anything about jd's, but I've had to redo plenty of stuff because I got it wrong the first time. My guess is that you did something wrong with the head gasket. On some case head gaskets they have rubber washers that you have to put in at the oil passages, on my last one they were part of the head gasket. Before you go searching where there was no problem before I would ask a pro about the procedure for replacing the head gasket and see if you did something wrong there.

buickanddeere · Jan 16, 2014

(quoted from post at 15:14:34 01/16/14) Not sure about a 4450, but on a 4020 we had an injector go bad and caused the oily slobber out the exhaust. Could you have gotten crud in an injector when you removed the head?

Got me thinking. The JD 80 diesel was down on power even though the precious owner went through the engine. I pulled the injectors and found one tip damaged . The previous "mechanic" had set the head down on a hard surface with injectors installed and ruined a tip

turbo blowing oil?

ricb

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moresmoke

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ricb

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RGMartin

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Russ from MN

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Steve@Advance

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Anonymous-0

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buickanddeere

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Bob

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johndeerefan

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guido

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sotxbill

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jon f mn

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buickanddeere

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