sharkys280 Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 Turbo guys, this is my first time working around a turbo and I have a question on the oil drain. The manifold, turbo, drain fitting are all really tight and the drain line ends up laying on the header, is that going to be a problem? It's all so compact and close that it all looks problematic to me, but I'm pretty ignorant on what might be an issue or not... Any suggestions are welcome! A couple pics of the current layout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calZ Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Close is one thing, but resting directly on the header isn't good. What's the line routing look like from factory? Does the header manufacturer have any pictures of it installed on an engine that you could use to figure out where they intended the drain to go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkys280 Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 Its an ebay header so Im guessing the builder didn't spend much time confirming clearances, so no help from them... I know the drain should be as straight as possible out of the turbo, but would a 90 off the bottom fitting be acceptable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A to Z Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 yes, IF.....IF the diameter of the hose is large. 5/8 is acceptable, 3/4 is even better. The idea is to ensure that the oil can drain fast enough to not "back up". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A to Z Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 On 7/1/2025 at 6:35 PM, calZ said: Close is one thing, but resting directly on the header isn't good. What's the line routing look like from factory? Does the header manufacturer have any pictures of it installed on an engine that you could use to figure out where they intended the drain to go? agreed, touching the header is a bad deal. If the header were at least wrapped and you put a loose fitting aluminum sheath over the hose that might save the hose. That drain hose in the pic looks VERY small. What happens if oil backs up is it will force oil into the turbo and you will get smoke as the pressurized oil is pushed past the seals, and if you have a catalytic converter, it could plug the converter and start a fire. It can also damage the turbo, as it is trying to spin with the friction of the oil hampering it. You can do a google search on all of this, but it can't be stated how important that drain hose is. I am getting by with a 5/8 drain hose and fittings. like I mentioned 3/4 is better. Ideal is no restriction at all .......the oil hits the drain and is gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkys280 Posted July 7 Author Share Posted July 7 Ok, after much tweaking and a little bending i arrived at this... workable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calZ Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 A little more clearance wouldn't hurt, but I think that's fine if it never gets any closer. You'll have to periodically check that the line hasn't sagged or moved due to being under load and things expanding due to heat. What did you bend? The fitting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkys280 Posted July 7 Author Share Posted July 7 Yeah, it needed a little more bend to clear what I have there, I was thinking to heat wrap the closest header tube to give it a little more protection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.