Oil residue in crossmember

[Rikki Kitto]

Swapping the boost hose clips on the crossmember and noticed quite a heavy build up of oil residue in it, What causes this?

[UrS4boy]

Swapping the boost hose clips on the crossmember and noticed quite a heavy build up of oil residue in it, What causes this?

Your crossmember is part of the intake system and the intake system gets oil vapours from leaking turbo seals, oil vapour under the cam cover and oil vapours from the PCV system, all of which end up in the MAF to turbo hose and then the intercooler and the crossmember:

[Rikki Kitto]

So is this "normal" then

[UrS4boy]

So is this "normal" then

Normal(ish). Depends how much oil residue you have and the last time the crossmember was cleaned out. If never, then it is probably normal. If you get the same amount of residue in a week, then it isn't normal and your engine has some issues, e.g. rings allowing too much blow-by into the crankcase and then into the PCV system, etc.

[Rikki Kitto]

That doesn't sound good then it was fitted with a replacement engine about 5000 miles back and cross-member was clean now is quite oily. Not smoking out the exhaust though

[UrS4boy]

That doesn't sound good then it was fitted with a replacement engine about 5000 miles back and cross-member was clean now is quite oily. Not smoking out the exhaust though

Hmm...but I wouldn't worry too much unless your oil consumption was say, higher than 1L/1600 km.

[Rikki Kitto]

Doesn't use a drop from one oil change to the next 👍

[UrS4boy]

Doesn't use a drop from one oil change to the next ��

Then just clean it out and carry on. No worries.

[Rikki Kitto]

Always feels better to have confirmation from caring members like yourself, thanks

[Monkeymagic]

I would say its normal unless you use oil. Nearly every turbo driven car i work on has a collection of oil in the intercooler and lower hoses leading from the intercooler...

[Rikki Kitto]

[popdemonic]

if you're running stock boost level and see some drops of oil inside intake tract
that would be normal.i just replaced the aan motor on my car.the engine is
pretty low mileges 50,000-60,000kms on clock.i'm running big turbo and higher
boost around 30psi.the breather system vomits a lot of oil.i understand the stock
breather system wasnt designed the breather to handle that high boost the swirl pot
and catchcan is needed now.i have provent 200 oil seperator but it seems the
seperator just helps a bit.