Hi I tapped my se front cover for the oil return line. Reassembled the motor but noticed that the oil return line will dump right into a plate inside the front cover that deflects the oil from hitting the oil chain. There is not much room between the hole and the plate. Won't this cause a oil backup into the turbo? Or will it be ok and the oil just fill into the motor around the plate? I'm sure anyone using a se front cover would have this same problem right?

 

John,
Im in the same spot right now. I pulled out my motor last night and replaced the front cover with a pre-tapped SE front cover (just like yours and was done by Dave ) but I didnt notice that plate you mentioned. Is there a difference between the old 4ports and the TII block?

 

Damn man, I about had a heat attack when I saw this. I mean there's room there for oil to escape but not alot. The old turbo front cover has the hole and it only goes into the engine about 1/4 inch so there is much more room for oil to escape, whereas these se covers have the tunnel that exits much closer to the deflection plate. I remember reading something about this before but couldn't find the thread. I know everyone who has done a turbo first gen swap must of encountered this so hopefully it's not a big deal and the oil will not back up. The plate feels a little flexible but I don't want to push it back. Someone was telling me that there is not much room between the plate and the chain so I don't want to bend it back.

 

IF you are using a 4 port n/a block, not a t2 block, I don't think you will have the plate. I think it was only on turbo motors to keep the oil returning from hitting the chain for some reason.

 

A little off subject here, but still within the same vein. What size did you tap your hole, what thread/pitch and what type of fitting did you use?

I'm getting ready to assemble my engine and thought I would go ahead and tap for an oil return now while it is apart. Turbo looks like it will be a winter project.

 

The threads are 1/2 npt with a 3/4 inch hose barb. At home depot I only saw 1/2 npt with 5/8 hose barb. I thought I was helping the flow by going with the 3/4 in barb but now that I see the plate, it may not matter.

 

John
I wouldnt worry about that plate since this is only a drain and the pressure should be minimal.

With my turbo unit, I had to restructure the stock drain and welded a -12 fitting at the end since the unit is sitting where the old smog pump is. And yes to 1/2.

 

I hope your right Mel, after all it is a gravity feed, and how much oil is actually duming out of there when the stock oil intake pipe is soo small?

 

no one else with ideas?