Hey, this is my first post on this forum. After researching, I found that the T04S from XS was the best turbo for my budget and application. So far I love it. I am running good AFR at 15psi and all the good stuff necessary to be safe. I've had the turbo on the car for a couple of months now and am noticing a lot of problems.

1. The Apex'i BOV is making a choppy noise instead of a smooth blow off. I tried backing off on the spring, even tried regreasing the piston inside... The kit didn't come with a metal gasket like it was supposed to from XS so I'm running some Blue Silicon on it.

2. The BOV is blowing out oil all over my hood and in my engine bay after I spent a week cleaning the engine bay (taking the engine out and everything so it's a pain in the ***). This leads me to believe that my turbo oil seal is bad already...

3. In addition to the turbo oil seal possibly gone, there is considerably more shaft play in an up/down axis that wasn't there when it was new. it's enough to feel on the compressor and exhaust side but without measuring I'd guess only a couple millimeters.

I called XS and was told that the shaft play is normal and part of the turbo breaking in and that when the oil is being run through the turbo, the shaft play is what allows the oil to lubricate the bearing and shaft and is designed that way. As far as the oil problem goes, they told me that I probably have the oil drain hose kinked and it's causing too much pressure in the turbo so the oil is forced out into the intake. The hose they supplied is very rigid rubber and I was unable to make it fit, so I cut the end at an angle to reduce what kink WOULD be in there if I installed the hose the way they provided me. There is still a very small kink in it, but the size is still MUCH bigger than the stock drain line.

Is my turbo oil seal blown? Is my bearing already worn out? Why do I have to have oil smoke pouring out of my hood at a stop light because my BOV just sprayed my downpipe? Any help is appreciated. Thanks a lot!

 

XS turbos were built wrong. We have found numerous XS T04 Turbos with too small of an oil restrictor causing bearing/shaft/wheel damage. I'm sure this is your problem too. Sucks that XS is doing everyone wrong.

BI State customs will rebuild your T04S and modify your oil restrictor for better flow. They charge 600 for the rebuild.

 

600 include new wheels/shaft/bearings etc etc.

 

What is the proper size restrictor?

 

I'm having the same problem with my T04 kit also.

1. The bov sometimes make a chopping noise, not the smooth swish sound.
Could this be fix, or should I just get a different bov?

2. I was having oil mist out of the bov, I thought the oil seal in the turbo was going bad. But then I switched out my smic to a fmic. No more oil misting out. The oil was residual in the intercooler from my stock twin when it went bad.

Boostn7 check your ic and try to clean it out. That might help with the oil blowing out of your bov.

 

Insomniac,

You have the Apex BOV? Take it apart and clean the shaft in the middle... that should make it blow off better. Also under small boost amounts, it doesn't always blow off right on mine either...

Brian

 

Brian,
I'll try cleaning it out first. If all fails, new bov. What bov do you guys recommend that perform well with a nice swoosh sound?

 

Guys. There should be NO oil in your intercoolers or piping. If there is then your turbo's are shot.

 

Tial all the way, ask them to send the softer spring for boosted rotaries. Best bov on the market and not overly expensive, sounds very clean *whoosh*.. not chirpy bird sounds like the HKS or Greddy.

 

Not true if you are still running a closed PCV system, I still have the stock PCV line connecting to my intake pipe. Granted it is a very small amount of oil and I don't notice very much of it in the pipes, but the potential is there. If you are running a catch can system then there should be no oil like you mention.

 

I've heard the HKS on several cars, and it always sounds like a chirping bird. I'm told this is actually because HKS BOV's don't bleed off air fast enough, and the turbo goes into a slight surge. Anyway, I think HKS BOV is crap, sure its shiney, and makes lots of noise, but as far as surge protection, even OEM's outperform.

 

The TiAl BOV is very well engineered. ( NICE PIECE ) Pricy but worth every penny. They are a little loud though but the vent very well

 

I have the xs T04S kit and mistakenly capped both PCV lines (in my mod frenzy) and that ended up putting alot of oil into my intercooler lines but there where alot more problems besides the oil so it doesnt sound like you are having this issue.

Also my BOV has some interesting sounds. If I set it on the largest hole it just has an exhale sound - no pronounced begining or end. With it on the smallest hole it has a feathered sound - like someone is placing their thumb over the hole intermittently in a regular pattern and it has a higher pitch sound (might be what you are describing as choppy). I was also in a guy named Joey's Montego Blue with an XS T04S and his had this exact sound. I just switched it to this setting last week and I am beginning to like it.

Shawn