is it ok to run oil return from the turbo to the valve cover?

 

is this a real ? .....


you would need a pump of some sort to pump it back up to the valve cover

 

im no turbo expert but, no.

 

depends on the car/engine/turbo set up.

Usualy the engine's oil pump is pumping the oil into the turbo and then the Turbo is plumed into the oiltank. you usualy add oil to the engine thru the valve cover so I dont see a problem pluming the oil into the valve cover.

The real question is why? why not just plum it into the oil tank like everybody else?

 

The answer to your question is no, not unless the turbo sits higher than the valve cover. Reason why is that not only is the oil pressure from the pump pushing the oil into the turbo but the return line is also a gravity feed to the oil pan. If the turbo is not higher than the return, it will cause the oil to back up in the line and eventually blow the seals out of the turbo!!!!

Another reason not to....

The whole idea of the turbo being oil cooled is for the oil to carry the heat from the turbo and back into the pan. From the pan it will go throught the oil cooler and back through the engine again.

If the turbo returns the oil back to the head, your defeating the whole idea of running an oil cooled turbo thus bringing heat right back into the head. This will be very ineffective an inefficient!

 

no......

 

oil isn't used for cooling, it's used to lubricate. If the oil returns through the valve cover, it will go down into the oil pan, same as the oil that is shot out to lubricate the valve train. Water is used to cool turbo center sections.

to the OP, yes, but remember the turbo oil return is best when gravity fed downwards, so every attempt should be made to have the oil return have a straight path downward. Any restrictions in the oil return line can cause increased pressure on the oil feed, which in turn can blow out seals in the turbo and the result is the burning of oil pushing past those seals. Typically, it's best you return it to the oil pan, which is easily modified to accept an oil return in most cases.

 

There are many oil-cooled turbos. It's usually OEM turbos and ball-bearing units that are water cooled. The oil does take some heat with it even in water-cooled turbos, though not much in a ball-bearing turbo that takes a low volume of oil for lubrication.

Also, the oil going into the pan is filtered before it goes back into the engine. It won't be if you dump it into the valve cover.

Unless the turbo is mounted above the valve cover it won't work. The only way around this is a scavenging pump right under the turbo that pushes oil up. I've seen this in a few cases but it's not ideal.

 

why wouldn't it be filtered? There is no oil pick up sump in the head, the oil would simply go down the oil galleys same as the rest of the oil that is shot across the valve train.

Oil really isn't a very good thermal transfer agent. It's main goal is to lubricate the turbine cartridge. Water is used in most OEM applications as a thermal cooling agent. This is why it is pointless for many cars to run a turbo timer if the turbo is water cooled, but can be beneficial if you do not have a water cooled turbo and don't drive like a sane human being

 

What you say makes sense but then why is it reffered to as oil cooled turbos?
Or oil and water cooled?