KJ

Has anyone heard of someone using the powersteering pump as an oil return scavenging pump? Like lets say you connect the suction side of the pump up to the turbo oil drain and then run the pressure line to the valve cover or something like that. Or run the turbo oil return line to a small resevoir (fed by gravity) and then run the suction side of the p/s pump to the resevoir and then back to the valve cover.

I'm curious if any of you guys have heard of this or think it might work.

InsaneCivicCoupe

Sounds like it could/would work... But why the valve cover???

NChatch

why not the valvecover? its where you fill the motor with oil right?!?!


i could say it would work in theory, and power steering fluid does get kinda hot, my only major concerns would be the severity of the heat(run it thru a cooler first) and are the lines full petroleum resistant(if not, just swap em)

im sure the pump is strong enough

you might be on to something

Alpha

So basically you dont want to rely on gravity alone to drain the oil from the turbocharger? The only problem I see is not giving the oil enough time to get the air out. Basically when oil is draining out the turbocharger it's foam like. When it reaches the end of the return line it SHOULD, depending upon the return line size, turn back to a liquid form. I have seen people with very short returns lines but I dont get to see their oil, bearings, etc. over time. As Madex/DomToretto would say I might be "overanalyzing" things.

senor honda

KJ,

Draining turbo oil back to the oil pan by gravity doesn't take away any horsepower. Unless there's a reason to oil the valves, most people want all the power they can get!

Another point to look at would be........why not use the pump to pressurize the turbo with INCOMING oil?

How:
Weld a filter screen to/in the oil pan bottom/side, going to a screw-on fitting on the side of the oil pan, Aeroquip line leading to the power steering pump, going to the turbo. By bypassing the normal oil pump, you maintain good oil pressure to the engine bearings, (since you are not splitting off part of your oil for a turbo) and at the same time, insure an adequate oil supply to the turbo thanks to the power steering pump. Gadzooks! -Bob
--------------------------

KJ

I'll explain my reasoning.

I've seen alot of people screw up their turbos due to bad return line arrangement. I've also ran into alot of space issues when having to build charge pipes, 3+" DP, and an oil return in the same 4"x4" area. Also on a race car mounting the turbo as far forward and as low as possible is beneficial and a gravityt return would not work. AS far as a power loss the pump is pumping into an open system. In normal operation the p/s pump is running with 100psi or so on the pressure side, holding that pressure is what creates the resistance to the pump spinning and the power loss associated with it. Running it open with virtually no pressure would be almost like free spinning the pump and my guess is the power loss would be insignificant.

An electric scavenging pump costs about $200. Utilizing the p/s pump would be just the cost of fittings.

My idea now is to run the turbo drain into an oil cooler and suction out via the p/s pump and then return through the oil cap by modifying a billet aluminum cap. All that would need to be made is a billet p/s pump adapter and drill out a billet oil cap.

I originally came up with this trying to decide how and where to mount a turbo on my BMW but thought it could be made to work on a Honda.

KJ

Benefits:
-cheap
-clears up DP/ Charge pipe room
-cool oil as it is returned
-more options for turbo placement
-if it was available for commercial sale a turbo kit install could be accomplished without having to remove the oil pan and weld in a fitting.

Drawbacks:
-P/S belt breaks you lose your turbo
-possible shortened p/s pump life????
-??????

KJ

Bob,

I thought about the turbo feed also but you can kill a turbo with too much oil pressure. 30psi under load is about good. To get 30 psi to the turbo off the p/s pump you'd have to run a -3an turbo line or a flow restrictor which will operate the turbo well but you will have an incredible amount of back pressure in the p/s line which would create a sizeble power loss by loading the pump severly. If there was a way to lower the flow volume of the p/s pump then it might work.

Pyroproblem

I was just gonna mention that the out put of the pump is much greater than the oil coming off a turbo. From what ive seen, most can drain a filled resevoir in a matter of seconds...
If youve ever taken a ps pump apart, youll see the little vanes inside the housing. If you could maybe drill a small hole like maybe .030", it may be enough to lower the output of the pump...

Pyroproblem

Im not really knowledgable about turbos, but isnt 30 psi enough to force the oil back to the pan? I dont understand why the turbo oil drains have to be gravity return. Oil pressure itself isnt enough?