massive oil leak, loss of pressure, slight tap......

[Eagleye]

Amazing how many threads I have in this section

Anyway, on my way to work I heard a faint tapping, let off the gas and it went away, looked at my oil pressure gauge and it dropped to 0. Oil light came on as I shut it down and coasted off the road. Oil was running like mad under the passenger side. There is oil on top and the side of the motor (all on the passenger side).

Can anyone tell me what they think this is? It seems like maybe a line blew off? The car ran great at cbrd, I ran it that night as well. Then this morning this happened. It is in no way linked to the tune and I was driving like a grandma like I always do to work.

Was there likely damage caused? I looked when I drove back by in another car and didn't see any oil prior to where I parked it.

I have the sickest feeling in my stomach right now at work...

 

[Spec-Ops Motorsports]

That could have been the oil send or return line or even the valve cover. You need to get under her and look.

 

[IGOTASTi]

Was there any oil on the dip stick?

 

[ZachTTLM]

Yes I would do as they said and check out your supply and return lines to for your turbo first thing before you get too sickened about it. If you caught it in time you shouldnt have damaged anything but this depends on how long something didnt get oil.

 

[Eagleye]

Well to start with I was right at the full line for oil, so I could have lost almost a quart before it got really low on oil, once I heard the noise I had the car shut off in a few seconds. It should also help that i was only at 2000-2500 rpms. It didnt appear to be the valve cover, I looked as best I could before going to work. Everything is so soaked with oil I never would have been able to tell from underneath. Once I get it all cleaned up hopefully I will see a line that is messed up.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will look at the lines and see if anything jumps out. I just hope this is simple for once, somehow I'm doubting it.

 

[IGOTASTi]

I can almost bet money on it your motor is fine. You weren't in boost and shut it down asap. I can also say it has to be a oil line for that much oil to come out.

 

[Eagleye]

Thanks for the reassurance JJ, I pray that you are right. Because man this thing is a beast after the tune. By the way I dropped Chad an email with links to this site and igotaevo, he said he will check them out, it would be nice to get his team on board with at least one of your sites. I know he does much more with evos these days.

Guess it was time to switch over to amsoil anyway, just didnt need to do it like this!

 

[IGOTASTi]

Amsoil FTW!

 

[HolyCrapItsFast]

Let me ask you a question. Did you use the oil line I had on there. Most likely the hose shot off. It is underneath the intake manifold so that will have to come off to see it.

My suggestion for correcting this is to replace the hose that is there with hydraulic line and flare the ends of the line that they connect to. That was something I was meaning to do but never got to it for obvious reasons.

As JJ suggested there is likely no damage if you shut it immediately.

(just some information for others reading this. The stock line needed to be modified because the original would not route properly around the fuel rails)

 

[Eagleye]

Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and basically tear it down tonight. I'm hoping to get it cleaned up and the issue identified. Then I tomorrow I will be putting it back together if possible and switching to amsoil. Ultimately I probably wont be done until the weekend which will suck for getting to work. Good thing I bought a bike...too bad its January...

 

[Eagleye]

Last night I found nothing. Lots of oil on the passanger side, none of which seemed to be around the turbo.
I refilled it to the full line and no drips. Then I drained it and there were some small metal flakes. So now I'm not sure if I should drop the pan or just fill it up and crank the motor over to try to get it to leak.

What do you guys think?

 

[IGOTASTi]

Last night I found nothing. Lots of oil on the passanger side, none of which seemed to be around the turbo.
I refilled it to the full line and no drips. Then I drained it and there were some small metal flakes. So now I'm not sure if I should drop the pan or just fill it up and crank the motor over to try to get it to leak.

What do you guys think?

How big where the flakes?

 

[Eagleye]

How big where the flakes?

flakes were about this big... " o "

Seemed to be blueish in color. Tune on Monday was the first time the car went over 5500 rpms and 1st time with over 2 lbs of boost. Could this debris be additional break in material? or left over from the bottom of the pan from my 1st couple changes??

I am considering dropping the pan to check things out before continuing my search for the leak, but I don't know.

 

[HolyCrapItsFast]

It is very possible the flakes are from break-in but rek may be right

I still think it is the oil line on the passenger side of the motor. It was sketchy when I had it and I am sorry I didn't mention it before. It totally slipped my mind. I would not start the motor until you get the leak resolved. Poke around underneath the intake manifold with a pen light and try to follow the line from the turbo to the front of the motor. As mentioned before I had a hose between them and I bet the hose came off under pressure.

I'll try to find a picture of what I'm talking about.

When you resolve the leak, fill it with oil and see how it sounds when you start it up. look at your pressure and make sure it is where it use to be. If not and if you hear the slightest knock then I believe rek to be right.

 

[Eagleye]

The plan right now is to refill it, simulate oil pressure to locate the leak, fix that, top off oil, start, listen for any issue at all, then drop the pan if necessary (im sure it will be :|)

Then I will just have to take it from there.

 

[Eagleye]

Wanted to give closure to this thread for anyone who has a similar issue in the future. It ended up being the AVCS line at the front of the motor. It backed off far enough to blow oil everywhere but appeared to still be on. So I removed the banjo fitting, flared the end and put a new clamp on. Feels very solid now. Best part, no knocks, no taps.
Thanks for everyone's thoughts and ideas.