2001 C70 Intercooler Oil Leak but doesn't appear to be PCV related

[buschman]

2001 Volvo V70 Convertible, 2.3L HPT, Manual Trans, ~160k miles

I started getting a small oil puddle under the front center of the vehicle; I traced it to the lower intercooler hose connection at the radiator -- oil is coming out of the tube, pooling on the lower radiator fascia, then dripping onto the floor. Not a lot, but enough to be worried about.

So I've never touched the PCV system on this car but I have run the balloon test and everything has always looked fine.

So I bit the bullet and removed the intake manifold, unfortunately the catchcan is pretty clean and I don't see any real blockage in the engine ports either. I'll clean them out regardless and probably replace some of the hoses but .......what else would be putting oil in my intercooler tube?

Is my turbo starting to take a dump?

Just looking for ideas here.

Thanks.

[MoVolvos]

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Pull the charge hose, reach into the turbo with your finger to check for turbine bearing play and or oil build up.
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[befarrer]

The intercooler has a small home on the bottom to let out condensation, this also let's oil leak out, which builds up on the lower splash shield thing. The oil most likely comes from the breather, probably getting more blowby than stock which makes the PCV system not remove as much oil vapor as normal. It then ends up in the intake, and the intercooler is the low point. I bet if you look under your car, the turbo is oily. It usually leaks from there too.

[buschman]

I don't have any discernible play in my turbo.

I have had and continue to have minor oil weepage on the back side of my engine, I'll have to look a bit closer if it's coming from the turbo or not.

The oil coming from the intercooler hose is a new phenomenon, I have not had oil coming from this area until just recently.

I am planning to replace the primary hose assy from the turbo to the catchcan, it looks like I should get that from Volvo or maybe IPD to ensure quality and check the other hoses over carefully. To be honest they are all still pliable and not brittle like I've seen from others' experience. I'll clean out the engine ports, flush out the catchcan, then re-assemble and see if that corrects the problem.

If it doesn't solve the problem I am not opposed to pulling the turbo and rebuilding it. Just not looking forward to removing it if not necessary.

If there's anything else I should be looking at while this is apart I am all ears.

Thanks for the help.

[foggydogg]

Blue Box Volvo PCV hoses are the best bet, I no longer know where ipd sources things. Avoid anything that rhymes with URO.
It is possible for a seal to fail on the turbo without excess play on the spinner, but those things tend to be pretty stout.
Hard valve stem seals on the exhaust side can put oil where it isn't wanted, but that usually shows up as a bit of smoke on cold start.

[abscate]

Try pulling the inter cooler hose, cleaning it out , then running it. See how long it takes before it drips again, it might be 6-12 months of running.

Backside of the engine ( right hand side of engine, towards rear of car) on a turbo is often the seal at the bottom end of the turbo drain pipe. $5 seal, a roll underneath to get her done

5 mm hex head bolts on that pipe, you need the ball head variety to access cleanly without stripping

See here

viewtopic.php?p=633162&hilit=1999+turbo ... pe#p633162

[buschman]

Thanks guys, I need to make a list of parts to order and will update on what I find when it's re-assembled.