Turbo or Aftercooler Core

[Frank Ketcham]

I have twin Cummins BTA 5.9. I am cleaning and servicing two very, very dirty oily (airside) aftercooler cores. Both engines are suffering from the same symptoms. They both have dirty, oily aftercooler cores and they both have oil leaking at the turbos.  Question: Is the dirty core causing turbo pressure and leaks at the turbo or is the turbo oil causing the aftercooler cores to get oily? The turbos seem to spin normally and have no play or looseness, they are just leaking oil.  I also plan to replace air filters.  

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Rich Lichty

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[Rob Schepis]

If it’s just oily clean it up with a solvent and a paint brush, inside the air tube/hoses too.

[Frank Ketcham]

RE: Turbo Oil

OK, I have removed the airside of the turbo. It is dirty but spins freely and looks good. No play and no signs of rubbing or saltwater intrusion. What is the recommendation now that it is out? Disassemble and clean? replace components? Or just clean off and reinstall? I am trying to follow Tony’s recommendation and get things all cleaned up.

[JimmyK]

Just be sure it is the turbo that is leaking the oil before messing with it.  I would say it is much more common to have a malfunctioning/spent CCV system that is dumping oily blowby gasses into the turbo than having an oil leaking from the turbo itself.

What is the CCV system and what is it’s condition?  I like the Walker systems but their oil separating filters will let oil into the turbo once they’re saturated, as an example.

[Tony Athens]

You can easily just pull the center rebuildable core using common tools and send it out . You do not even have to drain the coolant/remove the cast-iron housing  to do it. If your housing is done because of saltwater intrusion, then you have and different issue

[Gene Fuller]

What is entailed with servicing the turbos?

You may have misunderstood Tony’s response.

The suggestion is to clean the air side of the turbo. I do not believe there is any way for an ordinary user to service the turbo. It takes specialized equipment and training.

Service requires removal and sending to a specialty shop.

[Frank Ketcham]

RE: Turbo Oil Leak

Tony, As per your suggestion I will service my turbos. As mentioned they are both leaking oil.  I have serviced and cleaned my aftercoolers now on to the turbos. I have Cummins BTA 5.9

Chicken or egg?  What does it matter.. Do it all right and start fresh is what you need to do.  Take the air side off the <mark class=”gdpos-keyword” data-markjs=”true”>turbo</mark>s and make all spic & span, and services your aftercoolers per my protocol.  ~Tony

My question: What is entailed with servicing the turbos? Is there a rebuild kit or parts/seals and what are the steps? Should I pull off just the airside or pull of the whole thing? Thanks 

[Tony Athens]

Chicken or egg?  What does it matter.. Do it all right and start fresh is what you need to do.  Take the air side off the turbos and make all spic & span, and services your aftercoolers per my protocol. 

And of course, be sure you follow my politics on oil pan capacity on your particular engine–that alone could be much of what has been causing  your issue.

[Frank Ketcham]

Reply To: Turbo or Aftercooler Core

I’m sorry to say my service history of the aftercooler core has been piss-poor. Kicking myself, I have had the boat a few years now and temps have been good in the water side and made bad assumptions. I have the CCV kit to reduce fumes in cabin and engine room. I added it after I bought the boat. Now I am trying to figure out my chicken/egg issue. Did the core issue cause turbos to leak or did the turbo leak cause my core to get oily?

[Rob Schepis]

What is the history of the prior aftercooler servicing?

What do you have for a CCV setup?

EnviroVent Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) for Cummins Marine Diesels

Crankcase Ventilation

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