Oil return line

[groundhogday1976]

I'm still doing research for my distant KA24DET project. It'll probably be at least a year before I actually do it. Anyway, most everybody puts their turbo oil return line on the pan. In the turbo install at 240sx.org, they eliminated the distributor and put the return line it that space. I'm afraid of the oil backing up if it's routed to the upper timing cover, but it got me thinking. Couldn't I drill and tap the lower timing cover when I do the timing chain (which I need to do soon) and plug it w/ a short bolt, then when I install my turbo setup just connect the return line there? Any pros/ cons to this would be appreciated. Also, would putting an oil cooler in the return line cause problems w/ oil backing up?

[aleph1]

Or couldnt you just use a oil filter sandwitch adapter, made to plumb in oil coolers and turbos? Ive always wondered about this, as it is much easier than drilling the pan...

[cnichols]

Gravity is really the only thing being used to move the oil back to the pan....doesn't seem like returning it that high on the motor would work unless you used some sort of electric pump... which would only make things more complicated than drilling the pan.

[:: orion ::]

Oil cooler in the feed line, yes. Return, NO.

As 'cnichols' pointed out, it's gravity alone moving that frothy mess back into the pan.

I'd just use the pan - Simple, and it works. It's really not that hard to do.

Later - Brian

[groundhogday1976]

Okay, just looked under the hood. I think it would work because I can get it pretty low on the cover. The problem is, I wanna keep my air and power steering, so I'd be better off removing the pan than trying to make sure the line doesn't get eaten up by all those pulleys and belts. Plus it'd be a real ***** to hook it up without taking off the a/c and p/s compressors. Oh well, that's why I'm taking my time and researching everything before I do it.

[aleph1]

On second thought, that does make sense...the oil filter would only be about 5 inches lower and its on the other side of the engine....=\