Turbo cool down process

[Spark!Plug]

I'm no turbo know it all... but ive been going through other forums and it seems people bake the oil sitting in their turbo's when they shut the car down. There is a red FD I saw in Newnan once, it had a rice wing... but i did notice him lift the hood, and left the car running for a solid 10-15 min.

I think this is something every turbo owner should know, and i'm sure most of you guys know this stuff. but for those that don't realize the oil cooled turbo doesnt circulate oil when the car is turned off after running the car hard, this may save their china charger....

So when someone wants to know; what are the options opposed to standing around for 5-15 min letting the snail cool...

[amaff]

Turbo Timer.....

[RotorNutFD3S]

- Don't get into boost for the last few minutes of your drive (I always followed at least a 5 minute rule). This allows the oil to cool down sufficiently as it circulates through the system. Best idea whether you have a journal bearing oil cooled turbo or a ball bearing water/oil cooled turbo.

- Buy and install a turbo timer. Completely unnecessary if you follow the above step.

[GVfanatic]

Dont buy a turbo set up.....:lol::lol:

jk fellas

[Spark!Plug]

ive heard of the turbo timer but like i said, i dont really know much about turbos aside from how they work to make power etc. does a turbo timer circulate the coolant/oil after shut down for a period of time? kinda shut down, walk into work, and not worry about it deal?

[Spark!Plug]

Dont buy a turbo set up.....:lol::lol:

jk fellas


I'm staying N/A, soon hope to get a header...

I went through the threads and couldnt find this info so i thought i could help out some newbs that are dead set on turbo.

[amaff]

ive heard of the turbo timer but like i said, i dont really know much about turbos aside from how they work to make power etc. does a turbo timer circulate the coolant/oil after shut down for a period of time? kinda shut down, walk into work, and not worry about it deal?

It's basically a timer that keeps the engine running after you've gotten out of the car & removed the key for a few minutes (only way to circulate coolant & oil lol). It's generally also hooked up to the brake and / or clutch switches so that if anyone, for example, wanted to hop in your car while it was still running, it will instantly kill everything.

[MeFryRice]

Haha, I installed a turbo timer on my MR2 years ago and here's when I had a problem with it. You get so used to the car running after you lock the door and begin to walk away except one morning during a driving school, I do what everyone normally does, lock the doors and walk away. My problem was, I had left the key in the ignition in the "ON" position, locked the doors and didn't realize my stupidity until I was helping setup the classroom. lol. The car had a full tank of gas and the security guard at AMS to help me out wasn't expected to come in for another hour. :/

Unless you plan on doing a lot of track events or just plain drive the car hard, then I honestly feel it's an unneeded expense. Like Eric had mentioned, drive the car softly for the couple minutes before your destination and you should be find. JUST DON'T DRIVE THE CAR HARD THEN IMMEDIATELY TURN IT OFF. That's a perfect way to cook your turbo.

[Beastinthebushes]

I honestly had no idea about this stuff. Huh, learn something new everyday I guess.

[slidin_miata]

get a turbo timer, and an oil catch can, and dont boost past 50psi


lol ignore that last part

[GVfanatic]

or just plain drive the car hard.

:vin: Is there any other way...

[Spark!Plug]

:vin: Is there any other way...

ok diesel. i'll bet the diesel and raise you a walker

http://imstars.aufeminin.com/stars/fan/paul-walker/paul-walker-20060321-116738.jpg

and no, no there isnt.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Petunia has a turbo timer. I don't really need it, but it's nice to have it for those "just in case" situations.

[GVfanatic]

ok diesel. i'll bet the diesel and raise you a walker

http://imstars.aufeminin.com/stars/fan/paul-walker/paul-walker-20060321-116738.jpg

and no, no there isnt.

ight! I'll see your walker and i'll raise you a WALKER!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uW1ONsJtbyQ/TBbcmgzh9jI/AAAAAAAABJ0/KZcy3exoKNE/s1600/home_key_art.jpg

[Spark!Plug]

rivers not looking good. FOLD.

[amaff]

Honestly, for the insurance they give, they're not really that expensive:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GREDDY-TRUST-FULL-AUTO-TIMER-TURBO-15500021-SILVER-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3f03325d43QQitemZ27063 6571971QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccesso ries

[Spark!Plug]

i'd say its something to finish a FULL turbo set up. accessory.

[NA6R]

Like Eric had mentioned, drive the car softly for the couple minutes before your destination and you should be find. JUST DON'T DRIVE THE CAR HARD THEN IMMEDIATELY TURN IT OFF. That's a perfect way to cook your turbo.

^that

My Cummins has the original turbo at 238k. It regularly sees 30+ psi and EGT's from 1100-1200 towing.

[scandmx5]

:lol: reminds me of my Volvo, i'd be walking into store when some stranger's like" excuse me sir, sir, you're car just turned back on after you got out"

[miatamike]

This is dated back to when turbos where a new thing and synthetic oil was still in the making.If you ever owned a DSM and read the note on the sun visor it said to idle the car for 1-5mins before shutting off. This was because the turbos back then where all journal bearing turbos that have very small hole that would clog up when you shut the car off after driving for a long time. conventional oil will burn and crust up witch will starve you turbo for oil and in the end kill your turbo. Now days most of us run ball bearing turbos and synthetic oil that will not burn no matter how hot you get it in your engine it just wont burn. It is still good to idle your car down for the reason being ball bearing turbos spin so freely that if you where to just shut you engine off after parking chances are it will spin about twice as long then if you where to let it idle and spin down to a slower speed. This is even more important with journal bearing turbos because you are spinning a shaft on a bushing and if you run it dry too long say bye bye turbo.

So unless you are using conventional oil you should idle down the car for at least 2-5 mins and if you are running synthetic 1-2mins. Time will be longer with a journal bearing then a ball bearing.

[MeFryRice]

I remember a time I was parked in front or El Ranchero grabbing some food and I sat outside while waiting for a friend to show up. A couple older ladies were walking by my car, saw it was running with no one in it. They were even more baffled when they looked inside the car to see there was no key in the ignition. The look on their face was priceless. Lol.

[miatamike]

^ROFL^

[Spark!Plug]

say i jump into one of these cars thinking i got somebody. **** dies on me and the owner just so happen not see me. would this kinda work like a immobilizer preventing theft?

[Dr.Drew]

I'll admit that I was a bit confused about Seans car once when we got out and I saw him pull the key but the car was still running.

Even though I'm s/c if I drive pretty hard I'll let the car sit for a few before I turn it off. Not sure if it really does anything but I like to think it let's the oil cool down.

This thread reminds me that I need to find a place to put a catch can, and build a catch can.

[miatamike]

in real terms if you fallow the wires for the turbo timer and you knew what you where doing you could make it so the car wouldn't die but then you need to find a way to unlock the steering wheel.

[Spark!Plug]

in real terms if you fallow the wires for the turbo timer and you knew what you where doing you could make it so the car wouldn't die but then you need to find a way to unlock the steering wheel.


ok so i hop in, use a butane torch lighter to burn the insulation off the wires, jump them. the clutch should still work not needing the neutral safety switch, just yank the wire out of that, and as i drive away break the lock by turning it as hard as i can both ways till SNAP. only thing i see wrong with that is the Ebrake switch that i read they have.........:eek:

[miatamike]

ok so i hop in, use a butane torch lighter to burn the insulation off the wires, jump them. the clutch should still work not needing the neutral safety switch, just yank the wire out of that, and as i drive away break the lock by turning it as hard as i can both ways till SNAP. only thing i see wrong with that is the Ebrake switch that i read they have.........:eek:
see what you need to do is find the batt wire and jump it to the ignition on power of the turbo timer making it think you put the key back in.

[iscariot]

I remember I got in an argument at work with another car guy over the use of a turbo timer. I proceeded to beat him with wisdom from the holy bible (Corky Bell's Maximum boost)

The short of it - Oil is Happy around 210 degrees. Coking, which is the nasty crystallized stuff that blocks flow happens around 240 degrees. Water cooled turbos sucking off your cooling system should be ~180 degrees, probably more like 210-220 range. Modern oils, especially synthetic, are now very coking extremely resistant, relegating turbo timers to the dinosaurs. Solong as you don't hit the happy pedal long and hard then immediatly park your car, just stay out of boost for 2-3 minutes before you arrive at your destination, you'll be fine.

Plus turbo timers are a shortcut to hotwiring.

[Spark!Plug]

see what you need to do is find the batt wire and jump it to the ignition on power of the turbo timer making it think you put the key back in.

the panel under the steering wheel in miatas... you know what, im not ganna give trolls anymore ideas.

[Cool Cat Racing]

From everyone who knows that I've ever talked to a timer is worthless. Even idling for extended periods is worthless. The purpose in the coolant in a turbo is to conduct the heat away from the turbo after it shuts down to extend its lifespan. Yes you want to not drive hard but if you're driving like a normal person would for the 30 seconds before you park its slowed down enough that idling for a few seconds will slow the turbo down and it will cool off. A ball bearing turbo is the same except it will slow down faster and won't coke either way. Basically unless you drag race it and then shut it off right after the finish line more than 30 seconds is useless with modern turbos and oils. And d.button, your supercharger heats up more when it sits idling because the exhaust heat is just cooking it like an oven. I've measured the engine bay temps on the various setups on Thunder while we were at the track and to be honest without lifting the hood or hood vents most things were hotter if I left the car idling than if I shut if off after returning to our paddock.

[Dr.Drew]

Thanks for the info. What do you think about the idea in the last Miata journal where the guy installed a thermoswitch into his radiator fan wiring so the fans would run 4-5 minutes after shutdown?

I considered doing this as well to counter some of the heat soak I get on my IAT sensor.

[Cool Cat Racing]

I always had the aftermarket fans on all our cars wired on a constant thermo switch so they would come on any time the motor was over 185. They would run for several minutes after the car was turned off and then shut off but would usually come back on once or twice for a minute or two. You can get the switch for about $25 at any auto parts store and its enough to run both stock or two aftermarket fans.

[miatamike]

I remember I got in an argument at work with another car guy over the use of a turbo timer. I proceeded to beat him with wisdom from the holy bible (Corky Bell's Maximum boost)

The short of it - Oil is Happy around 210 degrees. Coking, which is the nasty crystallized stuff that blocks flow happens around 240 degrees. Water cooled turbos sucking off your cooling system should be ~180 degrees, probably more like 210-220 range. Modern oils, especially synthetic, are now very coking extremely resistant, relegating turbo timers to the dinosaurs. Solong as you don't hit the happy pedal long and hard then immediatly park your car, just stay out of boost for 2-3 minutes before you arrive at your destination, you'll be fine.

Plus turbo timers are a shortcut to hotwiring.
YES YES AND OH WAIT YES!!!!!
the panel under the steering wheel in miatas... you know what, im not ganna give trolls anymore ideas.
lol
Thanks for the info. What do you think about the idea in the last Miata journal where the guy installed a thermoswitch into his radiator fan wiring so the fans would run 4-5 minutes after shutdown?

I considered doing this as well to counter some of the heat soak I get on my IAT sensor.
Were do you have your IAT sensor mounted, I had mine mounted right before my TB and found my intake temps on a 90degree day to hit as much as 150 degrees. I could not figure out why it was so high so I only kept my driver side fan and mounted a sheet of aluminum where the other fan went and boom. It worked my new intake temps were 110 120 max on a 90 degree day.

[Dr.Drew]

It's actually tapped into the dummy throttle body. My intake temps while driving are fine. But if I shut the car off and then start it back up in less than 45 minutes or so I get some serious heat soak which causes the car to run lean for a few seconds.

I have my stock fans wired together but it's probably not necessary, I very rarely see coolant temps over 200.

[miatamike]

It's actually tapped into the dummy throttle body. My intake temps while driving are fine. But if I shut the car off and then start it back up in less than 45 minutes or so I get some serious heat soak which causes the car to run lean for a few seconds.

I have my stock fans wired together but it's probably not necessary, I very rarely see coolant temps over 200.

Oh I see you are SC, I would do a coolant switch like stated above or do some sorta vent in the hood.

[Doppelgänger]

Oh crap...after reading this, I realize that I'm in a lot of trouble when it comes to my turbo. I thought turning it off when the turbo was glowing orange was a cool thing to do because the exhaust would stay glowing longer...which is cool to show my friends. Guess I'll have to stop doing that.

[mustangtomiata]

^that

My Cummins has the original turbo at 238k. It regularly sees 30+ psi and EGT's from 1100-1200 towing.

hell that motor is just getting broken in

I remember a time I was parked in front or El Ranchero grabbing some food and I sat outside while waiting for a friend to show up. A couple older ladies were walking by my car, saw it was running with no one in it. They were even more baffled when they looked inside the car to see there was no key in the ignition. The look on their face was priceless. Lol.

The look gets even better when it shuts off by itself :lol: