Oil Restrictor

mspHtown

Member
:
MSP 2003.5
Soon i will be running the gt2860RS and i have found conflicting information about running an oil restrictor. First off, does the turbo come with one from Garrett right off the bat? If not, do i need to add one? How do i go about sizing the restrictor?


Also, does our stock turbo have an oil restrictor?
 
mspHtown said:
Soon i will be running the gt2860RS and i have found conflicting information about running an oil restrictor. First off, does the turbo come with one from Garrett right off the bat? If not, do i need to add one? How do i go about sizing the restrictor?


Also, does our stock turbo have an oil restrictor?
If it is a dual BB turbo you should to run a restrictor or you run the risk of blowing out the turbo seals.It is the .035 oil restrictor, you can get it from atpturbo.com.part #ATP-OIL-021
 
Last edited:
mspHtown said:
Soon i will be running the gt2860RS and i have found conflicting information about running an oil restrictor. First off, does the turbo come with one from Garrett right off the bat? If not, do i need to add one? How do i go about sizing the restrictor?


Also, does our stock turbo have an oil restrictor?

I emailed ATP a while ago about the GT25R BB restrictor for the stock turbo and they said we didn't need one because our oil pressure is lower than some cars so we wouldn't damage the bearing. You could always email them to find out about your setup.
 
Maz2001MP said:
I emailed ATP a while ago about the GT25R BB restrictor for the stock turbo and they said we didn't need one because our oil pressure is lower than some cars so we wouldn't damage the bearing. You could always email them to find out about your setup.
This may be true, but my oil pressure guage reads 60 psi at WOT(not sure if thats high or not) but i have a restrictor on my turbo.
 
i emailed everyone on garretts distribution list and i received only 2 answers. i cant seem to find the emails (this was awhile ago). i cant remember what the first email said but i do remember it was one sentence and an unsatisfying response. i do remember that the second reply claimed that you do not need the restrictor.



i will probably be installing mine without the restrictor unless someone more knowledgable or something more informative sways my choice.
 
I've used the restrictor from ATP twice and ran into bearing failure. Not sure if that is the cause, but not sure if it was the cause.
gtoilinlet035-01.jpg


Here is the bottom line on our oil pressure:

Oil pressure
ZM: 300—390 kPa {3.0—4.0 kgf/cm2, 43—56 psi} [3,000 rpm]
FS: 400—490 kPa {4.0—5.0 kgf/cm2, 57—71 psi} [3,000 rpm]
 
Last edited:
i believe that was also mentioned in an email. if you look at your turbo, you should see the oil restrictor where the oil feed line screws in. i can see it on my gt28rs, however here is some info straight from garretts website:


Does my turbo require an oil restrictor?
Oil requirements depend on the turbo's bearing system type. Garrett has two types of bearing systems; traditional journal bearing; and ball bearing.

The journal bearing system in a turbo functions very similarly to the rod or crank bearings in an engine. These bearings require enough oil pressure to keep the components separated by a hydrodynamic film. If the oil pressure is too low, the metal components will come in contact causing premature wear and ultimately failure. If the oil pressure is too high, leakage may occur from the turbocharger seals. With that as background, an oil restrictor is generally not needed for a journal-bearing turbocharger except for those applications with oil-pressure-induced seal leakage. Remember to address all other potential causes of leakage first (e.g., inadequate/improper oil drain out of the turbocharger, excessive crankcase pressure, turbocharger past its useful service life, etc.) and use a restrictor as a last resort. Garrett distributors can tell you the recommended range of acceptable oil pressures for your particular turbo. Restrictor size will always depend on how much oil pressure your engine is generating-there is no single restrictor size suited for all engines.

Ball-bearing turbochargers can benefit from the addition of an oil restrictor, as most engines deliver more pressure than a ball bearing turbo requires. The benefit is seen in improved boost response due to less windage of oil in the bearing. In addition, lower oil flow further reduces the risk of oil leakage compared to journal-bearing turbochargers. Oil pressure entering a ball-bearing turbocharger needs to be between 40 psi and 45 psi at the maximum engine operating speed. For many common passenger vehicle engines, this generally translates into a restrictor with a minimum of 0.040" diameter orifice upstream of the oil inlet on the turbocharger center section. Again, it is imperative that the restrictor be sized according to the oil pressure characteristics of the engine to which the turbo is attached. Always verify that the appropriate oil pressure is reaching the turbo.

The use of an oil restrictor can (but not always) help ensure that you have the proper oil flow/pressure entering the turbocharger, as well as extract the maximum performance.







Now here is the problem. What size restrictor (if any) should be used. They generalize and say that .040 is generally a minimum. But every car is different so im thinking you need to know the exact size. After i read this, that is when i emailed the distributors (because you cannot contact garrett directly, worthless...) and thats when one replied with i do not need one with my system.
 
Last edited:
That's the answer I was looking for. Hmmm... I may just run the restrictor I have for a few days, and then change to the regular -4 fitting.
 
Here is the bottom line on our oil pressure:

Oil pressure
FS: 400490 kPa {4.05.0 kgf/cm2, 5771 psi} [3,000 rpm][/B][/COLOR]

Uh, the only time I ever see my pressure that high is when the motor is still cold. Shouldn't be boosting then anyway. While warm, cruising and under boost, I see 40-50psi. Sounds like it is about right for the specs they recommend.

What grade and brand of oil do you run Rich?

Mobil1 10w30.
 
My new GT28RS came with a restrictor....But this still doesnt mean it needs it.
It would be nice to have a definitive answer.
 
Uh, the only time I ever see my pressure that high is when the motor is still cold. Shouldn't be boosting then anyway. While warm, cruising and under boost, I see 40-50psi. Sounds like it is about right for the specs they recommend.



Mobil1 10w30.

Hmm... Maybe I need to hook up my oil pressure gauge.
 
i heard on another forum that ball bearing turbos need one and conventionnal ones don't..
 
Back