Nissan 370Z Forum - Comp turbo leaking coolant from zerk fitting

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Jinxx

04-12-2019 05:14 PM

Comp turbo leaking coolant from zerk fitting

So I noticed coolant leaking from my turbo ...got under it to track it down ....leaking from zerk ......called comp turbo and the told me the zero is threaded in .the zerk itself threads in to the sleeve and the sleeve is threaded in the turbo with a O-ring ....having no luck getting the sleeve out ...has anyone been through this and have any info ..other than pliers and hope for the best?

Boosted Performance

04-12-2019 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jinxx (Post 3842916)

The zerk fitting has a hex nut at the end. If it is unthreaded it should be easy to pull out...I think COMP would have the exact instructions.

Jinxx

04-13-2019 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boosted Performance (Post 3842974)

The zerk fitting has a hex nut at the end. If it is unthreaded it should be easy to pull out...I think COMP would have the exact instructions.

Yes the zerk threads out easy but the sleeve that the zerk threads into is what I can’t get out .....Comp turbo says it is threaded as well with a O-ring and to use pliers to carefully unthread it ..but I’m not having much luck

SouthArk370Z

04-13-2019 07:55 AM

You may need to buy or fabricate a tool. I've seen people use a pair of vise-grips with bent jaws to get into tight places. A stud extractor may work.

Jinxx

04-13-2019 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthArk370Z (Post 3843063)

You may need to buy or fabricate a tool. I've seen people use a pair of vise-grips with bent jaws to get into tight places. A stud extractor may work.

Yea I have some needle nose vise grips and some extractors Im about to try ...Comp says to leave the zerk threaded in when using the vise grips so it doesn’t crush or make the sleeve oval .....I’ll see how it goes in about 10 mins

Jinxx

04-13-2019 08:54 AM

Well if it’s threadded in I can’t get it out ... looks like I’ll have to remove the turbo and ship it back to them

lj909

04-13-2019 09:25 AM

Try to find a bolt with a nut to put in and tighten the nut then you can put a wrench on it

Jinxx

04-13-2019 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lj909 (Post 3843093)

Try to find a bolt with a nut to put in and tighten the nut then you can put a wrench on it

It’s threaded on the inside ..smooth outside .....need something to grab outside of it

lj909

04-13-2019 10:48 AM

I know, put the bolt inside, spin the nut down and tighten it. Then wrench it

Jinxx

04-13-2019 10:53 AM

1 Attachment(s)

Ok ... so I got it out ... and from what Comp turbo told me was that there was a O-ring ... what I pulled out looks more like it was wrapped with Teflon tape and no sign of a O-ring

Jinxx

04-13-2019 08:36 PM

Replaced the o-ring locked everything down ...seems to be good now I’ll see how long it last

Jinxx

04-20-2019 09:21 AM

Well ...got about a week and the o-ring blew out again on the turbo ...back to square one. Maybe the o-ring wasn’t high enough temp range and it melted

madwi

04-20-2019 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jinxx (Post 3845168)

Well ...got about a week and the o-ring blew out again on the turbo ...back to square one. Maybe the o-ring wasn’t high enough temp range and it melted

:ugh2:

Jinxx

04-23-2019 12:22 AM

Replaced o-ring with a viton o-ring which is what is used from comp turbo ...hoping this takes care of it

Elmo370z

04-23-2019 09:44 AM

No bueno. Thanks for keeping us updated. Did the turbo have a weird whine before the oring blew out?

Jinxx

04-23-2019 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elmo370z (Post 3845900)

No bueno. Thanks for keeping us updated. Did the turbo have a weird whine before the oring blew out?

No I caught it early ...it was just dripping .. wasn’t any change in sound or performance due to it never running without coolant or grease ...the second time it blew out was just due to wrong o-ring that couldn’t take the heat (I hope ) and i was watching for it and caught it early as well

Comp turbo did revise this issue and eliminated the o-ring of course they said it was a precautionary revision and that the first design didn’t have issues ... and to convert over to the revision is $750 ....if it continues I’ll be going that route

MoulaZ

04-25-2019 10:36 PM

Sh*t. When did you get your kit? Trying to work out if I might have the first or second revision. I bought my kit around Jan in '18.

Jinxx

04-26-2019 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoulaZ (Post 3846742)

Sh*t. When did you get your kit? Trying to work out if I might have the first or second revision. I bought my kit around Jan in '18.

I bought it in May 2017 ....almost 2 years now ......and for the viton o-ring ......3 days after install....started dripping very little over night ..like leaving a spot size of a nickel ....so I replace it with one size larger ....first viton was 5.25x1.78 ....the larger one is 6.07x1.78 .....2 days ...dripping over night leaving 1-2 inch spot .....nothing dripping with car running ....so it’s very slow .....I do have silicone o-rings that will be here tomorrow ..they have higher heat rating ....after that if it still drips I don’t think there is anything else I can do

Jinxx

05-05-2019 08:37 AM

-update-.....put in the silicone o-rings (actually I used 2 ) no drips so far hoping they hold ...and inspecting the viton o-ring that I removed , it definitely was distorted from heat ,flattened out and was harder and more plastic like feel

Jinxx

07-27-2019 08:23 PM

UPDATE #2....still having issues with this leaking o-ring at the zerk ...has blown out 2 more times since my last update ...first time I caught it again pulling in the garage ..this last time got me driving and lost enough coolant to drive my temp to about 75% of the temp dots and oil temp right at 260 before I got it pulled over and shut off .....was trying to shut the car off while moving but I learned it doesn’t until you stop .......I will be pulling turbo off tomorrow and sending it to comp for a rebuild with updated center section that eliminates this issue ....this is a poor design on comp turbo and I would recommend if anyone has the older turbo kits with this design to exchange it if it is under a year old or pay for a rebuild to ensure it doesn’t leave you in a mess .....I’m hoping I didn’t do any motor damage through this I won’t know till I get it sorted out .....they should offer a discount for the rebuild but I’m sure they won’t

NeverBoneStck

11-26-2019 09:56 AM

Did you ever get this fixed and did comp work with you? I pulled my turbo and it has issues

Jinxx

11-26-2019 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeverBoneStck (Post 3891297)

Did you ever get this fixed and did comp work with you? I pulled my turbo and it has issues

I did get the issue fixed ...ended up sending the turbo back to comp for a complete rebuild to the updated version which eliminated the coolant going around the zerk ....total cost was $500 bucks with shipping

What issues are you having ?

NeverBoneStck

11-26-2019 01:17 PM

2 Attachment(s)

Blades are jacked up. About 1500 on the turbo

Jinxx

11-26-2019 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeverBoneStck (Post 3891327)

Blades are jacked up. About 1500 on the turbo

Oh ...I didn’t have anything like that mine was just o-ring at the zerk....if it under a year old the should replace it

NeverBoneStck

11-26-2019 01:30 PM

Nope not under warranty. Sent it off so will see what they say..

Elmo370z

11-26-2019 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeverBoneStck (Post 3891297)

Did you ever get this fixed and did comp work with you? I pulled my turbo and it has issues

Oilers turbo as well?

Boosted Performance

11-27-2019 05:27 PM

I'm keeping an eye on the issue above, and will do my best for all customers, no matter what the issue or component is.

solidus

12-16-2019 05:22 PM

Dangit!!!! And I was sittin over here comtemplating the switch from Precision to Comp. Not that Precision won't hang you out , but I'll just keep goin with what I got.

Boosted Performance

12-16-2019 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solidus (Post 3895302)

Dangit!!!! And I was sittin over here comtemplating the switch from Precision to Comp. Not that Precision won't hang you out , but I'll just keep goin with what I got.

There were only a couple of issues out of almost 100 units, and that was before the zerk fitting revision from COMP. I'd say this is a non issue with the current units.

solidus

12-17-2019 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boosted Performance (Post 3895367)

There were only a couple of issues out of almost 100 units, and that was before the zerk fitting revision from COMP. I'd say this is a non issue with the current units.

I was gonna discuss it with you anyway. I should've done that before going to the Precision 6870 as you mentioned when I told you about it. Which one is the appropriate model to match, and what A/R? I'm currently at 1.32ar on the 6870 and I don't want Seb Jedi choking me for going off on my own ,adding stuff for him to straighten out.

MoulaZ

12-26-2019 10:25 AM

1 Attachment(s)

I didn't think much of it at the time when I was posting about the extra noise from my unit in my thread, but I did take some photos when I went back under to re-grease the turbo... those black marks near the zerk on the CHRA, could that have been some leaking grease and possibly why my unit needed additional grease well before the next service interval? :confused:

NeverBoneStck

12-26-2019 01:21 PM

I have the same black residue on my turbo blades. Comp said I sucked something in and knocked it off balance. But, there was no damage to the blades other than scraping on the edges. No other marks or damage. No warranty. Just upgraded some parts and shipping back to me today

Jinxx

12-26-2019 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoulaZ (Post 3897089)

There wouldnt be any way for grease to leak out from the zerk around o-ring. ... the zerk is a hollow bolt that goes through the coolant chamber and threads in the bearing housing .. looks like the grease didn’t go in the zerk and built up around it on the outside

Boosted Performance

12-26-2019 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jinxx (Post 3897138)

Correct, a zerk fitting simply cannot leak. It is essentially one way traffic (grease in) type of a fitting.

MoulaZ

12-27-2019 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jinxx (Post 3897138)

There wouldnt be any way for grease to leak out from the zerk around o-ring. ... the zerk is a hollow bolt that goes through the coolant chamber and threads in the bearing housing .. looks like the grease didn’t go in the zerk and built up around it on the outside

Little insulting you think I'm that much of an amateur. Not my first kit or platform. What is absolutely baffling me is why no one can seem to offer any suggestion to why I had to re-grease the turbo, half way through it's normal service interval with an amount well over the standard recommended amount (by COMP themselves no less)... with a Turbo that has since been confirmed there was a batch of them with some kind of zerk fitting issues. It still isn't sitting well with me and while I greatly appreciate Sasha's support, I can't help but hold onto some concern as to why it happened even time I give it a boot, and if I could just nail down the reason hopefully I can take some pre-emptive action and possibly help someone else identify signs to look out for.

Regardless. I've since cleaned off the marks, and keen to see if it'll happen again.

Jinxx

12-27-2019 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoulaZ (Post 3897172)

No insult was applied ... it was a observation and a statement on your picture .. there isn’t much that would cause it to look like that other than grease that didn’t go through the zerk ... you are complaining that you had to grease your turbo more than needed and then post a picture showing where grease didn’t go into the zerk and ask for clarification ... but refuse to consider that maybe you didn’t grease it correctly. .. what more do want anyone to tell you ... being the fact that you’re not a amateur and this isn’t your first kit or platform.

jchammond

12-27-2019 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoulaZ (Post 3897172)

I know this grease gets hot enough to liquify somewhat, and if perhaps the spring behind ball on grease zerk is a tad weak, I can see some seeping past it & causing a little buildup.
Options would be like what Caterpillar & some other Heavy Equipment vehicle’s have, would be to have a removable plug & then install grease zerk, lube, remove & plug.
Meritor also uses this on some of their HD truck suspension applications :tup:

Rusty

12-27-2019 06:54 AM

Is there a plug opposite of the zerk fitting on the housing? 180 degrees. On a lot of equipment. There is a plug you remove before greasing the bearing. Once the plug is removed. You add grease until it comes out of the plug hole. Then install the plug back in the hole. Sometimes, we had to use a piece of wire to remove the grease that got hard in the plug hole.

On equipment with no plug hole. We only did between 3 to 5 pumps of the grease gun. Any more, and you took the chance of pushing grease past the seals.

MoulaZ

12-27-2019 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jinxx (Post 3897181)

Alright, let's analyze it and feel free to correct me.

1. If it still was my mistake, the only way I see it possible is I completely missed the zerk and just decided to blast the under side of the turbo with grease and completely ignored said grease. Seems quite unlikely.

2. The way it appears to have pooled suggests it was in a liquid state at the time. It is not liquid when pumping. But in the spirit of fairness it could have been point 1, and after taking it out and heating up it liquefied on the outside I suppose.

3. If we accept it was liquid at the time of leaking/pooling on the under side and I am correct in saying there wasn't a single smidge of grease on it when I finished and cleaned up, then that only leaves a leak with an, as of now, unknown cause.

4. Judging by the photo it is unlikely it leaked from the tip of the zerk, and appears it may have come from the base of the zerk on the CHRA somehow. How? I have no idea, hence all of this.

5. It's possible that black crap isn't grease at all and something else altogether. But then why so specifically in that area in that shape around the zerk base?

Me refusing to consider your explanation is not an ego thing, but when considering point 1 and possibly 2, makes it seem ridiculous. I had already considered it and given the observations above still felt it made no sense and sought other possible ideas on here. So... sorry?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchammond (Post 3897190)

I know this grease gets hot enough to liquify somewhat, and if perhaps the spring behind ball on grease zerk is a tad weak, I can see some seeping past it & causing a little buildup.
Options would be like what Caterpillar & some other Heavy Equipment vehicle’s have, would be to have a removable plug & then install grease zerk, lube, remove & plug.
Meritor also uses this on some of their HD truck suspension applications :tup:

I'd be fine with something like that were it an option.

Jinxx

12-27-2019 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoulaZ (Post 3897201)

It would be unlikely that any grease could leak out of the turbo and end up in that location ...if it leaked it would be from the tip of the zerk...inside the turbo the bolt is hollow and if leaking from the threads the hot water would carry it into the coolant system before it leaked outside the turbo ....one thing to consider is it could be a small amount of coolant leaking from the turbo and coolant can have a sticky residue that would collect dust like you see ...I did have similar build up right before my o-ring started leaking leaking badly ... with my grease gun when greasing it would slightly push the zerk to the side due to the grease fitting against the housing which allowed the o-ring to “ break its seal “ and it would get worse each time

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