having trouble making holset turbo drain hose for alh engine

i am swapping this setup into mk2 golf and blindly bought darkside return hose kit where you can cut hose to length with a barb fitting for new style alh block fitting. i could not bend the hose after clocking turbo oil drain port straight down.

i tried a generic an turbo kit from ebay and there is no room for the fittings and to make a small hose run and bend it. i also tried an an to barb adapter with the kits more flexible hose and still not enough.

i may have been able to squeeze it together if the block fitting didn't come out so far and the barb came right off the plate that mounts to turbo. i have been scouring ebay and buying parts blindly but its simply too tight.

so i thought i would ask here about others that may have had to change turbo drain lines for other turbos. i had the old alh turbo drain flexible line and i couldn't bend it to make it fit.

i noticed that hose sure wasnt straight.

so im not sure what i can do here. is there an oil pan with fitting that may exist and stay above the oil level like the turbo needs? there is no oil line restrictor on feed size for my turbo so i figure i want a big drain.

im also worried about the angles. if i magically can find small fittings with a barb coming off each side, probably need each to be 45 degrees and go to stock block location im not sure if that is ok either? seems like an immediate bend on the drain is the same thing as clocking the turbo port at too extreme and angle so i would be better with a straight fitting and gradully bend the hose to the blocks 45 degree fitting. im not even sure if we are talking about a run of 6" of hose at this point.

i used teflon braided line from my local hydro shop and clamped it to the drain fittings with pex clamps... works beautifully

i have tried to include a picture after i took the engine out of the car. now i see my access is worse than i thought. i simply don't have the height to get any kind of straight fitting on turbo and try and reach that 45 degree fitting on the block.
so if i need a straight section to drain right off turbo this isn't possible? if i can find some kind of fitting and attempt the above is that going to work?
im weary so if drain needs to be above oil drain level is there an optional pan i can tap into if i even have room with the axle which i will have to check. and/or can i tap the stock one?
do i have to tap the block? i have tried to search google allot and can't say i see many people with this problem on the alh. i guess the holset sits lower?

I ended up going in the top of my oil pan with a tube/hose combination for my HE221

You might be able to do something similar with a very tight 90 welded to the flange and then some sort of hose end to the block. It looks like there's a lot of room, but it's crazy tight by the time you get fittings in there.

damac said:

i have tried to include a picture after i took the engine out of the car. now i see my access is worse than i thought. i simply don't have the height to get any kind of straight fitting on turbo and try and reach that 45 degree fitting on the block.
so if i need a straight section to drain right off turbo this isn't possible? if i can find some kind of fitting and attempt the above is that going to work?
im weary so if drain needs to be above oil drain level is there an optional pan i can tap into if i even have room with the axle which i will have to check. and/or can i tap the stock one?
do i have to tap the block? i have tried to search google allot and can't say i see many people with this problem on the alh. i guess the holset sits lower?

Click to expand...

I'm in the middle of replacing mine right now.
Any reason you didn't just go with one of these?:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TURBOCHARG...ash=item43dd54b56a:g:inIAAOSwwE5Wawlq&vxp=mtr

I ordered one from this seller, I didn't realize there were 3 different lengths. I gambled and bought the 5 1/8" length. I pulled mine this weekend of course I needed the 4 3/4" one. Seller is awesome and is shipping me one priority so I can get my car back working.

KrashDH said:

I'm in the middle of replacing mine right now.
Any reason you didn't just go with one of these?:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TURBOCHARG...ash=item43dd54b56a:g:inIAAOSwwE5Wawlq&vxp=mtr
I ordered one from this seller, I didn't realize there were 3 different lengths. I gambled and bought the 5 1/8" length. I pulled mine this weekend of course I needed the 4 3/4" one. Seller is awesome and is shipping me one priority so I can get my car back working.

Click to expand...

i have an alh with a holset turbo, i had to customize the clocking and bracket, etc. this didn't allow me to use the old style alh bendy return line.

i looked at how the vnt was setup and don't see how the new style would work. unless i am missing something is it supposed to bend a good amount towards the block to fit?

oops i just looked i have like 6+ inches from middle of turbo exit to the block fitting. and few inches down, so its real tight and can't see their biggest one working.

damac said:

i have an alh with a holset turbo, i had to customize the clocking and bracket, etc. this didn't allow me to use the old style alh bendy return line.

i looked at how the vnt was setup and don't see how the new style would work. unless i am missing something is it supposed to bend a good amount towards the block to fit?

oops i just looked i have like 6+ inches from middle of turbo exit to the block fitting. and few inches down, so its real tight and can't see their biggest one working.

Click to expand...

Yes you have to bend the drain line a bit to get it to fit...it doesn't just hang down straight and then plug in. My OEM hose was "curved" a bit when I removed it, but it wasn't kinked, by design.
If 6" is the "hypotenuse" of your measurement, I'd be willing to bet your drop vertically was around the 5+ inch mark. I wouldn't count the oem drains out yet.
If I had to go custom though I'd probably just buy the OEM one and modify it with a longer, flexible hose. That way you get to use the OEM flange and compression fitting.

i see what you are saying i guess my issue is i tried some of that flexy hose on a straight barb fitting which kind of mimics that hoses crimp location and simply could not make that bend to fitting on block. block side of that is also more aggressive angle than the 45 degree on my fitting it looks like.

damac said:

i see what you are saying i guess my issue is i tried some of that flexy hose on a straight barb fitting which kind of mimics that hoses crimp location and simply could not make that bend to fitting on block. block side of that is also more aggressive angle than the 45 degree on my fitting it looks like.

Click to expand...

I should have snapped a photo last night when I was in there, my setup looks very similar to what you have going on. When I get the new part in I take a couple photos. I searched on here and just on the web and there isn't too much info/photos on this pesky return line. I had no clue initially there were different sizes. It's be interesting to see the pressure on that output line. If it was decent, you could almost run a loop of the flex hose, which you would have to do, because of how short the run there is, and there's usually a minimum bend radius for tubing like that. Anything over that min and the tubing kinks

somebody on another forum mentioned a 1.8t pan. after looking at pictures the drain seems way too low.

anybody see a problem using the bulkhead type fittings with washers that you screw together vs. weld?

i like the idea like pictured above, i guess i need to look to make sure the axle will hit? stupid question but wouldn't the native alh car have the same layout on axle as my mk2 golf? putting it towards edge like above would be away from the cv protective plastic cover.

damac said:

somebody on another forum mentioned a 1.8t pan. after looking at pictures the drain seems way too low.

anybody see a problem using the bulkhead type fittings with washers that you screw together vs. weld?

i like the idea like pictured above, i guess i need to look to make sure the axle will hit? stupid question but wouldn't the native alh car have the same layout on axle as my mk2 golf? putting it towards edge like above would be away from the cv protective plastic cover.

Click to expand...

Maybe this hybrid pan would work? It's a conversion:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-volkswagen-audi-parts/hybrid-oil-pan-conversion-kit/1jm198601aa/



I bought the same version except it doesn't have the return line hole in it. You would still have to slightly modify the pan for it to clear the a/c compressor (just file a bit here and there, there are threads on it) then you could utilize that lower drain port on the pan and build yourself a line that ran down there. I don't see any issue with the drain that low on the back side honestly.

One question I have if anyone has ONLY replaced that OEM turbo drain line...Is it necessary to pull the IP solenoid wire to crank the engine without starting to get oil back up in the turbo (I drained all the oil and then pulled the return line, about a tablespoon of oil came out from the return line) or can you get away with filling it back with oil, then starting it up like normal?

i suppose it would be nice to try parts in front of me but you know how that goes. i don't have allot of room and that part is huge compared to space i have to deal with. here is another picture. if i have just enough room for a hose to the block so the axle can do its job it looks like i should go straight down.

i can't see a way of getting it to drain to existing block spot unless somebody made some custom fittings and gave me just enough room for a hose but its gonna have to come off turbo at an angle.

stinks the old alh hose wouldn't work but it simple wouldn't form to the spot, i also wonder if vw's design for the vnt turbo would have worked for this holset.

damac said:

i suppose it would be nice to try parts in front of me but you know how that goes. i don't have allot of room and that part is huge compared to space i have to deal with. here is another picture. if i have just enough room for a hose to the block so the axle can do its job it looks like i should go straight down.

i can't see a way of getting it to drain to existing block spot unless somebody made some custom fittings and gave me just enough room for a hose but its gonna have to come off turbo at an angle.

stinks the old alh hose wouldn't work but it simple wouldn't form to the spot, i also wonder if vw's design for the vnt turbo would have worked for this holset.

Click to expand...

I get what you're saying there, but if you bought that hybrid pan, the turbo return line actually gets bolted into the aluminum casting of the pan....not the block. You would just cap that original port in the block off. This would allow you to use a longer line, whether it was custom made, or the one included in the kit, and go from your turbo drain down to the return hole in the casting, which you can see in the photo above, is next to the oil drain plug. You can buy that hybrid pan standalone, and you could make a custom line that goes from the turbo drain to the return in the aluminum casting of the pan, which would let you use a longer length of hose and avoid any kinking...

thats what confuses me wouldn't that put the fitting below oil level? i'm not supposed to do that.

im gonna research that part more, does that mean since its a vw application and the pan fits the block that the dimensions for the axle clearing are the same so it should work for me to as far as the lower end?

i think i could see somebody smart with the setup in front of them welding something to plate to make the run, this just might not be meant for off the shelf parts.

anybody know if big tractor type hydrolic hose stores deal with this kind of custom work? im in a farm town and am tempted to just take this thing on a dolly and have somebody else deal with it.

damac said:

thats what confuses me wouldn't that put the fitting below oil level? i'm not supposed to do that.
im gonna research that part more, does that mean since its a vw application and the pan fits the block that the dimensions for the axle clearing are the same so it should work for me to as far as the lower end?
i think i could see somebody smart with the setup in front of them welding something to plate to make the run, this just might not be meant for off the shelf parts.
anybody know if big tractor type hydrolic hose stores deal with this kind of custom work? im in a farm town and am tempted to just take this thing on a dolly and have somebody else deal with it.

Click to expand...

What do you mean? The oil return line only does that...returns oil to the pan from the turbo. Then the pick-up tube does its job inside of the pan...
You could literally drill and tap a hole in that pan anywhere (well, maybe not because the wall is pretty thin, you'd want a boss or something) for the return line to plug into. The oil is constantly circulating through the turbo...whether it returns through the OEM fitting, or the pan, it shouldn't matter, as long as that oil exiting the turbo gets back to where the pick-up tube can get at it. Don't just let it dangle from the turbo, she'll seize quick

As far as the pan fitment, everything works, with some VERY minor modification of a flat file on one or 2 of the lips of the steel portion of the pan that are on the A/C side, as well as some minor filing of the backside of the a/c condenser where the bolt runs through.

Here's the thread I used when I did mine, worked out great:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=102541

turbo gets full oil pressure i was told to make sure it drains above the oil level in the pan.

You are making this much harder than it needs to be. It is just a drain line. I took an existing ALH drain, cut the flex part off, welded a bit of tube to it, and ran -10 or -12 AN line to that from my turbo outlet which is just a mitsubishi??? drain flange to AN adapter.

I've seen a good bit of discussion about return line placement, and a good few saying that you were supposed to keep the oil return line above the normal oil level in the pan, to make sure that there was little to no chance of the return to the pan being obstructed and causing any pressurization of the oil return.

On the Mercedes forums there was a good bit of talk about this, and a quick search just showed a turbo kit manufacturer's tips and instructions stating the same.

https://www.precisionturbo.net/tech/PDFs/PTE-turbocharger-install-recommendations.pdf

"It is best that the turbocharger is mounted as high as possible so the oil will
gravity returns back to the engine. If returning the oil back to the oil pan the oil
return line fitting must be installed above the oil level in the oil pan."

damn a guy just estimated $1300 here to make a drain line, notched the crossmember a couple inches for ac compressor and exhaust. don't seem right to me.

can i mig weld metal pipe to a flange and it not burn through? dont know what im doing.

if i can get tools to bend an10 size metal tubing weld it to ports and bend the tube and flare for a hose fitting maybe that is a better route? also i would like to attempt to do a less than 90 degree angle initially and its probably doable if i get the pipe right off the flange.

craigslist is terrible around here, i bet a basic welder guy could handle this but im getting wierd responses.

damac said:

damn a guy just estimated $1300 here to make a drain line, notched the crossmember a couple inches for ac compressor and exhaust. don't seem right to me.

can i mig weld metal pipe to a flange and it not burn through? dont know what im doing.

Click to expand...

Hope you left that place holding your pants up as high as possible.

Seriously, if you "dont know what im doing" should you be doing it?
What's the AC got to do with this or is it another problem?

If you want to try (and learn) get a piece of tubing you want to use and a piece of steel plate and try welding it just to find out.
If you can do it then move on with it, if not either practice or have it done.
This could be a good learning process for you.