Turbosmart Oil Pressure Regulator
When you’re thinking of building a turbocharged vehicle or upgrading your existing unit, there are a few external components that you will undoubtedly be thinking about: wastegate location, twin- or single-scroll housing, and how you will control boost. But another area that needs to be considered is controlling oil pressure to the turbo, and this is especially important if you’re running a ball-bearing unit. Your engine oil pressure is likely to be twice the requirements of a turbocharger. According to Turbosmart, this presents a problem that is often corrected using improper methods. Turbosmart has developed a compact turbo oil-feed pressure regulator that will keep your feed’s pressure at 40psi without sacrificing flow, regardless of the oil viscosity that you’re running.
But, before we delve deeper into the product itself, let’s look at why having the correct oil pressure is so crucial to your turbo’s operation. There’s a lot happening in the core of your turbo, with oil and both intake and exhaust charges separated only by seals on the shaft.
“A common misconception is that there is a ‘seal’ that stops oil getting into the inlet air or the exhaust gas, and that is simply not the case. The seal is, in fact, a gas ring and resembles a common piston ring more than any kind of rubber seal. Its function is to hold the exhaust gas, or compressed air, out of the oil system — not the other way around, as is often assumed. And it is here where the introduction of ball-bearing turbocharger assemblies has created a little issue of its own,” explains Turbosmart’s James Horton.
The most common form of regulating turbo oil pressure, up until now, has been to use an in-line restrictor. But the problem is that this solution reduces pressure by restricting flow, and that is not good. By using an oil-pressure regulator, pressure can be kept at the optimum 40psi without restricting flow. The installation is a simple in-line application with -4 inlet, outlet, and return, which is recommended to directly feed the sump and not tee into the oilfeed return line. It is also recommended to be mounted 100mm away from any serious heat source such as the turbo or manifold. The physical size of the unit is tiny (think slightly bigger than milkbottle top), so fitment is no real drama.
This unit removes the need for black-art tuning, where you balance oil-supply line size versus oil-drain sizing for custom turbocharger fitment. “It’s one of those solutions that we’re truly proud to stand behind. Our guys came up with an innovative solution to a problem that people have been frustrated by and barely coping with for years!” says Chris Milne, Turbosmart UK’s general manager.