Well that was lucky...

[Barrbeast]

Was under the bonnet yesterday to fix a small oil leak that had recently started, not much, but enough that I couldn't ignore it.

Based on the oil traces I thought it was the oil pressure switch just needing re-sealed where it screws into the tee adaptor (I've got an oil gauge fitted and use the same point to connect the sender into the block).

Unscrewed the oil filter case (it's cartridge type) to help me get at it and then decided to remove the sender as well to give me space. got the spanner on the sender and the whole tee piece came away in my hand!

There's a banjo bolt into the block which feeds the turbo and the oil pressure switch (and now the pressure sender). The tee was screwed into the banjo bolt in place of the oil pressure switch and had fractured right at the point it left the banjo... guess the oil was seeping out the fracture and running along the adaptor then down the oil pressure switch (it screws into the right angled hole in the pic)

Have to say I'm not surprised as the adaptor didn't seem to fit right even though the thread looked, and should have been, the same as the oil pressure switch.



Foxy (the Trol ) must have been smiling on me :bow as I reckon it was only a matter of time before it went of it's own accord - I drove all the way to Norfolk and back last week, thank buggery it didn't go while I was on the motorway! (or driving at all for that matter)

Not hard to sort, just need the parts. New banjo bolt and tee adaptor ordered (a better quality one I hope) and on there way... I'm just grounded until then

I've got a bolt extractor on standby as a last resort but would prefer to use a new banjo bolt!

 

[solarman216]

lucky indeed, good job you were on the ball, well done mate saved your engine, Rick

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

someone was looking after you.... well done... as they say, a stitch in time....

 

[Barrbeast]

Thanks Rick & Lazy, got to admit there are times when I think I tinker too much (especially yesterday when I went out to the truck while on the last curve of a hangover ) but it just takes one occasion like this to make me thankful!

 

[AlexD333]

lucky indeed, good job you were on the ball, well done mate saved your engine, Rick

+1 on that :thumbs

 

[macabethiel]

Just another 1/8 of a turn less !!

[QUOTE

Have to say I'm not surprised as the adaptor didn't seem to fit right even though the thread looked, and should have been, the same as the oil pressure switch.





Suspect a bit over tightened - easy done especially with brass but yours looks like steel by the colour. Is it a taper fit they are always tricky ?

I always used to ask my late Father how tight you should do them up and his reply was always the same - just a 1/4 turn before it strips or breaks!!

 

[bry]

Yup Good call mate..

 

[rustic]

You were very lucky.
The threads on the left part, look a finer pitch, than those on the right, or is it just the angle of the camera?

It's a pity that cars don't have an oil level sensor. Some do though.
If you wait until the oil pressure lamp glows, it's too late. :doh:doh:doh

There are a lot of people who neglect the oil, and only put some in when the oil light comes on...:doh

 

[Barrbeast]

Suspect a bit over tightened - easy done especially with brass but yours looks like steel by the colour. Is it a taper fit they are always tricky ?

According to the listing it was aluminium (the new one I've ordered is brass). Should have been 1/8 NPT on the male thread but I have my suspicions that they sent the wrong adaptor as it wasn't as easy to screw in as it should have been. Problem was I wanted the gauge fitted asap as the pressure sensor plays up so I decided just to use it as the other holes were all 1/8 NPT like they were meant to be. It seemed secure enough and sealed up okay but obviously got stressed when I screwed it into the banjo bolt :doh

You were very lucky.
The threads on the left part, look a finer pitch, than those on the right, or is it just the angle of the camera?

It's a pity that cars don't have an oil level sensor. Some do though.
If you wait until the oil pressure lamp glows, it's too late. :doh:doh:doh

Yeh threads on the male part of the banjo bolt are different to the ones on the adaptor (I think they're either 3/8 or M10 fine). The banjo screws into the block and connects the turbo oil feed to the oil circuit, the oil pressure switch then screws into the back of the banjo bolt. To fit the gauge you replace the oil pressure switch with the tee adaptor to give you an extra outlet as the engine apparently won't start unless the ECU is plugged into the pressure switch.

As I had the gauge connected I would have noticed the sudden drop in pressure from the adaptor breaking but imagine there would still have been damage to the engine and turbo if I'd been driving at the time, particularly high speed (for the Trol) on the motorway

Very safe to say I consider myself extremely lucky! :doh :doh

 

[Barrbeast]

According to the listing it was aluminium (the new one I've ordered is brass

Scratch that, new one has just arrived... and it's aluminium! Will check it screws into the 1/8 fittings on the old tee adaptor when I get home...

 

[Barrbeast]

Right, so new t piece adaptor has already arrived and seems to fit 1/8 fittings on the old t piece so success there...

BUT

The new banjo bolt just arrived today along with a spare gauge sender. New sender should be 1/8 NPT male (the existing one is and it's the same make) and from what I could find out on Patrol 4x4 so is the oil pressure switch so the sender should fit into the female hole on the banjo bolt. Except it doesn't, only goes about 1 or 2 turns

Further checking and I'm fairly certain that the thread on the EU Y61 is actually 1/8 BSP which would explain why the other adaptor was so difficult to screw into the old banjo bolt :doh

I've been able to order another t piece adaptor (with BSP fittings) for Saturday delivery though (so I can fit it this weekend) and hopefully we're all good!

All I can think is that for some reason the Aussie Patrols must use a banjo bolt with a different female thread to the EU ones (ie NPT instead of BSP)