# heat wrap to prevent return line contact with downpipe?



## Scooz (Sep 20, 2010)

My return line (-10AN) rests on my down pipe as it passes and im pretty sure its the reason my car is leaking and burning oil from the back of the motor. My drain line has a steady drip coming down it and i think its because the down pipe is melting the return line. If I heat wrapped the location where they contact will it help avoid the line from melting? Or does heat wrap still get too physically hot? 12v Vr6 turbo, t3/t4, atp down pipe.


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## V-dubbulyuh (Nov 13, 2005)

Take a pic of your setup. 

You have a braided SS line and it is still melting? Is there no way you can re-route that drain line (use an angled AN fitting) such that it does not come into contact with the downpipe (that's why a pic would be helpful)? 

I have used the heat sleeve/jacket on a car that the drain and downpipe were in direct contact and it definitely helped (have not melted anything yet). This however is not ideal and I would advise that you periodically check the sleeve and the drain line as those sleeves start to shed their coating when they get too hot. What you can also do is wrap the downpipe itself so that it emits less heat and the metal does not chafe the heat sleeve on the drain.


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## Scooz (Sep 20, 2010)

V-dubbulyuh said:


> Take a pic of your setup.
> 
> You have a braided SS line and it is still melting? Is there no way you can re-route that drain line (use an angled AN fitting) such that it does not come into contact with the downpipe (that's why a pic would be helpful)?
> 
> I have used the heat sleeve/jacket on a car that the drain and downpipe were in direct contact and it definitely helped (have not melted anything yet). This however is not ideal and I would advise that you periodically check the sleeve and the drain line as those sleeves start to shed their coating when they get too hot. What you can also do is wrap the downpipe itself so that it emits less heat and the metal does not chafe the heat sleeve on the drain.


Ill try and get a picture saturday. Yeah its braided ss, and when i turned the line and exposed the part that was touching the down pipe it was burnt. Its a 12" line and there is no way I can move it from where it sits. This would only be temporary until I get a longer line/angled an fitting. I'm pretty sure this is where the leak is coming from because right below where they contact, there is a stain from the oil. Although it could just be riding down the line from the turbo and making contact on the down pipe that way. There was a little bit of oil on the return flange bolts of the turbo. Either way, the line is still touching and definitely burnt so im going to do this first. When I rotated the line to see the burnt section of line, a fresh section rested on the down pipe. I ran the car after for a good hour, at high speeds (lol) and it didn't smoke (from what I could see) until I was home that night. But yeah i'm going to wrap the down pipe so its not making direct contact then. Thanks for your help man.


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## V-dubbulyuh (Nov 13, 2005)

Post a pic, I will be able to tell you if you can route it a bit better.

Next question, where did you buy your return line? I'm serious, the cheap ones will start to melt/breakdown a lot quicker than the higher quality ones. :thumbup:


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## Scooz (Sep 20, 2010)

Theres no way to route it better lol, ill try and get a pic now though.

And from atp


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## Rheinland Technik (Apr 2, 2010)

Use Fire Braid, which is silicone coated fiberglass sheathing.


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## Scooz (Sep 20, 2010)

Rheinland Technik said:


> Use Fire Braid, which is silicone coated fiberglass sheathing.


is that a wrap or an actual line? 

Well i wrapped the down pipe, and put a heat jacket on the return line too. Seems like it's working but its still leaking oil so im thinking it's either the line itself burnt through or the flange from the turbo. Because there was some oil up there, and that would be the only way to get oil up there.


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## Rheinland Technik (Apr 2, 2010)

It is a cover to go over your oil line. Google fire braid or fire sleeve.


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## 24vGTiVR6 (Sep 14, 2010)

I use DEI cooltube wrapped around an aeroquip socketless hose for the oil drain... runs really close to the dp and no issues :thumbup:


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## V-dubbulyuh (Nov 13, 2005)

Rheinland Technik said:


> It is a cover to go over your oil line. Google fire braid or fire sleeve.


That is airplane grade stuff, used in the engine nacelles on all the turbo and engine oil lines, it definitely holds up. "Borrowed" quite a bit of that from work.


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## GTijoejoe (Oct 6, 2001)

Rheinland Technik said:


> It is a cover to go over your oil line. Google fire braid or fire sleeve.


My suggestion as well :thumbup:


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