Oil leak on turbo oil line, how much possible damage?

[Gerard <gerard@poboxes.com>]

Hi!

Just spoke to my mechanic who is currently fixing my Audi 200T.
It is supposed to have an oil leak, but it was hard to tell exactly
where it was leaking 'cos the entire engine was soaked underneath
including the alternator body. He tells me he steam-cleaned the
bottom of the engine to look for leaks and saw that most of the oil
was coming out of a rubber hose that was running from the turbo to
the sump. The replacement pipe is about US$200! But someone here is
rebuilding the hose instead.

I was just wondering how much damage could have been caused by
such a faulty pipe as the bottom of the car was completely soaked
in oil, but the oil level was always perfect. :) Also, would it
be a good idea to fit a stronger replacement pipe, perhaps some sort
of steel-braided hose? Has anybody had this hose leak on their
cars? If you have then have you ever noticed a whistling sound
coming from the car when driving around 100kph? Mine whistles a
bit, but it not an even whistle it tends to go up and down in
volume erratically as if it was some bearing running wrong in its
seat. Also, at idle there is small "cricket sounds" coming from the
turbo side of the car, can't determine what it is but it sounds like
a look chain (not that it is one, but it sounds like one :) ). Any
ideas?

Thanks.

G.

PS: To Aleksander Mierzwa, the steel-braided hose is not one of those
    bells and whistles I want. ;-)
-- 
"a thousand miles from here, there is another person smiling"
name   : gerard van vught
tel    : +27-57-912 2658 (w) / 082 923 9609 (cell)
url    : http://www.acenet.co.za/homepages/gerard/
e-mail : gerard@poboxes.com  / han.solo@galaxycorp.com
         gerard@acenet.co.za / van_vught@frg.issi.co.za