Problem with long idle resulting in smoke

[Batman™]

Okay. I searched the forum on the topic, and came up with several threads. None of them really pertain to me I don't think. Here's the deal:

I've run the stock T25 turbo and a evo3 16g now. The evo3 was used, but no shaft play to speak of. I've had the exhaust on since the T25. Ever since I put the exhaust on, I've noticed smoke when I idle for a long time and then give it some gas. Like a huge plume of grayish smoke comes out. It's not blue tinged at all. That rules out the oil at least in my eyes, unless someone tells me different. It does however SMELL sort of like burnt oil (a smell i'm very familiar with from my honda days). The car won't smoke out of the exhaust for short idles, it has to idle a bit, like 10 minutes or longer. After I get going though, the smoke pretty much disappears. I'm at a loss here.

I don't know if it will help, since the narrowband o2 isn't very accurate, but my apexi auto timer, on o2 function, usually reads about 14.6 at idle. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. When i coast in gear to slow down, it maxes at 20, then as soon as I give it gas it settles back down to the 14's. I never noticed the problem when I had the stock exhaust, only after I installed the apexi n1 downpipe and exhaust. Please help. Thanks.

 

[twack]

Might be your valve stem seals. i had that problem for a long time and really bugged me but it actually fixed itself

 

[Batman™]

how'd it fix itself?

 

[fallenauthority]

Its impossible for it to just "fix itself".

Anyway, Batman, are you running synthetic oil? If you are the oil wont burn blue, it burns a white-ish gray color. When I blew my turbo my car burned massive amounts of oil but it burned grayish because I was using synthetic oil. But chances are its your valve stem seals, usually what happens is they get worn out over time and when idling allows a little bit of oil to drip past them onto the intake valve and when you hit the gas the motor sucks the little bit of oil in and burns it up. On morning starts after its been sitting overnight does it smoke a little too?

 

[Batman™]

Only every now and again. And to your answer on the oil, i'm running a synthetic blend in prep for full synthetic.

 

[fallenauthority]

Im going to say valve stem seals. You have the symptoms of it, and i was partly correct on the oil, i would imagine a synthetic blend would smoke whiteish as well.

 

[Batman™]

okay. on to the next question. i have good mechanical skill, can do basically anything as long as i can figure out how. is this something i can do pretty easily, for low cost?

 

[fallenauthority]

It is an involved process, not hard by any means but its time consuming, you have to take the timing belt off in order to take the cams out, and a lot of stuff has to come off to get to the seals, there is a Vfaq on it: http://vfaq.com/mods/Valvestem-seals.html

 

[Batman™]

well, i've been thinking of doing my timing belt anyway, might just do it when i do this. one more though, is it even worth it to mess with the valve stem seals if i'm going to build a 6 bolt in the spring anyway?

 

[fallenauthority]

Are you going to use a 6 bolt head? Cause if so i would just leave it as it sits, no sense in doing all that work just to have it ripped out and replaced by something else anyway. No side effects besides a little burned oil, just jeep an eye on the level and keep on drivin it.

 

[Batman™]

yes. i've been conversing heavily with a friend who has a complete built 6 bolt in a 2g. he says it's the way to go so i'll be using 6 bolt block and head.

 

[fallenauthority]

Well then, problem solved, leave it as it sits, and prepare for that swap, I have a 6 bolt in my car and I couldnt be happier.

 

[Batman™]

sweet man. much appreciated.

 

[fallenauthority]

Any time, glad I could help.

 

[twack]

I dont know how it fixed itself maybe the oil stabalizer i started to use helped, but ya it used to be really bad now its gone and i did nothing (that i know of)