Valve Seals Worn?

[funguy]

Hi guys,

New freshly built 6 bolt 2.3l stroker. J.E. piston, the works. New turbo, etc on my 2g awd.
I have recently added an inline filter pcv system to minimize the blowing blue problem. pcv to intake manifold, and breather to intake pipe. This mod actually minimized the problem, but it is still noticeable.

Blows blue when it idles about 1 minute or so. Sometimes it will burn oil, sometimes it will not. When i start driving, it will not burn any blue.

I have read other threads that it can be either valve seals, or turbo seals.

If it were the valve seals, under hard deceleration, i should be burning blue while i am decelerating, right? And if it was burning blue all the time, then it should be valve seals?

Now if it were my turbo seals, to my understanding, that under boost i would be blowing blue, correct?

Any answers are very helpful. I'm about the park the car and give up on this season. Help me change my mind.

THanks

 

[nates6969]

Did you replace the valve seals when you built the motor? I made this mistake to my 1g n/t when I was young and poor and my car always seemed to burn oil after idling for a few mins...seems like it slowly built up at idle then burned all out once I got on the throttle a bit. Before I turboed my 1g, I ran a bottle of lucas engine treatment through the oil and it cleaned it almost right up for a few months but then I turboed it and am kinda against additives going through the turbo. Some people do it, you may want to read up on trying that out

 

[funguy]

this is a fully prepped forged stroker motor. forged eagle crankshaft, eagle h beam rods, j.e. pistons, manley 1mm oversized valves, titanium retainers, springs, comp cam 101300, new tensioner, new timing belt, new idler pulleys, removed balance shafts, magnus SMIM, dsmlink, 750cc injectors, AEM fuel rail, -6 line from filter, COP setup, MSD DIS-2, walbro 255 HO, bullseye power 47-trim, SBR exhaust manifold, FMIC, Snow performance injection, 2.5" o2, megan racing 3" dp, apexi N1 catback, SSBC 12" brakes, big powerslots up back, brand new shep stage 3, comp clutch 6 puck, act flywheel.

i'm planning on a really big turbo later on, but to keep it street fun right now, i have a smaller turbo.

i was told to try out additives, but i don't really trust that crap.
does anyone know if i am putting too much pressure to the turbo with the removed balance shafts and feeding oil to the turbo from the head? i actually have an inline earls oil filter as well.

 

[absolute_DSM]

Is that a ball bearing turbo? BB turbos dont like high oil pressure and they dont need it to operate efficiently. The typical CHRAs like a high pressure to ride on oil like our engine bearings do.

So do you have a restrictor in the line?

Also, explain that PCV system you setup a little more. Did you put a filter inline with the PCV valve to the IM?

 

[01QuadDak]

How long has the motor been running for?
Right, so you have a "brandy new" rebuilt head, with new valve seals and whatnot?
The only way that it could be the valve seals is if the finish on the valve stems is not right, and it destroyed the seals, or the machine shop didn't install them right.
If your turbo is a BB turbo, you NEED a restrictor in the oil feed otherwise you will over-pressure it, and destroy the seals. But this problem would be mainly apperent under boost, when the 50 PSI of oil pressure is spraying into the exhaust system.
Take the PVC system off of there entirely, run the two vent lines off of the valve cover to a catch can, and vent the catch can. See if this helps.
Of course, if you are running forged pistons, then you must run greater piston to wall clearances, so the machine shop may have set the ring gaps a little wide. This could cause an oil-problem.

 

[absolute_DSM]

Take the PVC system off of there entirely, run the two vent lines off of the valve cover to a catch can, and vent the catch can. See if this helps.

See if it helps but that is IT. This is a NO. The PCV valve needs the vacuum from the manifold to work. Same thing with the breather tube. There are plenty of posts of the forum about the catch can setup.

 

[funguy]

thanks guy for replying so quickly tonight.

i have just finished taking my bullseye power 47 trim/ m trim off the car, and broke a turbo bolt while i was at it(booo). its been only 3 months since this build. Since i have taken the turbo off, i was curious about the wheel, so i took the cover off. holy moly, excessive shaft play galore (almost certain at least 0.015 thou or more in all axis. i also felt burrs on the compressure wheel itself. the turbo is done. i have also smeared my finger in the exhaust manifold, not a weap of oil on my finger. The leads me to think, that its not my viton valve stem seals.

i believe the turbo is of a standard journal bearing design (borg warner design?), so i currently am not running a restrictor before the inlet.

As for pcv system alteration, it has not helped in the burning oil situation. I do have it made that (pcv to inline filter to manifold) and (breather to inline filter to pre turbo intake pipe). It has minimized my blow by, as i can see i don't have as much oil spray around the valve cover gasket.

Looks like i'll have to talk to bullseye. Wish me luck its not my valve seals

 

[nates6969]

So your manifold is dry but does the downpipe have any oil residue in it? if yes and you said there was metal shavings in the turbine, its a pretty good indication the turbo is the culprit. Its unlikely valve seals are also shot. You could look at your plugs to determine if its been burning oil. If their clean its probably just oil burning in the exhaust

 

[funguy]

dang it, thats what i forgot to do. good thing you mentioned it to me, i gotta check the plugs for oil fouling, i'll do that tomorrow when i swap out 7's for 8's. i did not find any oil residue in the downpipe, just carbon residue.

 

[nates6969]

ok well that doesn't totally rule out the turbo, still have it checked out now that its off

 

[01QuadDak]

When my 16g was shot, there wasn't any oil in the 02housing, the oil was hitting the turbine blades, and between the spinning of the blades, and the heat of the exhaust, it was vaporizing instantly.

 

[nates6969]

ya thats what I was thinking

 

[funguy]

pulled my plugs. not a single hint of oil fowling other than black = rich. no little goblets of any sort. looks like the turbo is going to be it. i'm going to get the turbo checked out to see how it actually failed. :'(

 

[Artago]

Hey bud, did you ever figure out that smoking problem. The reason I ask is because I have the EXACT same problem. Let me know how it turned out.

Thanks,

Tom

PS: Let me know when you can meet up so I can return your ECU.