Blue smoke = blown turbo???

[SteveR6]

Ok guys here's the deal. I just bought this car about a week ago from a dealer so I have no clue of it's previous history other than the Apexi exhaust and intake. However it had an AVC-R on it at the time, which I now removed thinking it may fix this smoking problem which it did not. It has the crappy 2g BOV. When I start the car in the morning it DOES NOT smoke (valve seals should be good). It also DOES NOT smoke when just cruising under no boost (hopefully ruling out rings). However after a WOT run after the turbo spools back down I get a puff of blue smoke. If I sit in my driveway and rev the motor up and build up some boost and let off after it spools down and the revs fall back about a second later I get the puff of blue smoke out the exhaust. The car still pulls hard and has good power though. I checked for shaft play and have minimal up and down play but there is some, however I have pronounced back and forth play, so much such it is audible I'd say a good 1/16 of an inch or more. I replaced the PCV valve, no help, then went after the plugs since they were rusting out cheapo autolites that were in it anyway. The plugs came out and looked just as they should, if it were rings I would think they would be wet, if it were valve seals I would think they would be pretty fouled. But they looked exactly as they should for their age, just some mild carbon fouling around the edges, insulators looked as if maybe it was running a tad lean but nothing major. Car seems to have lots of little oil leaks that I need to track down not sure if it's related but thought I would include it since I'm new to these cars. PLEASE help me out here before I spend the money on a turbo only to find out that wasn't the problem.

 

[DSMcrazy3]

Looks like you've covered nearly everything. Turbo seals seem to be the culprit, especially since you get the smoke post-boosting. While at it track down the oil leaks and fix them.

 

[diablos991]

You should do a compression test: http://www.dsmgrrrl.com/FAQs/compression.htm
Do a dry and wet test to rule out rings.

Also, the only ways that I currently know of diagnosing the valve stem seals are: leakdown test http://www.dsmgrrrl.com/FAQs/leakdown.htm and physically removing the exhaust manifold and checking for oil in the exhaust runners, and on the valves.

Since you have side to side shaftplay, you should be considering turbo rebuild/replacement.
However, to make sure that the turbo is your only problem performing the tests listed above would be the best way to start diagnosing this problem.

 

[SteveR6]

I was under the impression that some side to side shaft play was "ok" but in and out play was bad news. At any rate I just picked up a copression tester at AutoZone today but didn't have time to do it, plus I'm scared . Not to mention I think it's going to be a royal pain in the $#% to get that hose to screw in the spark plug hole tightly. Hoping and praying it's the turbo, I would think if it were anything else my car would run like poo and it definitely doesn't, stay tuned I have to work tonight, but hopefully I'll get to check the compression tomorrow morning.

 

[SteveR6]

Forgot to mention the car only has 70K miles on it.

 

[diablos991]

Doing a compression test really isn't hard at all. The tube screws in pretty easily. Just keep us posted and remember to do the test with the throttle wide open, fuel/spark disabled, and the engine at operating tempurature.

The test will tell you alot about your engine. It sounds to me like its the turbo due to the shaft play, but it is never a bad idea to do a compression test just to be sure.

 

[oldman]

Also, the only ways that I currently know of diagnosing the valve stem seals are: leakdown test http://www.dsmgrrrl.com/FAQs/leakdown.htm and physically removing the exhaust manifold and checking for oil in the exhaust runners, and on the valves.

Please expain how, valve seals aren't a part of the combustion chamber.

 

[SteveR6]

That's exactly how I feel about it, it will put my mind at ease about the rings if they check out, if they don't it will probably make me cry .

 

[diablos991]

Please expain how, valve seals aren't a part of the combustion chamber.

I was told that if the valve stem seals are bad then a leakdown test will show it, and there may also be oil in the exhaust runners and oil on the sides of the valves visible from the exhaust ports in the head.

 

[oldman]

I was told that if the valve stem seals are bad then a leakdown test will show it, and there may also be oil in the exhaust runners and oil on the sides of the valves visible from the exhaust ports in the head.

Oil in the intake and exhaust runners yes but leakdown test no. valve seals are located in between the top of your runners and where your spring sits under your valve cover, a leakdown test pressurizes the combustion chamber through the spark plug hole which will cover valves, valve seats, rings and HG....not valve seals.

 

[diablos991]

Oil in the intake and exhaust runners yes but leakdown test no. valve seals are located in between the top of your runners and where your spring sits under your valve cover, a leakdown test pressurizes the combustion chamber through the spark plug hole which will cover valves, valve seats, rings and HG....not valve seals.

... Now that I think about it, that makes sense. Being that the piston is a TDC while performing the test, the valves should be closed and pressure wouldn't be allowed to leak past the valve stem seals... Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[oldman]

No problem.

 

[dalatinromeo]

Sounds like the same exact problem my friend had. The turbo however had lots of shaft play: up dowm, left right, in and out. His turbo was his culprit.

It wil be idea to do what DSMcrazy3 said, perform both those test. I still think your utrbo is your problem.

Keep us posted.

 

[SteveR6]

Ok, just did the compression check and she came out good 135ish on all cylinders, I know it should be in the 170s but I read a thread a couple days ago where the guy got 130's because it was hooked up wrong or something. At any rate I have no significant difference in pressure between cylinders and I highly doubt my motor is that worn and the pressures are within a couple pounds of each other. I noticed my plugs look like I'm running lean I'll snap a phot and post in just a minute if I can figure out how.

 

[dalatinromeo]

That is low compression. Post the pics.

 

[diablos991]

Those numbers are low, do a wet test and see if the numbers go up. If they do, then its the rings.

 

[SteveR6]

I AM RETARDED I forgot to hold the throttle open, hence the low numbers DOH what an idiot .