Blue Smoke [Merged 7-9]

[WhiteCloud]

After driving from Charlottesville, VA to Gainesville, FL to visit my best friend for his birthday, I got back into stop and go traffic in the city and noticed I was puffing some blue smoke when taking off from a stop. I'd never noticed this before the trip, so I'm inclined to think something during the trip caused it.

Symptoms:
1) Puffs a cloud of blue smoke shortly after revving engine in neutral.
2) Puffs a cloud of blue smoke while taking off in first gear, but not always noticeable.
3) Doesn't trail smoke like it would if it were a head gasket.
4) Turbo doesn't seem to have excessive shaft play, and boosts fine.
5) I'm burning some oil, but not a tremendous amount (I burned maybe 1/4-1/3 of a quart on the 700+ mile trip back to VA from FL.

I'm wondering what you guys think the problem is, judging from these symptoms.

I've been told to check the PCV valve, but I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for (in terms of oil, residue, etc. on or in the valve!?), or if I should just be replacing that to see if it fixes the smoke.

What would your next step be if your car were puffing this blue smoke? Is there a way to tell if it is valve seals?

Thanks for the help,

Joe

 

[gsxeclipse97]

My guess would be that it's the seal starting to go bad on the turbo. At idle your oil pressure is low so it allows oil to leak out, but once you start driving pressure goes up and close seal.

 

[SmoochDarling]

I'm leaning towards valve seals.

 

[havlc2u]

So would I be a little better off running a thicker oil. I am runninf mobil 1 10w 30 right now. Until I can have it rebuilt. Or is there a way to slow the process?

So would I be a little better off running a thicker oil. I am runninf mobil 1 10w 30 right now. Until I can have it rebuilt. Or is there a way to slow the process?

No one wants to chime in on if a little thicker oil might prolong the turbo life so I an wait and replace it later.

 

[DsmTurbo12]

It definitely sounds like the turbo seals. Rebuild it or get a new one.

Thanks for the help

Any more inputs with people that had similar issues?

 

[Purex2c]

You have a restrictor in the oil feed…?

 

[havlc2u]

You have a restrictor in the oil feed…?

If your talking to me yes I do mine is fed from the head totally stock 14B

 

[looseboost]

After all I've gone thru getting this car running well, now this.. I have over 900 miles on my build it runs and drives perfect couldn't be more satisfied with its performance so far, I'm experiencing no cel or drivability issues other than topping of the oil every now and then. From 5-600 miles I had no smoke at all, then I started developing a puff on hot startup, that went to smoking when pulling off and light idle, I see no smoke on decel or after a hard pull or while driving but if it sits a bit after a pull you can start to see it. I'm pulling a steady 16hg of vacuum at idle which in Denver at altitude that is excellent. The block was bored and prepped by my favorite shop, the bottom was assembled by me which I've done before, however the head was built by a new source locally that I'm now beginning to suspect. I took off my 14b to see if that would cure it and put on a low mile evo 3 16g from a friend which shortly after the idle smoke started, no shaft play or excessive oil in intake tubing, pcv is routed stock, car holds boost well and pulls super hard. Does any one have an idea here? Maybe I have compression rings but lost an oil scrapper, maybe the head was built improperly? I've got a lot of money in this and no time to pull it apart again

 

[iiNFAMOUSCHRiS]

did you check the troublesome leaky exhaust stud?

 

[BigRed12]

I am not sure what you had done as far as the head build, but if the valve seals were not replaced, or installed incorrectly, you can be getting oil past the valve seals and hence the blue smoke.

Generally you do not "lose" oil. If you are having to top of the oil, its going somewhere, either its burning it or you are leaking from somewhere.

 

[iiNFAMOUSCHRiS]

pop the exhaust manifold off quick, see if there's oil in there.

 

[Lou98GSX]

do a leak down test first and yes taking the exhaust manifold off and checking for oil build up around the valve guides is a good clue that either the valve guides or the valve seals are bad .

 

[bryanwheat]

do a leak down test first and yes taking the exhaust manifold off and checking for oil build up around the valve guides is a good clue that either the valve guides or the valve seals are bad .

A letdown test is really not relevant here. The oil control rings can be shot and still have minimal leakage. You would really need to pull the head and watch and see if there is any oil getting past the control rings when the piston goes back down.

 

[looseboost]

did you check the troublesome leaky exhaust stud?

I was actually unaware of that stud until today. Would that cause in external leak or thru the exhaust?

I thought this was weird, it never burns off...

 

[DSM1G90]

What kind of oil did you use for break-in oil .. and hope not synthetic oils.

 

[looseboost]

What kind of oil did you use for break-in oil .. and hope not synthetic oils.

30 wt I'm actually still using conventional oil just higher quality.

 

[iiNFAMOUSCHRiS]

it caused the same issue you pictured, on my 2G

 

[Unde7277]

I'm looking at a 97 gst that smokes blue after it warms up. He had the head rebuilt 3k miles ago with oem internals and the valve seals were replaced. It has good compression across the board he said it has 150-160. I think it may be a bad turbo but what other things could it be? He's asking 2800$ for it with 96,xxx miles. Thanks for the help and sorry for all the looking posts

 

[BurrowZ]

I'm looking at a 97 gst that smokes blue after it warms up. He had the head rebuilt 3k miles ago with oem internals and the valve seals were replaced. It has good compression across the board he said it has 150-160. I think it may be a bad turbo but what other things could it be? He's asking 2800$ for it with 96,xxx miles. Thanks for the help and sorry for all the looking posts

As long as it isn't rings it shouldn't be a tough fix. If you're talking about the clean red one I'd be skeptical. It's way too clean for $2800.

 

[Unde7277]

Yeah that's the one. I'm going to look at it on Saturday. He sent me pictures of the engine bay and there is a little strut tower rust on the drivers side but it looks like surface nothing to major.

And if it were rings it would have low compression wouldn't it? And he said that about every month you'll have to add a quart of oil if that helps anyone one figuring out what's wrong.

 

[raizen]

When does it smoke? If it is after the car has been sitting and the smoke goes away its the valve stem seals. If it just blows smoke constantly its the rings. If you think it is the turbo, pull off the intake on the cold side of the turbo and check for oil, if there is oil, its a bad turbo.

Another thing, if the says the compression is good across the board, have him do a compression test in front of you, don't take his word for it.

 

[Unde7277]

He said it doesn't smoke much almost none when started but once it warms up it smokes more. And I plan on doing a compression test when I go look at it.

 

[Insane20]

Could be the turbo leaking.

 

[raizen]

Usually when the car is left overnight and you start it there is a hell of a lot blue smoke then as you drive like a 1/4 mile the smoke goes away. That would be bad valve stem seals. From what your saying, after it warms up it smokes, I would think it would be the turbo or the rings. If it is the turbo you could goose the throttle and see blue smoke then I could see it being the turbo. If it were the rings it would blow blue smoke all the time. See what the compression test reveals and what the turbo cold side looks like. If its the turbo that's not too hard to replace but if the compression is all out of whack, those rings are an issue.

 

[GSR-VR]

Possible suspects I can think of are:

Piston Rings (But as the car warms up the rings expand making it so that less smoke would be emitted)
Turbo oil supply issue (But it would smoke the same amount regardless of cold or warmed up)
Valve seals (?)

 

[Unde7277]

I'm not too worried if the turbo is leaking. I'm more worried about bad rings, he has receipts for the head rebuild so I know it's not a problem with the valve stem seals.

Yeah I'll just see for myself I'll ask him to let the car sit until I get there Saturday and see how much it smokes. Should I do a compression test with the motor warm or cold?