Frickadella
10+ Year Contributor
- 48
- 3
- Jul 21, 2011
-
Saratoga,
California
Well I'm baffled and tired...
Car is burning oil noticeably, though not ridiculous clouds, I don't think it'll smog like this. It's particularly visible on stationary revving. I don't notice smoke while I'm driving too much, except at low speed doing tight turns or pulling into drive. It usually doesn't smoke until warmed up, but I isolated PCV from intake today and it smoked cold too. Rebuilt engine top and bottom, I did the bottom assembly. It wasn't smoking before rebuild. It was a cracked head leaking coolant. Bought replacement cyl. head from distant shop. Had local shop look at it and they replaced 1 bent valve, 1 valve guide and the seals.
Compression Test : 185, 190, 185, 185 (warm, WOT, all plugs removed)
Vacuum Test : Steady at 16" at idle, but rises as rpms rise (not good :-( ). Drops to 2 psi, returns to 20" and slowly returns to 16 on throttle snap.
No leak down yet - I'd probably have to tow to a shop for that. Or buy a compressor and tester.
Absolutely no play in compressor shaft of stock t25 turbo. A finger wipe of oil in lower IC pipe. Oil pressure is not excessive.
Spark plugs were a fine even grey color.
VC breather was puffing air when I yanked line off and had PCV venting to air thru a filter. Still smoking.
The one thought I dread is I maybe installed a no. 2 ring upside down (there were no pips). Top ring was marked, but 2nd wasn't and I honestly can't remember any bevel or such. It was just a builders kit from Rock Auto if anyone has installed their rings.
As I see it, it's either TURBO PISTON RING SEAL or a PISTON RING issue, but who knows at this point.
Any suggestions, tests to do, etc. would be appreciated. Any way of positively identifying turbo as culprit before I tear head off pull out pistons? I have no idea about how to isolate turbo from running engine if even possible.
Car runs great btw, just smoking too much.
Thanks!
Car is burning oil noticeably, though not ridiculous clouds, I don't think it'll smog like this. It's particularly visible on stationary revving. I don't notice smoke while I'm driving too much, except at low speed doing tight turns or pulling into drive. It usually doesn't smoke until warmed up, but I isolated PCV from intake today and it smoked cold too. Rebuilt engine top and bottom, I did the bottom assembly. It wasn't smoking before rebuild. It was a cracked head leaking coolant. Bought replacement cyl. head from distant shop. Had local shop look at it and they replaced 1 bent valve, 1 valve guide and the seals.
Compression Test : 185, 190, 185, 185 (warm, WOT, all plugs removed)
Vacuum Test : Steady at 16" at idle, but rises as rpms rise (not good :-( ). Drops to 2 psi, returns to 20" and slowly returns to 16 on throttle snap.
No leak down yet - I'd probably have to tow to a shop for that. Or buy a compressor and tester.
Absolutely no play in compressor shaft of stock t25 turbo. A finger wipe of oil in lower IC pipe. Oil pressure is not excessive.
Spark plugs were a fine even grey color.
VC breather was puffing air when I yanked line off and had PCV venting to air thru a filter. Still smoking.
The one thought I dread is I maybe installed a no. 2 ring upside down (there were no pips). Top ring was marked, but 2nd wasn't and I honestly can't remember any bevel or such. It was just a builders kit from Rock Auto if anyone has installed their rings.
As I see it, it's either TURBO PISTON RING SEAL or a PISTON RING issue, but who knows at this point.
Any suggestions, tests to do, etc. would be appreciated. Any way of positively identifying turbo as culprit before I tear head off pull out pistons? I have no idea about how to isolate turbo from running engine if even possible.
Car runs great btw, just smoking too much.
Thanks!
