Smoking problem: Not Turbo or HG

[patrarch]

I've been blowing clouds of white (possibly grey) smoke out my exhaust for awhile now. I'm running full synthetic oil. It only happens AFTER boost, when I shift, just after blow off. When I hear fluttering (occasionally- big boost leak problem keeps psi low) when I shift at low boost, it blows HUGE clouds for about 10 seconds straight. The lower RPM I shift at, the more smoke it blows. I have no turbo shaft play to speak of, and my coolant levels are completely stable with no oil residue. If I go WOT to redline and shift, it blows the least smoke of all (occasionaly none). If I go half throttle and shift at 4000, it blows a cloud for a few seconds (looks like seafoam). I do have a boost leak I am unable to pinpoint, but when I take off my oil cap I hear whistling in the head (just replaced PCV valve yesterday but it's still there- along with much oil residue in the pcv valve and vacuum line.) I can't figure out this smoking problem. I replaced my catch can because I thought it might have been restriction crank ventilation- no change. Replaced PCV valve, cleaned my air filter. I don't know what else it could be. I have a feeling it's burning oil, I just have no idea where/why/how. The smoke smells AWFUL, not sweet, and I loose large amounts of oil in short periods of time (1-2 quarts every 2 weeks or so) and I don't have an oil leak besides my valve cover gasket (which isn't big enough to lose 2 quarts). No smoke at all while driving, or while under boost. Only after boost. Any ideas?

 

[patrarch]

Well, now all of a sudden my car has started making a horrible clanking noise (like metal clanking on metal) while idling. While driving it makes a metal-on-metal grinding sound, and after boost it blows HUGE HUGE clouds of white smoke continuously, and doesn't really stop at all. I can't tell where the clanking is coming from, but while idling sometimes it gets louder and faster until climaxing, and then goes back to the quiet idle clank. I'm really afraid to drive it now so luckily I still have the other car i'm trying to sell. I really need to fix it ASAP, though, so any suggestions on what it could be? I'm currently waiting for it to cool off so I can check for shaft play again, even though last time I checked a couple days ago there was absolutely none at all. It really sounds like it's coming from inside, though, not from the turbo or around. The metal scraping on metal sound while driving is pretty loud, loud enough for me to hear while driving over other noise.

 

[talonTSIDriver]

if you smoke after you let off or under high vacuum, that usually relates to the valve guide seals. As far as the clanking, not sure. Make sure its not burning all your oil leaving you with no oil at all.

 

[patrarch]

Well, I finally got a chance to check for shaft play again. Turbo is completely shot. The shaft is so loose I could just pull it out if the inlet was large enough. It's weird because I had absolutely no shaft play at all a couple days ago, and now it's completely blown. I sure hope the seals were broken and that's why I was smoking. Though, I guess I won't find out till I get a new turbo that I can't afford.

 

[mitsu420at]

check for dentd in oil feed line. could have turbo to go with out oil and starve it to death

 

[k-rock]

i need help i thought about every thing i could possiably think about. it smokes after take off and its white. im pretty sure its not the turbo beacaus i just got it rebiult. and i just put a new head gasget on it with arp head studs. it smokes black when it is cold but thats becauls it is rich but after it warms up it smokes white im very lost and frustreated soo please help me WTF