Okay Boys & Girls - Another smoking question

[Supra Blues]

I posted a smoking question not too long back - but new symptoms so new post.

A week or so ago it would smoke only upon startup in the morning. It did this for three days. The fourth day it stopped. I still get white smoke upon first startup, but it seems to be more vapor than oil. (doesn't smell like oil)

Today - Got on freeway about 1/2 throttle or so all the way up to 70 - no smoke noted. (This is the hardest I pushed the engine since rebuild - has about 200 miles on it)

Went down a grade and let engine brake all the way down in 5th gear. (maybe a 1 minute or 2 like this) - no smoke noted.

Get to bottom of grade and hit traffic. Stop - hmmm...significant smoke. Accelerate in 1st a little - smoke.

Accelerate in 2nd maybe 1/4 - 1/3 throttle - didn't notice too much smoke.

Coast to stop at offramp - idle for about 15 seconds - oops smoke. Accelerate from stop - some smoke.

Slow down for an old person, then accelerate somewhat hard through second - no smoke noted. Stop and let idle in front of house - smoke. Pull into garage and let idle for a minute - smoke.

Engine is strong - although - I notice what appears to be some hesitation around 1800 RPMS.

I am gonna try and figure this out this weekend.

Please gimme some pointers?

IdealSupra - I have the page you sent to me on the other post saved for this weekend - thanks.

Oh, and switched to 20w - 50 dyno this past weekend.

 

[1987supraomega]

Sounds exactly like mine when I blew the turbo seals, every time I slowed down like at a stop where the turbo was not spinning very fast, I would have smoke rolling out my exhaust, It gives the car a james bond affect but its not very cool.

 

[garrettrowe]

I'd bet on the turbo seals as well - it's easy to check - run the car for 30 seconds or so, shut it off, pop off the turbo elbow and check for wetness on the turbine...

 

[Supra Blues]

Update:

This morning - started engine - pulled out of garage and let it idle. Imediatly what appears to be white smoke and I noticed a spray on the ground directly behind my exhaust tip. Wiped inside of exhaust tip and it was pretty wet. BHG after only 200 miles?????

Drove it about a 1/4 mile. It seems to me that under accleration I am getting blue smoke and at idle the smoke is more white.

Any ideas?

New engine with 200 miles. Turbo used. Gunned it getting on the freeway yesterday, now I have somke everywhere.

 

[aye mate]

Where do you live and whats the temperature been like lately? Condensation can cause white smoke cause the exhaust pipes are cold and they gases are hot. If the white smoke goes away after warming up its probably just condensation.

 

[Supra Blues]

Where do you live and whats the temperature been like lately? Condensation can cause white smoke cause the exhaust pipes are cold and they gases are hot. If the white smoke goes away after warming up its probably just condensation.

Yeah i know, but 1) its not that cold and 2) The amount of smoke comming out far exceeds the cold weather smoke thing.

The smoking actually started yesterday with the car at norm operating temp.

This is very discouraging for me... :icon_sad:

 

[MKIIINA]

its condensation. mine does the same thing. yesterday i installed my new turbo and we had temps in the 80s, we got done at night and the temp had dropped to the upper 60's lower 70s, little water in the tip and some out the back. normal. your turbo seals are going though

 

[garrettrowe]

Still sounds like turbo seals. Are you getting BHG-style pressure buildup in the cooling system? You need to pull the elbow and look for signs of a leak. You can also bypass the water lines from the turbo and see if the white smoke turns to just blue...

 

[Supra Blues]

Still sounds like turbo seals. Are you getting BHG-style pressure buildup in the cooling system? You need to pull the elbow and look for signs of a leak. You can also bypass the water lines from the turbo and see if the white smoke turns to just blue...

But this would mean that my turbo would not be getting cooled. What are the effects of that???

No overheating, no pressure buildup in cooling system, no rough idle, runs strong and smooth, even when boosting.

Could my event of gunning it to get on the freeway have blown what was ever left of the turbo seals? That would be nice if that is what it is, I mean, this way I don't have to take the head off or anything.

 

[Supra Blues]

its condensation. mine does the same thing. yesterday i installed my new turbo and we had temps in the 80s, we got done at night and the temp had dropped to the upper 60's lower 70s, little water in the tip and some out the back. normal. your turbo seals are going though

I know that part is normal, but the amount of smoke coming out is not.

How do I know for sure if it is my turbo????

 

[garrettrowe]

I know that part is normal, but the amount of smoke coming out is not.

How do I know for sure if it is my turbo????

For sure - swap the turbo out.

Have you started troubleshooting yet with the tips provided? No one is going to be able to help you further until you provide more info.

 

[Supra Blues]

Yeah, I know.

The trouble shooting starts this evening.

I wanted to get some opinions on what others thought so I have an idea what I'm in for.

Thanks,

 

[Arther3]

turbine seal
take off the exhaust
start the car
wait for oil to leak out the back of turbo

compressor seal
check for oil in bottom of turbo, intercooler pipes(provided you dont still have the pcv hose connected)


mine smokes the same way and i am pretty sure its the turbo seals

 

[Supra Blues]

Since I have had the flu for the past week, I haven't had the time to work on the Supra.

However, I did manage to pull the #1 and #6 spark plugs. They looked fine. Not wet, not oily, nothing. Looked like normal spark plugs.

I know this is nothing, but what does that tell me?

 

[MDCmotorsports]

Take off your lower IC rubber or hard pipe going from the turbo to IC.
If its filled with oil which I suspect it is, your turbo is fubar.

Another thing that will help in the future is to make sure the vents off the top of the cam covers DO NOT go into turbo inlet.

I recently worked on a WRX STI that had 1000 miles on it, and the OIL CONDENSATION in the intake tract of the turbo and the IC piping going to the IC was HUGE!

 

[MKIIINA]

u can pull the coolant lines and still have it be cooled (there are oil lines also attached remember) based on the symptoms you described it sounds like the turbo seals. to get a better idea get the car warmed up and go out with a buddy following. get on it a few time and see what happens. if you get smoke when you let off its a sign that that could be the problem and would let you try and backtrack it more.

edit: sparkplugs: just because the plugs dont lookg oily doesnt mean its not leaking. oil is a petro product and given enough pressure and heat it will burn. also if the rear seal is going you wont get the oil going into cycls (it would have to keep its integrety past the hot manifold, past the exhaust gasses pushing it out, past the opening and closing valves and stick to an electrode that was sparking w/ a little bit of electricity)

 

[Supra Blues]

Last night I started doing a little more diagnosis.

Started the engine (it had sat for about 5 days) and upon first startup, no smoke. Waited for about 30 seconds or so, and poof, the smoke started.

Gave it gas, and poooooooooooooof, more smoke.

Turned engine off.

Pulled the upper intercooler piping and it was clean as could be. Next I pulled the O2 sensor. Hmmmmm? Sensor itself is kinda shiney looking. Wiped it with my finger and found that it was wet with raw oil.

Looked like oil and smelled like oil. Then I stuck my finger in the O2 sensor hole and it was really wet too, again with what I considered to be a lot of raw oil. Stuck a screwdriver down the O2 sensor hole and scraped it around a little and sure enough the tip came out wiith more raw oil.

Okay, so it appears the the turbo seals are gone, just like you all said. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Now what do I do? I guess get a new turbo or get mine rebuilt right? There is minimal shaft play so would it be worth it to just change the seals myself or have a pro just change the seals?

How has this affected my cats, if at all?

Thanks again.

Oh I also checked coolant and oil. Did not notice any mixing and both have not lost any fluid.

 

[Allan_MA70]

Now what do I do? I guess get a new turbo or get mine rebuilt right? There is minimal shaft play so would it be worth it to just change the seals myself or have a pro just change the seals?

How has this affected my cats, if at all?

Thanks again.

Oh I also checked coolant and oil. Did not notice any mixing and both have not lost any fluid.

oh darn just have to get that hi-flow turbo now :naughty: