head gasket done...now blue/grey smoke???

supersupramk3

average joe
Mar 29, 2009
145
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0
sacramento, CA
Finally started up my car last week after a long head gasket job. Car starts right up and idles perfect (no smoke). Then i go and give it a little gas and all i see down the block is bluish/grey smoke. Weird thing is when left to sit and idle the car runs smooth and no smoke from the tail pipe...then when you just gas it a little bit then it really fogs up. During the head job changed all gaskets (including valve stem seals), used greddy 2 mm MHG, ARP bolts. Also had block/head resurfaced plus changed out piston rings. Car runs very strong and solid. Have not done a compression test yet. Smells like burning oil. Do you guys have any input on this issue? Any thing that I might have forgotten to do?? Thx.
 

gofastgeorge

Banned
Jan 24, 2008
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supersupramk3;1376525 said:
...they were the NPR.

Good luck :naughty:
Never could get a set of those to seat in correctly.
Ended up taking them out.
The cylinders were crapped out already (just 2 weeks of trying to get the chinese NPRs to seat in).
So it got a set of Wiseco pistons & rings, and I never looked back.........
 

jdub

Official SM Expert: Motor Oil, Lubricants & Fil
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supersupramk3;1376525 said:
Yeah honed...they were the NPR.


Sounds like they have not seated yet...how many miles on them?
You been going easy on the engine or did you do a hard break-in?
 

KicknAsphlt

Occasional Peruser
gofastgeorge;1376942 said:
Good luck :naughty:
Never could get a set of those to seat in correctly.
Ended up taking them out.
The cylinders were crapped out already (just 2 weeks of trying to get the chinese NPRs to seat in).
So it got a set of Wiseco pistons & rings, and I never looked back.........


Don't tell me that shit.... :cry:
 

supersupramk3

average joe
Mar 29, 2009
145
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sacramento, CA
jdub;1376945 said:
Sounds like they have not seated yet...how many miles on them?
You been going easy on the engine or did you do a hard break-in?

Ive only got about 18 miles on them. Ive heard that they need to settle in during the break in. Is it normal though? I have really been babying the break in , not even going past 3500-4000 rpm. Also have not even been on the highway yet. I heard NPR is supposed to be basically OEM equipment???? Am I SOL?
 

HommerSimpson

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Dec 31, 2007
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Dude 18 miles is not enought.... if i was you... this is what do... fill up tank... get on major hiyway and go cruzing for a few hundred miles.... run it at 70 then 55 then back to 70 ... but its goint to take awhile for the rings to seat.... got npr on mine and after 2000 miles i still dont think they are seated 100 %
 

jdub

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supersupramk3;1377186 said:
Ive only got about 18 miles on them. Ive heard that they need to settle in during the break in. Is it normal though? I have really been babying the break in , not even going past 3500-4000 rpm. Also have not even been on the highway yet. I heard NPR is supposed to be basically OEM equipment???? Am I SOL?

First...what brand and grade oil do you have in it?

Not yet...take the car out (before driving it any more) and make 4-5 aggressive runs to 4000 RPM plus. Let the car coast down in gear, down shifting through the gears. Afterward, drive the car normally...don't baby it. For the next 1000 miles or so try to avoid extended periods of the same RPM (I.e. highway)...you want to vary the RPM as much as possible.


HommerSimpson;1377192 said:
Dude 18 miles is not enought.... if i was you... this is what do... fill up tank... get on major hiyway and go cruzing for a few hundred miles.... run it at 70 then 55 then back to 70 ... but its goint to take awhile for the rings to seat.... got npr on mine and after 2000 miles i still dont think they are seated 100 %

^^^ Do this and you are almost guaranteeing the rings will never seat....especially if using a synthetic oil.
 

HommerSimpson

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Dec 31, 2007
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jdub;1377193 said:
First...what brand and grade oil do you have in it?

Not yet...take the car out (before driving it any more) and make 4-5 aggressive runs to 4000 RPM plus. Let the car coast down in gear, down shifting through the gears. Afterward, drive the car normally...don't baby it. For the next 1000 miles or so try to avoid extended periods of the same RPM (I.e. highway)...you want to vary the RPM as much as possible.




^^^ Do this and you are almost guaranteeing the rings will never seat....especially if using a synthetic oil.



Really ? hummm why is that.. i will need some detail here how do you break in motors dyno ?..... and i pray he does not have synthetic on break in...
 

supersupramk3

average joe
Mar 29, 2009
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jdub;1377193 said:
First...what brand and grade oil do you have in it?

Not yet...take the car out (before driving it any more) and make 4-5 aggressive runs to 4000 RPM plus. Let the car coast down in gear, down shifting through the gears. Afterward, drive the car normally...don't baby it. For the next 1000 miles or so try to avoid extended periods of the same RPM (i.e. highway)...you want to vary the RPM as much as possible.




^^^ Do this and you are almost guaranteeing the rings will never seat....especially if using a synthetic oil.

Wow...I heard we were suppose to be slowly breaking in the motor. But yeah what you guys said does make more sense. Varying the RPM range will get everything to settle in much better. Well I am using Mobil 1 synthetic 0-30w. I am not sure if this is the best oil for the supra, but my buddies use this on there turbo Hondas, Nissans. So I need at least 1000 miles to almost tell if the motor is running like it should be???
 

jdub

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HommerSimpson;1377199 said:
Really ? hummm why is that.. i will need some detail here how do you break in motors dyno ?..... and i pray he does not have synthetic on break in...

Cruising speeds do not put enough vacuum on the rings. The method I suggested subject the rings to higher RPM and pressure forces the rings into the cylinder wall. Under deceleration vac, the rings are pulled in the opposite direction. The combination seats the rings very quickly, but it has to be done in the 1st 20 miles or so.


supersupramk3;1377200 said:
Wow...I heard we were suppose to be slowly breaking in the motor. But yeah what you guys said does make more sense. Varying the RPM range will get everything to settle in much better. Well I am using Mobil 1 synthetic 0-30w. I am not sure if this is the best oil for the supra, but my buddies use this on there turbo Hondas, Nissans. So I need at least 1000 miles to almost tell if the motor is running like it should be???

I hate to tell you this, but you need to dump that oil NOW. Get a straight 30W and change it before you run the car again...change the filter too. WalMart SuperTech oil and filters will be fine for the next 1500 miles or so. Read this:
http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48993

After that, get Castrol European Formula 0W-30 (says made in Germany on the back) at AutoZone...FYI, Mobil 1 is a Grp III hydrocracked basestock (not a real synthetic). The "German Castrol" above is a Grp IV PAO basestock...if you are going to run a synthetic, might as well be the real thing. Switch to a Wix or NAPA Gold filter when you go back to the syn oil.
 

jdub

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Read my previous post...did an edit ;)

You do not want to use a synthetic oil for break in...it is way too "slick". The rings will never seat if you do.
BTW - there's a lot of good info in the Lube section.
 

supersupramk3

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Mar 29, 2009
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jdub;1377207 said:
Read my previous post...did an edit ;)

You do not want to use a synthetic oil for break in...it is way too "slick". The rings will never seat if you do.
BTW - there's a lot of good info in the Lube section.

Whoa so im gonna have to do a couple of oil changes until i hit the 1000 mark. Any particular brand of 30w oil do you suggest? I guess Ill be going through a couple of sets of Spark plugs too or do you suggest just cleaning them off? They are getting fould up. Also are fram filters ok for the break in, ( i get a good deal on fram)
 
Last edited:

jdub

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supersupramk3;1377211 said:
Whoa so im gonna have to do a couple of oil changes until i hit the 1000 mark. Any particular brand of 30w oil do you suggest? I guess Ill be going through a couple of sets of Spark plugs too or do you suggest just cleaning them off? They are getting fould up. Also are fram filters ok for the break in, ( i get a good deal on fram)


What kind of spark plugs?

Fram will be ok for the next couple oil changes, but overall Fram is one of the worst filters you can buy. Even the WalMart SuperTech filters are superior. Read this:
http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42763

It's really, really important you do not drive the car any more until you switch oil and do the break-in as I suggested.

The stickies in the Lube section are all a good read...might want to read the Motor Oil 101 link in my sig as well.

Any straight 30W HD oil will do...I use Valvoline, but Shell, Castrol, SuperTech, etc will all do. The oil is not going to be in there very long anyway. At least the Mobil 1 did an excellent job of cleaning out the assembly lube in the motor ;)
 

supersupramk3

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Mar 29, 2009
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jdub;1377214 said:
What kind of spark plugs?

Fram will be ok for the next couple oil changes, but overall Fram is one of the worst filters you can buy. Even the WalMart SuperTech filters are superior. Read this:
http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42763

It's really, really important you do not drive the car any more until you switch oil and do the break-in as I suggested.

The stickies in the Lube section are all a good read...might want to read the Motor Oil 101 link in my sig as well.

Any straight 30W HD oil will do...I use Valvoline, but Shell, Castrol, SuperTech, etc will all do. The oil is not going to be in there very long anyway. At least the Mobil 1 did an excellent job of cleaning out the assembly lube in the motor ;)

Im using NGK bkr7e right now. Pulled them out a couple days ago and they were completely fouled up. Im assuming due to the burning of oil. yeah the fram will just be for the break in period.
 

jdub

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Yep, oil will do that...pull the plugs, clean and gap to 0.028" to 0.030".

I hope it's not too late for the rings to seat :(
 

stile

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Jul 3, 2009
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lynchburg va
jdub is dead on the money, im new to the mk3s but have been building motors for a living for a while. i usually let the cars run on the lift in 4th gear or so for about 20min and then take it up and down the highway varying rpms for about 30 or 35 min. then i run the crap out of it but thats only because i build race motors so yea listen to jdub!
 

black89t

boost'en down 101
Oct 27, 2007
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gofastgeorge;1376942 said:
Good luck :naughty:
Never could get a set of those to seat in correctly.
Ended up taking them out.
The cylinders were crapped out already (just 2 weeks of trying to get the chinese NPRs to seat in).
So it got a set of Wiseco pistons & rings, and I never looked back.........


dude that is the last thing he wants to hear right now. :3d_frown: there is a memeber on here joliroger that has been running NPR pistons and rings since 06 in his grey car that runs high 11's iirc. its all about the assembly and machine work. a shitty bore and hone with some noob assembling it will fail no matter what pistons you use probe, wiseco, je, whatever. you can't blame the parts. its just like the people that bash the 7m. same concept.

to the op i think with only 18 mile on the motor you should have enough hone left for the rings to seat. and yeah. listen to jdub. :biglaugh: