Unusual turbo smoking!

[DecepticonPrime]

Unusual turbo smoking! - updated info

PROBLEM: My car smokes at HIGH RPM - white smoke cloud - oily smell and oil level drops. DOES NOT SMOKE at low rpm, normal drive or idling. If I press the accel hard let my foot off it smokes but if QUICKLY I press the accel again and let go - no smoke.

INTERESTING FACT: The car SUDDENLY STOPPED smoking for a month on the current turbo. Just took the car out and going to work and boosted to see how bad the smoke is and no smoke! Kept it like that for a month and then it was time for servicing. I changed the engine oil, filter, petrol filter, gave the car a good wash and it started smoking again.

TRIED: I changed 3 turbos thinking its the turbo seals and all of them smokes. Two of them I took from my mates and they didn't smoke in their car!
TRIED: Adjusting the oil pressure but the risk of killing the turbo made me run it a bit rich again.
CHECKED: Head gasket, piston rings, radiator, anti-freeze in oil and related matters - all ok. Engine compression test not done yet.

NEW PCV on the way

Car: Glanza V A/T with WEAK transmission soon to be replaced (today-tomorrow)
Engine: Standard 4e-fte with mild steel mani, decat and 2.5" custom exhaust
Turbo: Standard Ct9a with HKS actuator
Others: HKS BOV (installed on top of cam, near timing belt cover, next to standard TMIC) and ebay oil catch can (going cusco soon)

 

[dac69er]

doesnt sound like turbo seals tbh. there is quite a high likelyhood of 3 ct9's having crap seals. i took a turbo off one of my cars that never smoked, put it on my other car and it started smoking, most ct9's are overdue a rebuild now. maybe valve stem oil seals, but that is typically more blue in colour. do a compression test and go from there.

 

[DecepticonPrime]

Oh my... seems like staying stock is gonna be pain with the ct9 then... I'll get the compression test done asap.

Kinda new to the car, so would be grateful if I could understand why it would stop smoking all of a sudden?

Thanks

 

[dac69er]

it could be turbo seals, just sounds strange the way you are explaining it!!!

mine only smokes now and then. i had one of my ct9's back in the day smoke one day, then for a whole year it was fine. then it started smoking really badly so replaced it with a hybrid.

 

[DecepticonPrime]

All my mates and the people at the garage are stumped as well... they all have 4efte's and NONE of them has ever faced a problem like that... I even borrowed a ct9 from a mate and in his car no smoke... just like you mentioned... as soon as it was installed in mine, smoke!. I just don't understand what is going on

 

[dark_knight]

valve stem seals..?

 

[DecepticonPrime]

Shouldn't valve stem seals be blueish smoke? Mine is completely white - cloud... gonna open the head again and check them just to be sure

 

[Tim@TBDevelopments]

not signs of headgasket is it?

if your saying its doing it on liftoff which is when cylinder vaccum is the highest with the throttle body closed if the headgasket is weeping this high vaccum could be pulling a bit of coolant into the cylinders creating this white smoke.

i know you said you've checked the headgasket but what checks have you done?

Just throwing that out there.

 

[DecepticonPrime]

Well the coolant level does NOT drop and its been stable throughout the whole smoking period - a couple of months. The engine oil level DOES drop. Also, if it was water/steam i'm guessing it would smell fruity/sweet for anti freeze? but it smells like someone just dropped oil on a raw flame

The headgasket did not show any signs of damage - replaced it anyways and there is no water in oil / oil in water... checked the water pump, rad, water feed lines... and they all look good... so I'm assuming its not a water related issue. Am I missing something?

 

[Tim@TBDevelopments]

well think its answered the question then it is burning oil of some kind. so either turbo which would be easier and cheaper or something internally in the engine

Tim

 

[sx_turbo]

check and clean all the oil breathers.

excessive crank case pressure at high rpm could cause the same symptoms.

 

[DecepticonPrime]

my mechanic said : "The piston rings need to be changed and there exists a gap between the pistons and the block"... I guess this was the reason for all the trouble?


and the PCV has been changed

 

[sx_turbo]

my mechanic said : "The piston rings need to be changed and there exists a gap between the pistons and the block"... I guess this was the reason for all the trouble?


and the PCV has been changed

is he sure about the piston rings? as its an expensive job if it doesnt cure it

 

[Tim@TBDevelopments]

how does he know this without taking the engine part?

Is the engine all in pieces now?

 

[DecepticonPrime]

is he sure about the piston rings? as its an expensive job if it doesnt cure it

how does he know this without taking the engine part?

Is the engine all in pieces now?

The engine has been taken apart. Sorry, forgot to mention that details... a couple of days ago we opened open the head to check the valve stem seals and afterwards while checking the pistons the piston rings did look worn out and after taking them apart we noticed a SMALL gap between the pistons and the block... we are changing the rings and the pistons - all OEM...

I know it's expensive but hey not gonna give up on it just yet.

 

[dac69er]

There should be a gap between the piston and the bores or am I missing something!?

 

[mork]

To work out if the rings are worn you need to check the gap in the rings themselves with a feeler gauge. You also need to check the bores to make sure they're still within manufacturer tolerances, otherwise new rings will be a waste of time. You'll also need to hone the bores to help seat the new rings.

 

[DecepticonPrime]

To work out if the rings are worn you need to check the gap in the rings themselves with a feeler gauge. You also need to check the bores to make sure they're still within manufacturer tolerances, otherwise new rings will be a waste of time. You'll also need to hone the bores to help seat the new rings.

Well the gaps are noticeable... pistons do wobble a bit... and the block has suffered...

 

[Tim@TBDevelopments]

well the will be a visible gap and pistons do rock on there pins. you can't really tell anything from just looking everything needs measuring. same for the rings they need taking off and setting into the bores and gaps measured with a feeler gauge

Tim

 

[DecepticonPrime]

well the will be a visible gap and pistons do rock on there pins. you can't really tell anything from just looking everything needs measuring. same for the rings they need taking off and setting into the bores and gaps measured with a feeler gauge

Tim

Roger that... thanks for the help mate! Will update as it progresses...