Smoke at idle...

[RTCarlin]

I noticed some smoke coming from my tails yesterday while idling in the driveway warming up. Not excessive, but enough to piss you off when you get a facefull. It doesn't seem to do it until it warms up. I had my wife follow me around the block and she couldn't see any while driving. And ideas on where I should start to look? Here's a few pics... and yes, I need to get the rubber off the rear fenders... :tongue:

---Ron Jr

 

[IrvJr]

Is the motor new by chance?

 

[RTCarlin]

No, it's got about 3000 miles on it....

 

[IrvJr]

Well, to me thats pretty much a new motor. If you used that turbo while breaking in the motor it probably messed up the turbo. I went thru it twice. Turbo works fine just a little oil seeps into the exhaust side. Especially after you shut it off. Then when you start it and it gets warmed up you get the smoke til it burns up the oil.

 

[TurboBuRick]

PCV sucking oil? Pull it out and block it off to see.

 

[Steve V]

What type of set up on the exhaust guides? Seal or no seal,I used the stock set up(no seal) and I had some smokeing issues that didn't start till it had a few miles on mine. After removing the heads and cutting the guides and adding a positive seal with smooth stem valve,the smoke is gone.

Also could be a turbo seal,PCV sucking oil etc....

 

[forcedfedv6]

What type of set up on the exhaust guides? Seal or no seal,I used the stock set up(no seal) and I had some smokeing issues that didn't start till it had a few miles on mine. After removing the heads and cutting the guides and adding a positive seal with smooth stem valve,the smoke is gone.

Also could be a turbo seal,PCV sucking oil etc....

Start with the most common, if you have a buddy that has a good used turbo that doesnt smoke, swap yours out and see if the smoking goes away, if not i would say that it could be valve guide seals or the motor is pulling enough oil through the PVC under vacumm that is making its way up into the Throttle body, take off the vacumm block and look under just to make sure, some oil but be present but it shouldnt be a lot, i use a catch can and it work perfect preventing that oil from getting in there, i got the one from this guys http://www.eliteengineeringusa.com/ works like a charm, but my problem happen to be a bad turbo that went south on me 3K miles after install, 99% of the time smoking at idle means it a bad turbo, once you have your turbo off look behind the exhaust wheel really close, if any oil or caked oil is present you found your problem, i would also do a leakdown and compression test just to be on the safe side of things..

 

[spoolie]

my engine is new (less than 800 miles) and turbo is new (less than 1200 miles) the pcv system is new and mine smokes a little till warm also. Thinking of a catchcan soon, wallet is empty now.

 

[Scooter3800]

Also, since it is a recently rebuilt engine, make sure the intake manifold is sealing against the heads. If not it can also suck in oil from the lifter valley and cause smoking.

 

[Steve V]

All good points,esp if the turbo was used during a cam breakin'. I've seen that somtimes the turbo goes south not soon after the cam breakin. Now get crackin and report back!

 

[RTCarlin]

Been really busy getting the ship ready for the shipyards, so I haven't been able to pull the turbo... BUT...

As I was sitting at a stop light yesterday, the smoking started.... as I left the light, I jumped on it for a short burst (10-60mph). At the next stop light, no more smoke... I didn't get smoke again until after I parked at Hooters for about 2 hours. Upon leaving, more smoke at idle. Jumped on it again and no more smoke....

Does that help with the diagnosis? I should be able to start working on the car in the next few weeks once we're in dry-dock... but preparing an aircraft carrier to be lifted up out of the water is taking all of my time lately... :biggrin:

---Ron Jr.

 

[m233roller]

Turbo !!!!

 

[RTCarlin]

Turbo !!!!

Turbo as in, need a new one? Boooo....... So much for my tax return..... :redface: I suppose it IS time for an upgrade though, seeing as apparently TE-62's are now considered "Old School"....

A LOT cheaper than an engine though....

Just so I'm "in the know"... what exactly causes something like this? The cam-break-in issue as mentioned above? and what happens to the Turbo? I've got to present this case to the wife and need all the info so I can put a positive spin on this..

---Ron Jr.

 

[meanmachine]

TURBO

 

[RTCarlin]

I pulled the vacuum block off today... noticed some oil sitting up there... also pulled the up-pipe and saw oil pooled at the front of the throttle body.

Took the intake off the turbo and the inlet side looked good.... nice and clean.. how much play should be on the wheel? i gave it a little wiggle and it did move side-to-side just a tad....

---Ron Jr.

 

[Mac in SD]

I pulled the vacuum block off today... noticed some oil sitting up there... also pulled the up-pipe and saw oil pooled at the front of the throttle body.

Took the intake off the turbo and the inlet side looked good.... nice and clean.. how much play should be on the wheel? i gave it a little wiggle and it did move side-to-side just a tad....

---Ron Jr.

Check the exhaust side of the turbo. It wouldn't be a Turbonetics, would it? I had problems with the ring seals on the exhaust side several times. You could also try to restrict oil flow to the center section, but be careful with that.

 

[ryan319]

i had the same issue with mine; new motor and rebuilt turbo. smoking just like yours. i checked EVERYTHING, pcv, turbo, plugs, tune, etc.

i thought that i had the problem licked when i disconnected the pcv but it didn't completely clear. then i retorqued the intake manifold and the problem has pretty much cleared. i still get a little bit of smoke at red lights but not nearly as bad.

i'm going to replace the valley pan with the felpro 1200 with some sealer around all the ports, not just the coolant passages (per my engine guy). apparently buicks are lousy for this. the 1200 gasket is thicker than the valley pan. you can cut out the actual valley pan piece and use the 1200 gasket on the port mating surfaces.

 

[vacuum 6]

If you used that turbo while breaking in the motor it probably messed up the turbo. I went thru it twice.

Why would the turbo get jacked during break in?

 

[Steve V]

Why would the turbo get jacked during break in?

Breakin debris from a flat tappet cam. I 've gotten away with it on many rebuilds.

 

[GDNF2ET]

Check the exhaust side of the turbo

Yeah, pull the downpipe and look for oil, if its around the flapper area, its the turbo seal...You can send it to Limit and turn it into something newer...