Need Advice/help Please Rb25det

[Raven33]

Hey peoples,

The problem: my S1 r33gts-t blows slightly blue smoke within 30 secs of cold start, and it keeps smoking until I give it enough to get some boost in there, then it stops, if i drive it SUPER gently for long enough it starts again (gently enough to have a glass of water not tip/spill). If I get the revs up and let off suddenly - NO smoke. After a 30 minute drive it will start to blow a little smoke at idle as the turbo timer counts down(normally about 30 secs). To my knowledge it's never blown smoke on boost.

What I've tried:

1) took it to Dan at E.R.D. who changed the breather hose due to it looking like it had been getting kinked by the bonnet closing - the smoke stopped for about a month, came back the same as before.

2) I replaced that breather hose with a catch can stuffed with steel wool in stockings, and a oil/filter change. this made no difference at all

3) out came the SMIC for a clean, I was very let down when there wasn't really anything to clean out. no effect (stupid amateur me didn't check all the piping)

4) DISCOVERY - a pool of oil at the mouth of the turbo inlet, looked like the breather was dumping it there over 4 years or so (when this turbo was installed- by Dan at E.R.D), it was very dark oil - not fresh, no sign of oil in the hoses to and from the catch can. There are signs of oil coming out of the turbo heading to the SMIC - I cleaned all the oil I could and checked/cleaned the rest of the piping, only the pool at the turbo inlet was wet oil - every where else was dry. I'm yet to check the SMIC again.

I also checked the turbo's shaft play while I was at it - all good there... but the wheels didn't free spin to well, weren't hard to spin or rough, no sounds - just wouldn't free spin, I dunno if that's normal.

My thoughts:

1) I want to try removing the PCV and block that off - not sure if I can safely do that. (see catch can pics below)

2) I guess it could be the valve stem seals - Dan said he would be surprised if this was the case, (testing my memory here) something about it running too smooth, and recalling it's last compression test scores, he wouldn't rule it out though. We couldn't get the car to blow any smoke when I got to ERD, so Dan probably thinks I'm seeing shit hahaha.

So I'm hoping I can remove the PCV, I need to know if my catch can setup will work without a PCV, and how/what I should use to replace it, I'm guessing a bung of some sort - if anyone could tell me where to get one of what dimensions that would be great.

this is my catch can setup, very basic style.

I also think I should mention my turbo makes the "death whine" sound as it hits boost, normally once or twice a day, it could be just the v-band leaking, but I've had that refitted a couple of times and still makes this sound, normally I just back off and cruise - next time it hits boost it's fine, then it doesn't do it again for the day, although I recall a day where no matter how I drove I couldn't get it to stop howling - that was a very slow drive home.

Thanks for reading my wall of text, and please any advice, tips or questions - post here or PM away!!

Peace.

~Raven

[paulr33]

whats changed

has it always done this or just recently

[Raven33]

whats changed

has it always done this or just recently

hiya paulr33

It just suddenly started doing it one day, about a month before xmas. before it started the only things that I changed were: atmo bov, got over that pretty quick - put the stock on back on. and same thing with a pod filter, put one on, didn't like it, went back to panel filter with new K&N. ohhh and I followed the guide in DIY on AAC Valve cleaning & idle reset that went fine and was about 2 months before the smoke first started.

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Di...nd-t110431.html

^link to AAC valve cleaning guide^

[Raven33]

quick update:

changed the spark plugs, nothing out of the ordinary there.

also setup the catch can to vent to atmo just so i could rule out the PCV - made no difference.

so I'm thinking it's either turbo or something with the valves is causing the problem - gonna pull the SMIC and piping out tonight see if i get any clues from there.

anyone got any other suggestions?

I'm leaning away from the turbo being the problem as it always stops smoking when i get on boost, any chance it could still be the turbo?

talk soon,

~Raven

[paulr33]

turbo oil seal

[tridentt150v]

If your turbo is making the dead screech now and then, then usually one off the first things damaged by this is the oil seal. You still have one, but its not sealing any more and will get worse as you use the car.

[Raven33]

is there anyway I can confirm it's the turbo without swapping it with another one?

[jarrod83]

it probably is the turbo oil seal from the sounds of things, have you tried removing the catch can system all together and just run a nice sized pipe from cam cover breather to under the car, just to completely eliminateante the possibility of it being caused by blow by. When i use to have bad blow by with my 25 engine it would blow oil out the turbo seals into both sides of the turbo and get oil everywhere, so i tried a catch can, but with the hoses and the atmo vent not being big enough just made the problem worse... if the problem goes away with the breathe pipe going straight to atmo with no filter i would advise in getting a custom catch can made up something similar to the rips one, where both cam covers feed to it and it has 2 filters venting to the atmosphere

if the problems still there you could try removing the dump pipe after its been sitting over night and seeing if any oil has leaked down into it from the turbo

hope that helps

Jarrod

[Raven33]

Well, I just finished checking the piping around the turbo.

Found oil pool at the turbo inlet again, not as bad as the first time however.

The piping from the turbo to the intercooler and to plenum is slightly oily, maybe a little too much considering that's not even 4 hours of drive time since it was cleaned.

Out of curiosity while putting everything back on, I flicked open the throttle and aimed a torch into my plenum, there's jet black oil all over the inside of it, it's rather thick, rubs off easy - really slimy/sticky.

So now I'm really worried, I was excited for a bit there "woot it's just the turbo".

Guess the best place to start would be with cleaning it? any ideas?

[Raven33]

it probably is the turbo oil seal from the sounds of things, have you tried removing the catch can system all together and just run a nice sized pipe from cam cover breather to under the car, just to completely eliminateante the possibility of it being caused by blow by. When i use to have bad blow by with my 25 engine it would blow oil out the turbo seals into both sides of the turbo and get oil everywhere, so i tried a catch can, but with the hoses and the atmo vent not being big enough just made the problem worse... if the problem goes away with the breathe pipe going straight to atmo with no filter i would advise in getting a custom catch can made up something similar to the rips one, where both cam covers feed to it and it has 2 filters venting to the atmosphere

if the problems still there you could try removing the dump pipe after its been sitting over night and seeing if any oil has leaked down into it from the turbo

hope that helps

Jarrod

whoa dude, you've confused the crap out of me.

you used to have bad blow by, that would blow oil out the turbo seals?

- I thought blow by was the oily air that comes out the breather hoses and had very little todo with the turbo, more todo with engine condition?

*runs off to look up the definition of blow by*

forgot to add, I had the dump pipe off for about a week and there was no sign of any oil during that time from the back of the turbo, there was nothing worrying at all on that side of the turbo.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Raven33

[jarrod83]

sorry man im half asleep been trying to work out the bugs with my car all day... ill try and explain it better...

basically the blow by causes combustion pressure to go passed your pistons and rings and into the oil system, if the air isnt venting fast enough, say out of ur catch cans atmo vent, you have a build up of pressure in your oil system which forces its way out through your oil seals, i may be wrong on this part but i think cause the oil return line is connected via a nice sized return hose to the sump, the blow by in the oil system goes up ur turbo return line and out ur turbo seals taking oil along with it.. and you end up with oil spitting out both sides of your turbo..

anyway tomorrow try disconnecting the catch can and leaving the hoses running straight to atmosphere, if the oil doesnt go away then this is a pretty good guide to fixing the problem

http://www.tepturbos.com/troubleshooting2.htm

those turbos are temperamental

[Raven33]

OK after checking the plenum with some better light, I can see the sticky oil build up is only around the TB butterfly - on the inside, I'll just clean that with some throttle body cleaner.

Jarrod:

Ahhhh now I see what you mean.

The smoking first started before I had installed the catch can, so the fumes from the breather hose would have been getting sucked out - so it can't be the catch can causing the problem - might be making it worse though.

Like I said there's not sign at all of oil in the catch can or the hoses to it, not even a fine coating - So I'm thinking I might as well take it off and go back to stock setup, and try get hold of another turbo and dump pipe.

thanks for your input man, much appreciated.

Anyone else have a suggestion?