Strange problem, please take a look

freak4 · 09-22-2003, 05:51 PM

Hey guys whats up? I've already searched and talked to many people about this and no one (including me) knows whats really going on. My car started putting out clouds of FLUFFLY, LINGERING, WHITE smoke right after i got my 3" exhaust put on (no cat). Exhausts usually smoke a bit when their new, but it didn't stop so i was worried. Now before you scream headgasket listen! The smoke slowed down in a couple days, and it was puffing the smoke out randomly (3 clouds in a 1hour drive).
Then i figured out exactly when it does it! It'll puff out the smoke when i let off the gas, let the engine rev down (still in gear) and then get back on the gas a little. It does not smoke under boost either. I let the car sit for a day once, and when i drove it the smoke was really coming out (gets worse the longer it sits i think). That day i drove it the smoke simmered down later and went back to its normal pattern. But the smoking seems random too! Like if i let off the gas, then get back on it, the smoke will only come out like 3out of 10 times i try this. It seems like the car smokes the most if i'm in 5th gear

.

HERE ARE SOME FACTS THAT MIGHT HELP: Car doesn't smoke on cold startup. Doesn't smoke under boost, or normal acceleration. Puffs out big and small clouds (maybe bigger the longer i let the engine rev down?). Does not puff out smoke while i'm driving on the freeway (not the wind blowing it away), but will when i get onto normal roads after a freeway drive it will

. The residue in the tailpipe taste/looks like oil, but follows the smoke characteristics of coolant. When the car was jacked up (angled towards the back) there was water spit out by the exhaust, and water droplets in the muffler. My oil, and coolant both look good. Car still feels as powerful as ever. I've got a rebuilt T-28 on there too. I haven't checked to see if theres oil on the exhaust wheel, but it would smoke under boost if this was the case. I've got a restrictor for my oil feed line too. I haven't done a compression check yet.

So i'm wondering if you guys have any idea about whats going on? Its probably my headgasket, but why wouldn't it smoke all the time then? All the easy fixes i've hoped for aren't true (like too much oil, condensation in the exhaust, and new welds still smoking). Its looking more and more like a headgasket

, really

. Well what you guys could help me with is tell me whats going on while the engine is braking (TB closed, 20 vacuum or so) that could maybe cause some type of build up that the exhaust puffs out when i get back on the throttle? Also is there something that if angled towards the back of the car would let more water/coolant into the exhaust? Any ideas or anything you guys are thinking please let me know! Thanks

-STEVE-0

p.s. let me know any questions you have that might help you figure it out

silversx · 09-22-2003, 08:44 PM

White smoke definately seems like a headgasket...I did read on here that if your car burns OIL (not coolant) on acceleration your piston rings are worn, and if it burns OIL (not coolant) on decelleration, your valve seals are worn. Not that I'm a mechanic or anything, this is just what I have heard, so you may want to check into those. Have you done a ----------- and leakdown test recently? (Oh crap, you did, I read too fast)

Slartibartfast · 09-23-2003, 03:08 PM

I say your valve guides are going away. SilverSX has the old adage correct. Smoking acceleration means blowby past worn rings whereas smoking deceleration means you're sucking oil down the valve guides.

Or, you're might have a seal or oil return problem with your turbo.

94xe-r · 09-23-2003, 03:24 PM

i think its the turbo, personally. if u havent checked it yet, id do that next.
good luck
J

iczer200sx · 09-24-2003, 08:42 PM

steve, what's going on with the car? well, can't be the headgasket since your car is running strong. can't be the valve guides since your not smoking during initial cold start ups. are you losing oil? you did mention oil in the tail pipes. i think it is the oil control rings going bad. unfortunately there's no way to check that aside from a visual glance.

97SE-R C2 · 09-24-2003, 10:49 PM

Steve pull the hotside I/C piping and sheck it for oil. Sounds like the Turbo rebuild wasn't so succesful. At leas tits only a few minutes to check that. Then do a compression test. Was the water built up in the tailpipe after or before driving it for a while. Condensation will build up and set there until its driven. Maybe the semi style stack exhasut is serving as a rain gauge

1fastser · 09-24-2003, 11:49 PM

The first thing that came to my mind was rings...although my mind is a bit on the insane side.

Did you do a compression test yet?

laterz...Jody

freak4 · 09-25-2003, 01:41 AM

Hey guys thanks alot for your help. Brian - Yeah i was losing oil alot due to a big turbo leak, but i fixed that. I'm fixing the last leak tomorrow and doing an oil change. I'll see if it burns it after that
Chris - I saw the water after the car sat for 15 hours, then i drove it for 15 minutes, then let it sit for 10 minutes, then I idled it for 5 minutes (saw water during this idle) I'm gonna check those pipes tomorrow, and call cheapturbo if i have any trouble. They said they would redo the job for free, but disconnecting everything off that turbo and shipping it out would be a major pain!
Jody - No compression test yet, but i'll try and do one soon. The insane side is where all the fun is at!

-STEVE-0

iczer200sx · 09-25-2003, 12:20 PM

big turbo oil leak. see, that's what happens if you've never done an oil change before, haha. anyhow, don't think a compression check is necessary since it's not the headgasket. you'd only be checking the compression rings, not the oil cabobulators.

freak4 · 09-25-2003, 08:15 PM

I pulled the compressor outlet pipe off today, and found no oil in there or the hotside IC pipe. I also did an oil change today Brian! Can't make fun of me anymore now, heh. I've been talking to Ken @ CheapTurbo and he wants me to send it back, but that would be very difficult being that this is my only car. Next i'll probably pull the Jpipe off to see if theres any oil on the exhaust turbine.
-This may be a dumb ? but could oil creep into the exhaust manifold and leak down into the turbo some how? I'm guessing that might be happening, but not sure. Also my overflow tank lost 1/2 of the coolant i put in there a week ago! New ideas?