Turbo going out? Oil smoke question

[corkscrew]

Just put on a circuit sports catch can last week and it everything was fine. Now right after I'm out of WOT and cruising normally I get a few seconds of oil smoke out of the exhaust. I don't see anything leaking out of the lines of the catch can. It still holds a consistent 8-9psi and doesn't break up or anything and there is no smoke at idle. Are my oil seals going in the turbo, or could it be related to the catch can?

[ThatKidWithTheOnevia]

Drive it if black smoke comes out when the turbo kicks in then its your seals

[corkscrew]

There's no smoke when I'm in boost but there's grey smoke that smells like oil immediately after I'm in boost for a few seconds then it goes away

[ThatKidWithTheOnevia]

Are you drive it easy when this happen or thrashing it?

[corkscrew]

After thrashing it and coming to a cruise it happens. For example a 1-3 pull then put it in 5th it'll puff out smoke for a few seconds. Or if I'm in 4th of 5th and build it to a few psi and let off a very small amount of smoke will come out for a second. The smoke only happens AFTER I'm hitting it and in boost, no smoke while I'm in boost or WOT

[!Zar!]

A catch can won't cause your car to smoke.

It sounds like your turbo is on its last leg though.

[corkscrew]

Even though its fine at idle?

[fliprayzin240sx]

Do a compression check then check the turbo for shaft play.

[ThatKidWithTheOnevia]

The turbo isn't boosting on idle, it should boost about 2.5k, If you can check for play

[corkscrew]

Yeah I'm doing a compression check after the weekend. Ill check for shaft play when I get home

[Croustibat]

Have someone follow you and tell you if you make smoke puffs when changing gears or when releasing the accelerator pedal.

If the answer is yes, then your valve seals are in need of a change.

[corkscrew]

When I lift the gas pedal there's a big ass backfire with a big poof of smoke. I normally get small backfires because I'm running rich with a non recirc BOV on stock ECU

[ThatKidWithTheOnevia]

Just take your turbo off and have a look at it and tell us then it would be alot easier to says what's up, I'm still leaning towards seals though

[corkscrew]

Haha it's hot out in Florida. Ill do it later today and post back. I'm sure it's the seals though

[hypergear]

Remove the induction pipe and have a feel of the turbo shaft. There should be around half mm of play side wise but almost none in and out. If there is an abnormal shaft play then it means the turbocharger needs overhaul.

Other wise make sure the drain pipe is not blocked, and oil catch can is not restrictive.

[EccentricBro]

it's most likely exhaust side turbo seals going. sounds like exactly what's happening to me, although I'm on vacation in Florida atm so car is still sittin home...broke..haha check my post history I've made like 2 threads about it check out what people said in there

also, check coolant levels incase of head gasket (most likely not but double check)

[corkscrew]

No abnormal shaft play, but the intlet elbow has some gooey oil in it (normal?) Does this mean the exhaust side seals are going bad, as stated above? I don't have any smoking other than decelerating after WOT so I highly doubt my valve seals are bad, and coolant levels are fine.

[mechanicalmoron]

It sounds like it is always dribbling oil, but when you let off WOT everything is hot so it burns when you let off and there's a bit of oil moving slowly through a hot exhaust.

Valve seals would be when, if you first let it idle a few minutes, rapidly giving it a lot of gas (like, stomp it to the floor, but RPMs don't have to race that much, a few K) creates a puff of oil-smelling smoke.

[fliprayzin240sx]

If this is on an S13 SR, how's the line from the valvecover T hooked up to the intake tract? You said you got an oil catch can. If the T is plumbed back into the intake, oil could be coming from there. If not, then oil is coming from the turbo compressor, seals done.

[corkscrew]

The front of the T goes to the catch can, the back of the T goes to the block. The passenger side goes directly to the catch can. Catch can has a breather on it as well

[fliprayzin240sx]

So wait, front of your T and the PCV is routed to the same catch can?

[corkscrew]

Just like this. Is this incorrect??

[corkscrew]

Those aren't my pictures but I have the same setup. There's no leaking out of my lines though

[fliprayzin240sx]

No its not supposed to be routed like that. But if yours is routed that way, only thing that would dump oil into your piping is gonna be your turbo.

[corkscrew]

How should I route it if that isn't right? PCV back into the intake?

[hypergear]

Probably a restrictive catch can. Remove it and plumb the breathers back to where they came from and see if oil/smoke clears away.

[corkscrew]

Yeah I'm going to put it back to how it was before I had the catch can and I'll post the results later on

[corkscrew]

Ok this is my temporary catch can location until I hook up my e-fans so you guys can see how everything is routed. Where do I connect a hose back to the intake manifold?

[Mikester]

Unless my eyes deceive me, you have an -AN fitting where your PCV valve should be; which would explain the smoke.

No bueno.

[cotbu]

Originally Posted by Mikester

Unless my eyes deceive me, you have an -AN fitting where your PCV valve should be; which would explain the smoke.

No bueno.

Nope, the inability to evacuate positive pressure explains the smoke. So even if there was a pcv valve installed with his current routing, it would still smoke at wot!
just fix it!