Lessons Learned
 

I'm not sure if y'all remember but I posted a few days ago (weeks?) about how my turbo setup lasted 20,000 miles and yada yada.. Well, I found out what was causing the huge cloud of smoke at stoplights. I, at the time, believed it to be the piston rings, but it turns out to have been my turbo.

When I was home Christmas break I changed the oil before I came back to Nash, Tenn. to come to school. The oil filter wasn't on properly so I sprayed all (or so I thought) of my oil onto the ground. So I added another 3 quarts to even it out. Well, I apparantly still had a lot still in my pan and when I checked it the oil was so clear that I couldn't even see it on the dipstick tube (yeah, it was dark and cold outside). So I guess my oil level was higher than the oil drain from the turbo and caused the turbo to jack up and spray oil all in my chargepipes, back into the cumbustion chamber causing huge puffs (entire intersections) of smoke (only at idle..., weird).

A few things to NOT do with a turbo veh. :

1. Don't overfill the oil
2. Don't use that 'Restore' Stuff or 'NO Smoke' - it basically kills the turbo I've been told
3. Don't keep driving it when you figure out the turbo is jacked up because it makes a huge mess..

I guess there are a few more, but it's all good now. I purchased a brand new IHI Rhb5 for $390.00 and everything ran fine.

Oh yeah, I do have a question. What symptoms can a bad PCV valve cause? Mine needs to be replaced.

Re:Lessons Learned
 

$390 for an RHB5...OMG. What size are your oil lines? are you using a restrictor valve? assuming you have no kinks on the oil drain right?

The PCV will not work on a positive pressure setup so get a catch can fast before you blow up.

Re:Lessons Learned
 

yes that's quite a bit even if its brand new......anyways hopefully it'll all work out now

Re:Lessons Learned
 

lol, i've got a better 'i don't know why i'm smoking, but i assume it's my rings story'. comin home from the track one night after putting new clutch in a few nights before, i noticed some smoke behind me on decel and coming up in the cab near the e brake (open dp). assuming it's my rings or ringlands, i continue driving the car for a few days, smoking all the time on decel like a mofo, check oil every day, never goes down a drop ??? do leak down, comes back perfect ??? must be the turbo right? still doesn't answer why my oil level hasn't gone down any in two weeks? check dp/charge pipes for oil, all is good, what the hell else could it be? so i'm under my car one day, doing god only knows what, and i notice my tranny and everything behind it covered in oil :P started paying closer attention and realized the axle seal was ripped (i'm assuming happened during clutch install), oil was dripping down the axle which was spinning and kicking it up on to the fire wall, which was dripping directly on to my dp, go figure :P

Re:Lessons Learned
 

I don't understand this... I'm supposed to put the catch can on the crankcase vent. right? Which is what use to run to the intake pipe to suck the vapors back in and burn them. Now, the PCV is ON the intake itself and it runs to my manifold...

I've been running with the PCV valve for 20,000 boosted miles, I'm not sure I understand what's going on here.

Re:Lessons Learned
 

As long as you don't have it setup so you're putting pressure into the engine you should be fine. Just make sure if you are going to put the vapor back into your engine to burn it, that you make the hole for that BEFORE the turbo so that you don't force air where it shouldn't be.

I think thats right?

Re:Lessons Learned
 

http://www.beesandgoats.com/boostfaq/PCV_turbo_1fit.jpg

you shouldn't be sucking oil vapour back to the turbo intake, its not only just vapour most of the time its actual oil. Use that configuration and you'll be good.

"The valve cover fitting has a breather filter on it. Air flows through the crankcase and out of the PCV port which now has a plastic 90* barbed fitting in it (no PCV valve). From the PCV port, the air flows into the side of the catch can and out of the top of the can. Air then flows back to the pre-turbo intake pipe. A 90* fitting is not required here because air flowing across the opening of the fitting in the intake pipe will draw air out in the direction of air flow (the same reason water comes out the top of a straw when it is submerged in a glass of water and you blow across the top of it)."

from G2IC turbo guide.
http://www.beesandgoats.com/boostfaq/g2icturbo.html

Re:Lessons Learned
 

Thanks for your help Topspeed.

One of my problems is I'm having a good amound of oil/smoke coming out of my valve cover breather... I guess this could indicate that my piston rings are allowing blow-by.

Re:Lessons Learned
 

a leak down will tell all.........

Re:Lessons Learned
 

i dont understand this picture? all motors need to be setup like this or only the h22's n ---- or what? mine aint like that and i dont kno to many cars that are..