Signs & Symptoms of Valve Seal Leak

[Lextreme II]

I think my brand new motor is experiencing this problem. I drove for about 3.5 hours two days ago from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The drive awesome on the freeway and boosted very nice. However, everytime I stop or slow down after boost, I know a cloud of moke coming out from the tail pipes. The smoke is massive. The color? I am not sure but its somewhat white.

Here is a boosting video I took a day ago and please ignore the music.... I hope its not my valve seals. I am loosing some oil under the engine also. The engine is brand new, turbo is brand new. Its pretty much everything are brand new.

Here is my take on this... its possible tuning but not sure....

 

[cjsupra90]

my first guess is that it might be the turbo's. Does it smoke on start up? Pull the plugs and look for any signs of oil burning, also pull the compressor discharge discharge IC pipe and look for oil in there. If no signs of oil burn on plugs and no oil in the IC pipe then its either exhaust valve stem seals of the turbine side of the turbo. Can you tell where the oil is leaking from that you said is under the engine?

 

[Lextreme II]

No smoke at start up. It only smoke after the engine is HOT. I need to check where it is. I need to jack up the car to find out.

 

[toad007]

Like he said ,pull the intake plumbing and look for signs of oil leakage by way of the turbo. Pull the plugs and look for fouled plugs from oil. If you are burning oil, and the smoke is really white, you must be burning an assload of oil. Otherwise if its white, it can be coolant. A good thing to have in your toolbox is a leakdown tester if you ever suspest a headgasket/valve/ring problem. Also, if it does turn out to be your valve stem seals, you might want to consider getting the valve stems knurled too.

 

[Lextreme II]

Ok,

Got 4 spark plugs out today and they all look ok. No sign of oil. Check out the pictures. I think its the turbo..... The exhaust turbine might be leaking.

 

[Cobra]

LOL, you didn't buy your Turbo from China by any chance?

 

[cribbj]

Those plugs look like the motor could have been running really rich as well as burning oil. How's your AFR David?

Are you running one of the new GT turbo's that's really finicky about its oil supply?

John

 

[Lextreme II]

John,
The AFR is between low 11s to high 14s. However, these plugs are looking alot better then before. Yes, I am running GT40 with Precision turbine. However I speculate that Garrett CHRA and Precision Turbine doesn't mate too well and possibly oil leak in the gap. I hope its not the valve seals or the turbo... tunning can always alter....

 

[toad007]

Are your turbos getting too much oil pressure? Could a simple restriction in the line solve this?

 

[Lextreme II]

I am afraid if i restrict it, then i might starve it. Its a fine line...... I might take out the turbo this weekend and find out more about it. If this is the problem, i might just get a GT35R with .86 A/R and max it out to about 600 hp.

 

[WDoherty]

Haven't you had the same problem with you master power t70 turbo, it sounds like you might have to do something about the possible excessive oil pressure that is getting to the turbo before another one blows.

 

[jibby]

David, How fast did you get that baby going, they're some good straights on that highway, just got to look out for the chp radar from above? I did 138mph on that same drive to Vegas in my sc400, had a little wheel vibration but was smoothe! Good luck with the smoke it still looked nice in the video.

 

[Cobolt]

You almost always must have a restrictor in the oil line to a turbo, measure your oil pressure and line diameters and call the firm from where you baught the turbos, they should be able to help you.

If oil pressure is higher than the turbo can take, its a matter of hours (or worse) before it fails.

 

[cjsupra90]

the CHRG and housing joint wont make a difference of oil leaking. oil should not be getting in to that section to begin with. I agree with others, you probably are getting to high of oil pressure to the turbo.

 

[cribbj]

ATPTurbo has lots of interesting "bits" on their site for DIY'ers. Here's a link to a 0.035" inlet restrictor fitting for the GT turbo's:

http://www.atpturbo.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ATP-OIL-021&Category_Code=OIL


And the same thing, but 0.060" for those of us running old school "T" turbos: http://www.atpturbo.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ATP-OIL-022&Category_Code=OIL

Maybe Max will chime in here with the size of restrictor they run at Sound Performance on the GT turbos.

John

 

[Lextreme II]

Thanks guys. The problem is solved. I put in a .065" oil restrictor. However, I was afraid the .065" wasnt big enough and might burn the turbo seals. I enlarged it slightly to about .075". The car is not smoking now and i am very happy. Matter of fact it idles better now. The inside diameter of a type 4-AN is about .165". I think not only the oil pressure, but also the oil volume. I think Lexus 1UZFE have very strong oil pump. I attached an oil pressure reference.