alpine

Hey Peeps!, been a while...

So I'm coming up on nearly 30K Hard *** FI/TT Miles, coming up on 60K on the odometer.

For the last few months, I have been having some trouble with "smoke"....

As some of you know, APS TT's are notorious for smoking when the Oil level is too high, this is NOT the problem...

The problem doesn't occur under high load/boost, the problem seems to be most visible when I have been either cruising along, then come to a stop or a crawl for 10-20 seconds and then I will get a pretty big cloud of smoke.

If I don't get on it, for a day or 2, and then I do, I will get a cloud.

I did a compression/leak down test, and everything came back "ok" however there was (1) cylinder that was clinging to that last hair of OK on the gauge.

Since then I have stayed off track, haven't dragged, and more or less stop goofing off in order to buy as much time as possible before "pop" or whatever was coming....

Yes I am burning some oil, but nothing to be alarmed about, considering all that the motor has been through. I'm losing arounnd 1/2 quart of oil within 3K/4K miles, which is about what I have been losing since I have been flogging this car, and I believe that to be "acceptable".

My Catch Can would get 1/2 up the marker within 2 oil changes, and this would only happen if I was trackking/dragging the car.

If I drove it "casual" almost nothing would end up in the Catch Can.

This is NOT a complaint/rant thread... I have beat the hell out of my car for over 50K and 30K of that has been FI and we all know tons of people who have done far less than I have, and blown motors, or better yet wrecked their car.

Fortunately I haven't been through either, but I'm sure one is more than likely to happen sooner than later.

What I am looking for is the best way to diagnose what might be going on with the engine, and consider piecing this togehter just a bit longer

or

Do I have to bite the bullet, and see about doing an enging build and blowing 10/15K....

I would appreciate as much official/professional advise on this matter I can get and thanks for all of it in advance....

See ya round.

Joe

Wired 24/7

iTrader: (2)

Given what you said about the compression test, maybe one of your rings is wearing out.

97supratt

iTrader: (61)

It's definitely your rings but since you said the compression isn't too bad I would put a much thicker oil like 20w50 so it won't smoke as bad until you save up for a build.

Good luck man.

gothchick

iTrader: (12)

Do you have a catch can installed? How much blow-by are you getting?

Wired 24/7

iTrader: (2)

.

alpine

Wired, thanks for looking out on the catch can question, and of course I am thinking the rings(s) is going out, but I was wondering if anyone thought it could be the valves and if it would be worth pursuing that route?

In regards to the "thicker oil" I never heard of that approach, although I guess it makes sense as I am running synthetic I don't know if 20/50 will really do the trick....

Hmmm, that's an interesting point only for the follow reason; Up until lately I had been mixing my oils with 3 10/30 and 2 20/50 in order to add a little more protection for when I am beating on the car track/drag/play type stuff.

For the last 2 oil changes I had pretty much straight 10/30 and I have had MORE smoke in these last 2 changes 6/7K miles than I ever have and I as I also mentioned I have been taking it easy on the motor.

Perhaps I will just go ahead and mix in 3 of the 20/50's and 2 10/30's and see
if that lessens the severity of the problem.

Hmmm.....

Thanks for the input guys.....

And once again, I will have to start asking, "who is building up with what and who/where".

As always, thanks!

Joe

97supratt

iTrader: (61)

It's better not to mix different weight oils. The only difference with the 20w50 would be the thickness at cold and warm temps. You might feel a slight power loss but not by much.

I have seen a few oil additives which claim they will fix the smoke if you are buring oil from the rings but they basically do the same thing just make the oil thicker. Just try 5 quarts of 20w50 for your next oil change and see if it helps.

alpine

97,

Thanks for the post, I have been mixing my oil after several conversations with Tier 2 Support @ Mobile 1 Oil.

I actually spoke with several people across the board there and a some of them had their own "toys" with similar usage as my own and they said it was perfectly fine to mix the oil as I was stating and as it is synthetic, the ratio/formula will end up being something along the lines of 15/40 (something between 10/30 and 20/50.

The idea was to get the better "flow" at startup, which they claim their 20/50flows nearly as well as 10/30 (organic) so adding the 10/30 will improve it at startup, and the enhanced protection from the 20/50 on the top end/load would give that much more protection.

I discussed my oil configuration a ways back here on the board because I was getting concerned about the "higher pressure" at startup being damn near 90 and until the motor warmed up and then it drops down to 60.

I think I will start of with 3 20/50's and see how that goes, if it doesn't improve I can go to 5 (actually 4.5 with my setup).

Thanks again, and I am still open for more suggestions/input.

I'm still looking to see what you guys are building your engines with these days, and those in southern cali "where".

I'm still considering going with a Cosworth engine build myself...

Joe

clipso 01

iTrader: (1)

i have 70k on my z and it is smoking exactly like yours. I have yet to do a comression test though. I will let you know what my problem is once i find it, until then goodluck

alpine

Clipso,

Thanks for dropping in, when do you think you are going to do that?

After a bit more research, although I have had NO TIME to do anything about it, this is possibly simply a check-valve on the
intake lines, not the oil return lines...

I am hoping to get my car down to my tech next week (somehow) and have some of the tricky (yet simple) stuff checked out.....

I'd love to find something simple.... If I get this done, I will let you guys know
ASAP and I am looking forward to any and all news from Clipso and/or anyone
else.

Thanks again,

Joe

MethodRN

iTrader: (13)

curious why you are blowing smoke? It doesn't seem like you are FI.... Sorry to steal the thread. Good luck to the OP and let us know what's the deal.

alpine

Method,

FI or not some of what we are dealing with may not have anything directly related to the FI equip/setup, so I wouldn't mind seeing what he/other's go through when troubleshooting.

THanks for dropping by!

clipso 01

iTrader: (1)

update, i have found a bit of oil leaking out, i hope it is not a head gasket

rr_z33

iTrader: (2)

check the seals on the turbo sounds like the problem i had on my old car

alpine

Update:

After a general once over, "we" performed the following and the problem seems to be "resolved" as of this time.

(1)
I was going to service/replace one of the oil return lines before this problem cam up so we went ahead and did that. It had a slight leak at the end due to the fitting/end of the hose giving out a bit.

(2)
Performed a leak down / compression test. Compression is perfect across the board, however the leak down test is "less than good" but not necessarily bad.

From my previous test, I had ONE cylinder which was barely "good" and now I have TWO cylinders which are barely "good" but neither is "bad".

(3)
Went ahead and swapped out the 10/30 mobil 1 mix, over to 15/50 (vs. 20/50 to improve startup flow)

(4)
The coils are all working to spec and the spark plugs all look great and appear to be running "optimally"

I have had the car up and running myself now for 2+ days and I haven't had a single puff of smoke under "normal" conditions.

My tech had the car for 2+ days and experienced the same after the described services.

I'm going to run "like this" for the next oil change cycle, and then I am going to switch down to the 10/30 mix and see if the smoke comes back.

If it does, we know it's the rings as it needs the thicker oil to not get past

If it doesn't then it was the oil return line.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

Joe

97supratt

iTrader: (61)

Glad you got it checked out. May I ask which two cylinders are the 'not so good' ones? Do you also have a catch can?

alpine

97,

I don't have my notes in front of me right now but I want to say it was 2 & 5.

And yes I have a catch can, I mentioned that in my 1st post:

When I get back to my office, I will dig up my notes and confirm the cylinders. Why do you ask? Is there going to be some "expected reasoning" behind which cylinders are "failing"?

Thanks again