Blown Turbos .......... NOT !!

hi guys - if you recall, i mentioned earlier that i thought my 2nd turbo had gone (HUUUGE billowing puff of white smoke out the back) and upon consultation with a few people - it was thought that it was definitely the turbos. i sourced a second-hand pair of J-spec ceramics as soon as i could and sent the car in to do the necessary swopping around work.

it now transpires that BOTH turbos are fine (they were individually tested at pressure by a turbo repair centre) and are in fact in very good condition. i duly retained my set on the car and my seller of the spare turbos very kindly took back the un-needed set. the mechanic drove around and felt the car was tight and was making all the proper noises and power (but running a bit lean at full WOT so causing misfire i think).

i took the car out for a longer run on the motorway on monday just to see how it felt with prolonged driving and my impressions are that it seems perfectly fine. i had gone to meet a friend and on the way home with him behind me (same guy was in the car when they first 'went' ), he saw the tell-tale sign of more white smoke (enough not to be dismissed out of hand) and the funny thing was - it was coming from under the car and NOT out the exhaust !!

after discussing this with him and the mechanic - we're all a bit stumped as to what could be causing this. it only happens when accelerating and only sometimes at that! the mechanic did say he found the remnants of a plastic bag that had melted near the exhaust but was sure this was not the problem.

this is worrying as smoke at any time is not a good sign. i believe the turbo seals were replaced and all the necessary piping and hoses were all in place (checked with car on a ramp) and doubly checked. could anyone enlighten me as to what could be causing this please ? i have a fmic, the erl kit, the fse/walbro but am on 440 injectors. many thanks

p.s. is it potentially true that having 264 cams could cause a slight misfire at WOT ? cheers all .............

I can't help mate, but thats some good news about your tubbies

Roy I will talk to mark later. Not water related is it?

tel - according to mark, everything seemed just fine so am not too sure what it could be. all i know is that it is puzzling and worrying (for me). thank you.

sky - thanks mate. it was a relief too .......

front or rear crank oil seal leaking a bit, dripping back on to the exhaust perhaps? Hows the oil consumption?

JB

ooooh good thinking JB. BTW we have ( or think so) a fix for the FMS now.

It was the bit about smoking some times that gives it away, when my crank oil seal went at Bentwaters people told me the car was smoking a lot on hard acceleration. The undertray does a great job of catching and holding on to oil so it could be its just dripping off that on acceleration.

FMS?

JB

ahh ... thanks JB. i will ask about that being a possibility. even if it isn't, it will be good to cancel it off the list of possible causes ..

Sorry FMS = Front Main oil Seal. I have passed a supposed fix method to Dude to try. We'll see if his car holds up. So far a few 8k rpm, 10 second passes have been OK:thumbs:

I can see it now, open the bonnet and all thats left is the front crank oil seal sitting on the undertray

I think Foodfreak may be interested in that fix if it works.

JB

Originally posted by Branners

I can see it now, open the bonnet and all thats left is the front crank oil seal sitting on the undertray :)JB

how important is it to get sorted right away ? either the fms or crank seal ....... ?

You saying Dude tests to destruction mate LOL

Roy, they are the same thing. Depends how badly it's leaking mate. IF it is that it can't be bad or you'd know eh JB:innocent:

Originally posted by Terry S

Depends how badly it's leaking mate. IF it is that it can't be bad or you'd know eh JB:innocent:

ok - something to get looked at soon-ish i guess ...

btw - how expensive to fix ?

Hold on just a sec tho...

I was in the car the 1st time the #2 went. It was 100% without a doubt non-functional that day. The cloud of smoke was really really unbelievable. No way in hell could it have been slight oil leak or bag, etc. After it went, there was only 0.8bar max and absolutely 0 kick at 4k+ RPM.

Since your inspection, all is back to normal yet I think there is something definitely amiss. I took it for a spin Monday and it was really really hesitant to kick 2nd turbo, and when it did it wasnt solid at all. Sometimes it would come up slightly and then drop down to 0.8 again. Sometimes not come on at all.

On Monday, I was trailing behind you up the motorway when you were trying to give it stick. I flashed you down because of the same white smoke coming out the back of the car. It wasnt out the exhaust, it was from underneath / engine bay. Im talking about white smoke trailing about 2-3 carlengths at 80mph.

I would really consider taking it for a second opinion.

Good point Jason, we have probably jumped off course a bit. It really needs the VSV's etc checking out. Dude may be favourite Roy.

thanx for the input and perspective J .

maybe cuz i haven't really caned it since this first happened that i have been lulled into a false sense of it (the power delivery) being OK - from zero 2nd turbo to working 2nd turbo so i guess it felt like all was ok.

J is absolutely right. the first time, there was NO 2nd turbo but yet seems to have become alright now. i take your point about the hesitant 2nd turbo and have considered what we discussed that day ie actuators, vsv's etc etc.

also - could the fact that the BC has been switched off (all this while) maybe the cause of the 2nd turbo not pulling as hard as it did before or causing that slight hesitation ? i wasn't really giving it too much stick so was wondering if there could be other causes eg JB's/ Terry's thoughts.

terry - you may well be right. might have to go off to dude's for a look see.

J - thx bud.

Roy the reason I went single first of all is that I was stick of the VSV etc problems, and never being certain I would get #2. Let Dude take a peak as he went through the mill on his car with it, and get Matt to fit the TTC switch.

terry - i will indeed have it looked at for those suggested problems. i already have the ETTC done on mine BTW ...

so when in ETTC do you get #2 all the time? and the weird missfire??

i will find out today. i totally forgot i had it done 'till you reminded me. will post up what i find out then ........... thanks.

Transmission fluid burns very white when it hits a hot exhaust or perhaps some of Roys onion bhaji's are sitting on the manifold .

Dude:flame Dev

Originally posted by dude

perhaps some of Roys onion bhaji's are sitting on the manifold .

Dude:flame Dev

i'll try and see if i find any tell-tale leakage later - thanks a bunch guys.