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would oil burning off header wrap

B

BrApple

No Life But CEG
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create what appears to be white smoke? or at least it appears white through the tint on my back window.

I do know that some oil is dripping at two different points onto the header wrap. One is at the oil pan and the other is from the turbo drain. both are seaping alittle oil, but not a hugh amount.

what I see happening is when I get into the boost, say rolling into 5th on the highway after I let off I get a cloud of white smoke. I haven't noticed this at 3 psi, except for alittle coming out from under the hood after running it really hard. anything above that it will.

Now there is no smoke under normal driving, only when running in boost. The coolant level hasn't changed and the oil level is still good despite the slight leaks. Does not appear to be signs of oil in the coolant and the oil doesn't smell funny like there is coolant in the oil. The idle is perfect, water and oil temps are perfect and so is the vacuum at idle. When I checked the plugs the other week they where fine also.

I did read some old posts that suggest this is oil burning off the header wrap. I do belive this is what is happeneing as I sometime smell burning oil when this happens. I haven't had anyone follow me yet so I don't know if this is coming out of the exhaust or from under the car. And like I said it only happens after running in boost which of course is going to heat things up more then normal.

does anyone else agree?
 
It's very likely that it is just oil burning off of the wrap.

You really do need to get someone behind you to determine if its from under the car or from the exhaust.

You should be able to take apart the intake plumbing before the TB and see if there is any oil in there. If there is then the oil is most likely getting past the seals in the turbo and the smoke is from the exhaust.

Double check your PCV valve and make sure it seals under boost. If not you could be preasurizing the crankcase and injesting oil that way.

I imagine that the restrictor is correct being that the whole kit came from NPG, but that did come to mind when I read your post.

The drain line isn't kinked or anything is it? It is interesting that it is only in the higher boost levels that are causing it...makes me think that oil is being forced somewhere by the boost preasure.
 
well like I said I have had a little smoke from out under the hood at the low boost but that was after i was on it for a few minutes flat out. Those are the time I smell burning oil. but that was recently. The first few times I drove the car it did the same thing but i assummed that was the header paint baking.

Now the other weekend it was smoking alittle but that was more carbon/oil and was black. those following me said it was from the exhaust. and I was told that was normal for boosted contours. This is completely different.

The only thing different is the tune and a O2 sensor I believe. I have been driving on a testing tune which has the long term fuel trims turned off. The wide band indicates the A/F is running between 11.8~12.2 when I am on it. the apexi turbo timer running off the factory O2 sensor says its going over 10. I didn't go back to the tune as I am waiting for an update as it was leaning out bank 1 over time for some reason and it was making everything run really hot. Now it isn't running as hot and is running really well.

Last time I had the intake pipe off it was clean inside as I recall.

drain line should be straight with no kinks. Off the copper line that was provided the hose runs down behind the header and is tapped into the block.
 
I almost forgot. I also just installed a test pipe and ditched the high flow cat I did have installed.
 
ok checked the coolant yesterday and its good and clean, green with no discoloration. smelled like coolant.

checked the oil and it didn't smell odd either. Just needs to be changed already it appears.

no odd smells from the exhaust. if anything its running very rich as it reminds me of my fathers 69 mustang ...

no white smoke while driving yesterday. there was some after start up but that went away as it was most likely mosture from a normal start up. I think I saw a bit of a black maybe bluish smoke. but I believe I the car is running rich as the exhaust tips are covered again and they where pretty clean the other day.

again no odd idle, its running fine and making good power. again its most noticable to me after I let off the gas after accelerating.
 
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you're sure you're not sucking oil from the PCV or anything upon closing the throttle off suddenly?

that would smoke white when you let off after being on it, but it would be FROM the exhaust (which you don't know for sure)
 
Ray said:
you're sure you're not sucking oil from the PCV or anything upon closing the throttle off suddenly?

that would smoke white when you let off after being on it, but it would be FROM the exhaust (which you don't know for sure)
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no I don't know that. the pcv is less than a year old but I understand that it might not seal under boost. I know it has been working its way out alittle as I have been pressing it back in every so often.
 
When I was having issues from smoking, I switched over to a T-bird turbo coupe's PCV valve (motorcraft part IIRC, went to the stealership to get the "correct" one.

It totally seals when it should, it's either open or totally closed. :cool: Even a new Contour PCV leaked pretty bad, and so did part store "turbo coupe" PCV valve (likely a cross used PCV that would fit, but not work as it really should).

Also, yes.... oily heat wrap will eventually burn off any oil. It'll just be kinda stinky and may put out a bit of smoke for a bit, but it depends on how saturated it is.
 
Brian if you want we can go for a drive. :shrug:
I can do my best to help you find where the source of the smoke is, but I don't know if my car can keep up :laugh:
 
ryanblacksvt said:
SMELLY
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Oh yes it does, even normally (I think ATF smells like wicked smokers morning breath ) it smells bad. When it's soaked into fiberglas impregnated heat wrap and you have to cook the shiz out........ :eek::help:

If it's more than just the wrap, and you're getting smoke out of your exhaust.... I'd switch out the PCV with the 'real' Turbocoupe's from the stealership.

If it's still smoking, and there's no oil in the TB (do you have any type of catch can installed?) you may want to pull your downpipe and see if you have any oil in it because your turbo might be crapping out.

If there's no oil, a leak down test can give you a better idea of the condition your engine is in. You might be seeing some blow by.
 
no catch can at the moment but I am goign to reinstall it soon.


I hope it isn't the turbo as it is brand new ... again it only seems to smoke after running hard and the throttle is closed.

i will look into the pcv also.
 
Has it always done this, or is it just starting to?

If you run it hard and it gets hot and you don't allow the turbo to cool, it won't take long to cook the turbo. Is it water cooled?
 
Swazo said:
Has it always done this, or is it just starting to?

If you run it hard and it gets hot and you don't allow the turbo to cool, it won't take long to cook the turbo. Is it water cooled?
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as far as I know it didn't do it at 3 psi. I started running at 8 psi and it started smoking alittle, carbon and maybe alittle oil. I believe its still running alittle rich.

Also by datalogging we have found that one bank is running leaner then the other. I believe joey said about a 10to 20% difference. Letting the PCM adapt itself over time it leans out and of course increases EGTs. running a tune that turns the self adating off keeps the A/F spot on.

just recently was when I was getting the white smoke. that has since seem to have deminished. now its just black with alittle oil possibly. and it only seems to be present after openning it up then closing the throttle.

I have a turbo timer and always allow the car to idle and cool before turning it off. it is not water cooled. I know the turbine housing has been up around 700 degrees when I checked it with my infered thermometer. The oil temp has only once gotten up to around 250 or more. other wise its normally around 215
 
Sounds like blow by if its oil... Livinsvt has / had this same issue. Most prevalent in WOT to closed throttle situations (i.e waterford)
 
Pudmunkie said:
Sounds like blow by if its oil... Livinsvt has / had this same issue. Most prevalent in WOT to closed throttle situations (i.e waterford)
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Just for claification he means oil blowing by the turbo oil seals, not pcv blow by. This is a problem on decel for me. Doesnt seem to happen at Wot actualy.
 
BrApple said:
as far as I know it didn't do it at 3 psi. I started running at 8 psi and it started smoking alittle...
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Uh oh...... that sounds like what happend with my CSVT.

Just to clarify, I do mean that it could be poorly sealing piston rings. My CSVT went from a little smoke and progressivly got worse to the point it was like I had a batmobile and was trying to ditch someone. From the sound of things, it's starting off with the issues I had. I really do hope that it's a lesser of all the possible reasons.

I reworked my oil drain line and upgraded to water cooled bearing center after my car passed a compression test. A leak down test would have told me what I needed/wanted to know right off the bat.

That's why I would check the things, in the order I listed (easier - tougher). Odd the adaptive learning ends up throwing one bank off so much, how're your upstream o2's? I remember having a slight issue like that too, I took a lot of notes so let me check them and see what I went through just incase it can help you :shrug: Also, Jon (Exdelayed) was having an issue with his SC'd CSVT that was very simular and hit me up because of what happend to Swazo, let me check with him (since he doesn't post too much anymore).
 
the bank 1 upstream sensor is a bocsh replacment that is a few years old. the bank 2 I just replaced the other week. It is also a bocsh sensor but th eone I picked up for my zetec.

Again watching my mirrors I only see smoke when clossing the throttle after being at wot. It doesn't appear to smoke any when at part throttle, about 75% and then closing the throttle.

how much could oil weight factor into this? right now I am runnign Mobil1 5w-30. I have read in teh archives that some have run 0w-40? what is suggested? car will not be driven much if at all over the winter and where i am can see some pretty humid hot ~100 degree days but that isn't to often.
 
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ok drove the car again last night on a non-adjusting tune. A/F was good and stayed that way.

I did get white smoke again after going wot and clossing the throttle all the way.

I installed a PRT oil seperator on the PCV and the valve cover vents. The valve cover vent one didn't pick anything up and there was still alittle oil left in the pcv one as I had been using it before. Interesting enough the PCV valve popped out of the hose running to the oil sperator between the heads. However there was still airflow through the seperator. I plan to zip tie or clamp the pcv in now.

Now the amount of white smoke did decrease as time went on, and again after warming it up pretty good and coming to a stop off the highway it was smoking out from under the hood. But again the turbo oil drain is leaking so I attribute it to that. However there was still some black smoke in the air on the same wot to closed throttle.


ok from what I have read in the pcv delete thread I installed the seperator on the valve cover vents wrong since it has a direction of flow. just going to remove it for now.


goign to try to pull the turbo tonight to reseal the oil drain and I will also check for oil in the down pipe. if not I will tomorrow.
 
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finished a compression test this afternoon, engine was cold ...

as view from the front of the engine

170 160 170
185 155 165

think I should do this again on a warm engine.
 
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