i have a turbonetics t3t4 that i got for a really good deal used but ive had it on for about 2 weeks now and when ever i really get into boost, theres alot of smoke coming from the bay and i smell oil burning. also smokes alot on cold starts. is it my seals or could it be something else? any help is appreciated...

 

There are plenty of areas that you need to check before you worry about "seals". (bad term). Oil may be blowing past the shaft piston ring, but could be because of the way you're feeding the turbo, the way the line is return, too much oil pressure, etc. Have ALL of those checked next time you remove the turbocharger and have it inspected before continuing to drive. Which to check first, you ask? Check them all at the same time, as they work together.

 

the feed and return are exactly straight up and down. im using a 1/8" oil restrictor which is what turbonetics recomends. i have a -10an drain line. i cant check the pressure tho cuz i dont have an oil pressure sensor. if it was because of the shaft piston ring, how much would a rebuild be? or does that not warrant a complete rebui;d? i have no shaft play in the turbo if that has anything to do with it....?

 

that doesn't sound correct for an oil restrictor size, but either way, if it were too small you would have STARVED the system, not induced too much oil. It may not be small enough. The size of the return line isn't as much of a concern as the configuration. If it is "straight up and down", there could be a kink in the top from the flange to the line itself. you just have to be sure. Typically a new piston ring, thrust bearings locks, etc should work fine. But be sure those other things are addressed or you'll just be wasting time and money.

 

Most turbo suppliers don't seem to understand how the Honda oil system works. They pretend our motors were designed with a turbo in mind and have a low-pressure feed line from the factory. IIRC a journal bearing t3 will want 50psi max, while Honda b/d pumps won't bypass until 60psi. Cold starts can be >90psi.

Another thing that can mess up a good oil setup is blow-by. Bad rings will pressurize the crankcase and add pressure in the turbo. Any time the drain hole is covered (sloshing oil), it will compound the problem.

1/8" just seems too big. All the people I know run .060" restrictors, and none of them have had a mysterious turbo failure.

 

yea. 1/8" is the same as using a 3an feed line with no restrictor. .060" is the same as a 1/16" restrictor or half of what im using. like stated above i definately did not want to starve the turbo so i went with what turbonetics recomended. if it could have more then 90 psi of oil pressure on cold start is that why that the only time i smoke out of boost? smokes alot for about 5 or 10 mins. at cold start. kind of embarasing an its coming straight out of the compressor on the turbo. also the compressor housing collects some oil on the edge of the housing.. is that normal. a friend said his does it too and he has a brand new turbo on his k24. is it?

 

if its over 90psi for a cold start, that's a bit too high.. that's why it will do that a bit.

 

also, could it be that because im using mobile one synthetitic 10w-40? and becuase its been below freezing here and the oil is so heavy, that its not flowing well until it heats up??.. jus a thought?

 

no. That would not have an effect on that.