shoebox

I installed my turbo, head, cam, and everything. I bought the car from a friend and the turbo kit from the same friend. He had this setup last year but took it off, and I bought both of them. It is the Apexi SOHC kit if that helps. It ran fine last summer: no leaks, smoke, nothing, he actually ran 12.9. The only thing that we modified was the return line a little bit, but I think that when we did it, it may have had a kink. So we started it up and it was blowing smoke. BAD!!! We pulled the plugs, and all were good except for the far driver side one. When we pulled it, some smoke came out of the hole. Then we decided to pull off the turbo and found oil the the IC piping. Could it be caused from the return line. Or is something else wrong! Would have blown the seals on the turbo? I didn't boost at all we just let it idle. I have no idea, I just want to drive my baby. HELP!!!!!

shoebox

PPPPPPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSS EEEEEEEE help!\

MooreBoost

Fix the kink in the return line.

11SEC CIV

you said the only thing modified was return line....whats the story w/ the head?

PrettyLude

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MooreBoost &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Fix the kink in the return line.</TD></TR></TABLE>

s2kdre

too late since the turbo was leaking into the charge pipe oil was getting into the intake which causes the ringlands to go bad thats why you saw smoke from number 4 cylinder.

shoebox

I don't think that the oil went into the intake, because it was only in the pipe coming off of the turbo. I don't think that it could have built enough pressure to suck into the motor. And it started to smoke right away, right when we started it. Do you think that it could possibly be my head gasket. I have arp head studs, and some of them have molly lube and 2 of them don't. Could it have caused it not to torque down right and be letting in coolant? I am lost, Help PLEASE

shoebox

The HEAD situation: It is a DHR head that has been milled, port polished, high flow valves....etc. He has had a problem on the intake side of the head where the coolant goes into it. It is not level for some reason, but he put liguid gasket around it when he put it on and so did I. If coolant was leaking into the head from there, wouldn't it be the number one cylinder instead of the number four?

EJ1 wilcox

I really really doubt you blew your head gasket just idleing...

Why don't you think it was the oil return's fault? If there's a kink oil gets backed up and comes out the seals... hopefully they aren't blown or it's time for a new turbo...

shoebox

I took it to a turbo shop and the guy said that there is no shaft play and that he thinks it is wierd that oil is coming out of both the intake side and exhaust side of the turbo. He said try the return line first and se if that works before he rebuilds it. And plus, it wasn't smoking when my friend took it off, and the return line was the only thing that we changed....... Do you have any ideas that could help me?

sbiggi

How about you fix the return line.... and go from there??

Think about it... you changed one thing, so what could it be?

shoebox

anyone else have any other ideas, I know that oil didn't go into the intake. Oil was just in the pipe coming right off the turbo. I drove it around the block, not in boost, and it idle for like 15 mins. At first I thought that maybe some thing got into the cylinder and just had to burn off, but I don't think that that is the case.

PrettyLude

its the return line, it caused ur seals to blow therefore causing you have to oil in your charge piipe

turboEGhatch

It's the return line. Oil backed up and gushed through the seals on both sides of the turbo.

J337_UNIT

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turboEGhatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It's the return line. Oil backed up and gushed through the seals on both sides of the turbo.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yea thats what im thinking... flooded out the center cartidge of the turbo.

VtecAdil

so if that happens, if he fixes the return line will the turbo still be good or is it time for a rebuild? also could he be pushing too much oil pressure for the turbo?

PrettyLude

once oil backs up like that, seals are probably shot, or pretty worn to where it won't last that long

shoebox

so I should get the turbo rebuilt too? If the seals are bad, will there be shaft play? Also, could the seals blow out from jsut idling? This whole turbo thing really sucks. I want it so bad, but it is just problem after problem! If anyone can answer these questions it would be great.

maurob18a1

about the smoking... disconnect the hot pipe from the IM. idle the car and see if it still smokes....
The turbo seals are most likely gone... recommend either rebuilding it, or getting a new turbo

shoebox

I think that I am just going to try the return line, and see if it works. If it doesn't, I had to get a new return line anyways..... I think that I will just get the turbo rebuilt anyways since it is off already. I hope that that doesn't set me back too much, any body have any ideas on how much to rebuild a ball bearing turbo?

boostincoupe

WTF??

Ricky, when did you turbo your ****? Call me up!!

PrettyLude

its pretty costly to rebuild a ball bearing turbo, luckily all mines had the warranty

Hyaboosta

what size was the return line? Did you prime the oil thru the system before you cranked the car up?

turboteg8

hey, i have the same problem, and it was my return oil line, it was on the top instead on the bottom, and i'd took it out for around the brock and was smoking bad, and oil has backed up to the seal and coming out to the downpipe and ic pipe, i take everything off and clean it even the turbo, then hook it back on but with the oil return line on the bottom, and everything is fine now, except for once awhile if i sit and idle for awhile it smoke a little bit and it gone, i think i still have a little oil inside my cat. thats why its still smoke now and then, i dont think your seal is gone bad, just for idle for 15 mins, i drove mine around the street and idle for more then that for few days and it fine with mine, if you want to rebuild your turbo, its around 250-350$,

EJ1 wilcox

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turboteg8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">... my return oil line, it was on the top instead on the bottom,... </TD></TR></TABLE>

How did you manage to reverse your feed and drain lines? I'm just wondering... did you have like a -10 line from the back of the block?

Or did you hook the feed to the bottom and think it was going to push the oil up through the turbo?

Just wondering...