burning oil at idle?????
#9
Boost Czar
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You have three of the greatest minds on earth leading you towards one direction.
Before you go ripping apart you engine bay and spending money on a rebuild do so simple things first. Even after a rebuild you'll experience the same problem if you don't fix these few tiny little things.
The crankcase breather line should be routed into the intake. It plays an important role in oil drainage. Don't belive me? run a hose into the crankcase breather line and disconnect the oil drain line form the turbo. Blow into the crankcase hose and watch oil dump out the top of your return line. Suck out of the line and watch the oil disappear. Plus a crankcase breather filter allows unmetered air to enter/exit the engine at will.
If you are using the stock GReddy return line you have to be extremely carefull there is no uphill travel and minimal horizontal travel. The oil return is gravity and vacuum based. Meaning if the oil cannot flow out of the line fast enough, chances are it's backing up into thte turbo and burning off. That's why a lot of guys opt for tapping the pan and only using 18" of veritcal drain hose.
The stock GReddy kit usually uses a -3an line, which shouldn't supply too much oil. BUT, if it is supplying too much, then you'll fill your bearing housing faster than it can drain and oil will burn off. Most people do not have this problem on a the stock GReddy lines, but I'd invest in a $10 restrictor before tearing apart the turbo.
If all three of these things (and about $20) do not lead to a happier turbo, then consider a rebuild. Which can be done yourself for around $70-80.
How long have you had you setup installed? How long has this been happening? What color is the smoke?
Before you go ripping apart you engine bay and spending money on a rebuild do so simple things first. Even after a rebuild you'll experience the same problem if you don't fix these few tiny little things.
The crankcase breather line should be routed into the intake. It plays an important role in oil drainage. Don't belive me? run a hose into the crankcase breather line and disconnect the oil drain line form the turbo. Blow into the crankcase hose and watch oil dump out the top of your return line. Suck out of the line and watch the oil disappear. Plus a crankcase breather filter allows unmetered air to enter/exit the engine at will.
If you are using the stock GReddy return line you have to be extremely carefull there is no uphill travel and minimal horizontal travel. The oil return is gravity and vacuum based. Meaning if the oil cannot flow out of the line fast enough, chances are it's backing up into thte turbo and burning off. That's why a lot of guys opt for tapping the pan and only using 18" of veritcal drain hose.
The stock GReddy kit usually uses a -3an line, which shouldn't supply too much oil. BUT, if it is supplying too much, then you'll fill your bearing housing faster than it can drain and oil will burn off. Most people do not have this problem on a the stock GReddy lines, but I'd invest in a $10 restrictor before tearing apart the turbo.
If all three of these things (and about $20) do not lead to a happier turbo, then consider a rebuild. Which can be done yourself for around $70-80.
How long have you had you setup installed? How long has this been happening? What color is the smoke?
#11
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It's "bad" to have it vented to atmosphere with a filter because it hinders turbo oil drainage as well as piston ring sealing (why do you think every manufacturer of modern cars routes it to constant vacuum?), which can cause smoking and decrease turbo life as well as engine performance from the rings not sealing as well.
You see a lot of people do this because they're lazy or don't know any better or think another mini air filter looks cool....or all three.
You see a lot of people do this because they're lazy or don't know any better or think another mini air filter looks cool....or all three.
#13
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So, wait, are you saying it's currently routed to the stock location, meaning the plastic crossover tube, just before the throttle body and above the stock resonator box?
If so, that's your problem right there, not burned valves or blown turbo seals.
Think about the stock location: it always sees vacuum, more vacuum the more the throttle is opened. You want to mimic that setup, so you want to re-route that to the turbo inlet so it always sees vacuum.
If so, that's your problem right there, not burned valves or blown turbo seals.
Think about the stock location: it always sees vacuum, more vacuum the more the throttle is opened. You want to mimic that setup, so you want to re-route that to the turbo inlet so it always sees vacuum.
#14
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before the turbo, so it only sees vacuum.
Do you just have an air filter on the turbo? If so you can get those handy dandy vacuum fittings for silicone (although they may be too small).
Or buy a small section of 2.5" straight, get a 1/8" fitting, drill and tap it in, clamp it on the turbo and filter on to that.
Do you just have an air filter on the turbo? If so you can get those handy dandy vacuum fittings for silicone (although they may be too small).
Or buy a small section of 2.5" straight, get a 1/8" fitting, drill and tap it in, clamp it on the turbo and filter on to that.
#17
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I started burning oil resently as well. It all started on the track when my pcv valve failed. This lead to large amounts of oil being plumbed into my intake. I got a replacement that evening, however the smoking has yet to cease completely. It will dump a little blue/white smoke when I go WOT and when I let off, as well as smoke a tiny bit out the exhaust and around the turbo at idle.
I cleaned out my IC and gave it a treatment of Seafoam, so it's worse a idle at the moment (maybe 45mins of idle is all I've done so far). I'm hoping the current smoke (more whiter) is the remainder of the gunk burning off. (Catch can on it's way as well just incase it is blow-by)
If that doesn't cure it, I'm going to look into the drain line (I have a restrictor). If that doesn't cure it I'm going to be running a compression check and leakdown test. It could be the rings.
If those look good it may be the new test pipe. This might be causing a low backpressure condition thats allowing oil past the seals of the turbo. If just replacing that (doing it anyways soon) doesn't cure it, I'm looking at a rebuild.
On a lighter note, wideband, gauge, and EBC installed.
I cleaned out my IC and gave it a treatment of Seafoam, so it's worse a idle at the moment (maybe 45mins of idle is all I've done so far). I'm hoping the current smoke (more whiter) is the remainder of the gunk burning off. (Catch can on it's way as well just incase it is blow-by)
If that doesn't cure it, I'm going to look into the drain line (I have a restrictor). If that doesn't cure it I'm going to be running a compression check and leakdown test. It could be the rings.
If those look good it may be the new test pipe. This might be causing a low backpressure condition thats allowing oil past the seals of the turbo. If just replacing that (doing it anyways soon) doesn't cure it, I'm looking at a rebuild.
On a lighter note, wideband, gauge, and EBC installed.
#18
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Tracking down issues and adding goodies never ends. I feel your pain. ![](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)
FWIW, I run my crankcase breather to just an air filter and haven't had any problems with burning oil even with the old around the engine stock GReddy oil drain, BUT it is the better and right way to do it as everyone says so even though I haven't had any issues, plans are in the works to do it right.
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FWIW, I run my crankcase breather to just an air filter and haven't had any problems with burning oil even with the old around the engine stock GReddy oil drain, BUT it is the better and right way to do it as everyone says so even though I haven't had any issues, plans are in the works to do it right.