Hi all Recently when the auto box was being re filled with fluids, they started the car from cold and only let it tick over when after a little while it started pouring oil smoke from one side filling the workshop with a smelly fog. When i use car as usual, it seems fine, and if i leave it ticking over after a spirited run it doesnt smoke at all. It seems to only do it when it is started from cold and left at tickover. It happened before under similar situation when it was being tuned so i replaced a turbo on that side, but not keen to spend the thousands to replace them if it is usual for a z to do this. I do run the turbos a bit harder than i probably should, 15- 16lb boost but keep the oil changes up etc. and it is not used more than once or twice a week. Probably only 20 thousand ks since both turbos re built. Has anyone had any similar experiences ?
Either leaky turbo seal, just enough to drip a bit of oil in the dump when left to sit for a while which then creates a smoke screen when car heats up! OR PCV Valves OR No balance pipe on an aftermarket exhaust Do a search, is a pretty commonly asked question
Does sound like turbo seals.........Would be a bit disappointing if you've had them rebuilt not long ago. Do you have a turbo timer, or idle for some time to let them cool down after a spirited run?
What weight oil are you using? 2 most common causes for your symptoms are exhaust seals and valve stem seals. When the motor's cold the seals shrink a bit and let oil seep through, once they get some heat into them they expand and give a better seal. Unfortunately once they start to go, it only gets worse. If your using 10w or 5w, punch it up to 15w or 20w synthetic, will help. Unfortunately with rebuilt turbo's, the seals never seem to last as long as the ones on new turbo's, I don't know why, but it seems to be the case.
+2. Bump the oil weight up is your first, cheapest option. Then PCVs. But if I recall, hadn't you rebuilt the entire engine only a year or two ago? PS: It isn't the end of the world if your exhaust is smoking a bit. All ~20+ year old zeds do this.
Question: Have you done an aftermarket exhaust? If so, did you include a center muffler that joins the left and right exhaust, or a X-pipe or H-pipe? If not, before you start spending lots of money, get yourself a X pipe or the like, anything that connects the two banks. I can %80 garuntee thats your problem... because it fixed mine.
Thanks for your response, the answer is no i have no x over pipes, so i am intregued to know how this would affect oil burning, I am not questioning your opinion of course, just want more information on how it fixed the problem for you, was yours identical >?
Hi thanks for your reply, when i say not long ago, its more like 5 years, time flies at my age...lol and I don't let it idle for long I must admit.....:bash:
Thanks for that, interesting about the PCV's I must check them out and get a balance pipe sorted. I was under the impressionm the balance pipe was just to take out the drone from tthe exhaust.. I will investigate further
Hi thanks for that, I will try the 20w oil and check the PCV's. Oh yes the (my)world will end if the Dwarf dies........lol I do get a bit of smoke and you are correct, a 20year old Z would a bit. A couple of years ago I got flooded and there was much replaced but the water didn't get into the motor, I had to replace the Timing belt idlers, gearbox,computers, seats and interior the list goes on miraculously not the starter or alternator. Cheers
Thanks for that, I had the heads reconditioned five years ago and the car is not used as daily driver but I will investigate further, is there any other symptom of valve stem seals failing ?
...and yes, i had the same problem, got a xflow muffler and no more smoke. It has to do with the harmonics of the exhaust pulses on each bank of cylanders. What it does, is suck oil through basically, and having a x/h pipe/muffler evens out the pulses and .... **** i cant explain it man... it just works.
Straight through two separate pipes, but after all the info I have now I will be seeing the exhaust bloke to fit a x pipe i think.
