ton of smoke at idle sr20 grey/white smoke

[Dweezil]

Not really, it's just a common problem on DSMs. As far as air being pushed out of the oil cap, try getting a rubber gasket to put around the cap and make sure it's tight. If the smoke were blue and smelled like burning rubber then it would probebly be bad rings.

On an off note, have you ever done a full tune up on your car? I'm talking about PCV, plugs, wires, air filter, oil and filter change, you know everything. You should also check if the O2 sensor is burnt up and as a precaution replace the injector o-rings.

[Bradman123]

as for wires since its an sr its coil packs so no there. pcv never been touched. plugs were new when put the sr in but they need to be changed. its been in now for about 4 months. i havnt taken the o2 sensor our. k&n filter. could use a good cleaning. oil and filter change done 1200 miles ago with mobil 1 10w30. and the injector o-rings havng been touched. fuel filter is new. deffinately gray/white and didnt smell like burnt rubber.

[Dweezil]

Brain stopped for a few, forgot about coil packs. A friend of mine had one of his injector o-rings fail and it did the same thing. spend the few dollars on new o-rings and a new O2 sensor. If anything it eliminnates 1 possibility.

[Bradman123]

k i dont think the o-rings and O2 sensor have anything to do with this problem. or i would jump in and replace them right away. but im tight on cash and its looking like this could be a seriously problem so im pinching pennies just in case. so i'd rather not replace something just to have the problem still be there. from what it looked like in the FSM the PCV valve is on the valve cover on the rear passenger's side. i took the fitting out and the fitting is the PCV valve. at least i think that is it. thats what it looked like in the pictures. i put it back in and started the car, i disconnected the line running to it like the fsm says to test it. i heard the hissing sound and the car started to idle rough and sound like it wanted to die. i twisted off the oil fill cap at the same time. idled worse and really wanted to die. there was still a ton of air pumping out of the oil cap. as soon as i plug the line back on the idle goes back to normal. i took the cap off on my geo, and my folks gmc jimmy to see if i felt air from those motors. and i couldnt feel a thing. i also had a friend take the cap off his 2005 RSX and he also couldnt feel air. so this is deffinately something serious goin on. i will probably take it in tomorrow and get it leak down tested. im wondering if i got some valve float when i was doing those donuts in that parking lot and maybe bent a valve...with a bent valve or valves though you would think it would run like shit. i have rocker arm stoppers and from what i've read those are supposed to prevent the valve float at high rpm. and i know i hit 7500 rpm...i never heard a rev limiter though. and isnt that supposed to kick in at like 7600? more ideas would be helpful! thank you

[Dweezil]

Well, I'm starting to run out of the basic ideas. I hate to say it, but you may have something wrong interanally.

When you ran the compression test, did wet fuel come spraying out of any of the cylinders? Also is your oil level higher than the last time you changed it?

[Bradman123]

wet fuel? no...i disconnected the CAS and took the fuel pump fuse out though. and the dip stick oil level is the same as its been since i put the oil in. i would have to agree that it is somethin internal. i think i may have got valve float when i was doin those donuts. which is retarded...how many people have sr20's and dont go drift and whip shitties and hit the red line all the time...i thought that was the point of doing an sr20 swap...and i thought they were supposed to take the abuse. im not very impressed at the moment. but i still coulda been sold a lemmon that was bound to have this happen. ill try and get a leak down test done on it. but either way if its internal i will pry find some way to fund a total rebuild. if that is the case, im real bumbed...but if i look at it positively this thing will be damn near invincable after a rebuild.

[s14 blacktop]

Just curious what kind of exhaust do you have on it?

[Bradman123]

i built my exhaust. its 3" mandrel bent. no cat. with a ebay megan racing 3" in 4" out muffler. greddy 3" down pipe and stock O2 housing. flows damn good. with the system off i can drop a tennis ball downt he down pipe and it will roll all the way out of the muffler with no restriction.... i took it to a mechanic i actually sorta trust in town. between me and him i think we narrowed it down to being the turbo. im still not positive though. he said there are some motors that just have alot of air come from the oil cap and i shouldnt worry about it. he said the smoke is deffinately oil smoke. and it only smokes when alot of vacuum is created...such as cruising or a steady high rev then let off and give it a quick rev and a huge puff of smoke comes out. he tested my pcv for me said thats all working properly..and i dont really have alot of crank crank case blow by so my rings seem to be fine. he said also that at our elevation compression numbers will be lower. he said 140 across the board is real good. if i had a bent valve then it would show up bad in that cylinder. while we were under the hood he reved it and i noticed my bov wasnt popping off. greddy type s. i had the tensioner half way in...oops. i was getting some nasty compressor surge even with small revs 2500 to 3000 rpm. this very well could be the problem and killed my turbo. i also took the turbo inlet elbow off and fealt for shaft play. yes there is play. but i have limited experience and cant really judge if its too much or not. cuz i know there is supposed to be some. and last but not least there was a film of oil on the inside of the elbow. but it wast wet oil..more like a grease. but was oil. so the evidence is pointing towards the turbo...and the compressor surge seems like a decent cause. any thoughts? how much play should a good turbo have?

[Bradman123]

it actually doesnt smoke driving down the road, its after i cruise down the road then park it and let it idle. it starts billowing out like a smoke stack at a factory. it also continues to simmer a small amount of smoke out AFTER the motor is shut off. after we let it idle for about 15 min. the smoke eventually stopped.

[sr240mike]

Ok, I think you've found your problem then, the turbo's on its way out. If you can pop off the downpipe and see if there's oil in there. Ceramic bearing turbos wont live long if the bov stopped working.

[Bradman123]

YEEEY! most guys would be pissed if they new their turbo was screwed. im actually lookin forward to a new big turbo! haha. so these turbos go pretty quick if there is any type of compressor surge? the bov didnt stop working i just had the tension screw too tight, i went out and loosened it nearly all the way and i dont hear the surge any more just the high pitched hiss from the valve and i feel a ton of air comin out the valve now when it opens. so this ton of air before was all going back and clobbering my turbo..nasty...

[Dweezil]

Congats! What are you going to repalce it with?

[Bradman123]

haha so your sure too...im still gonna pop the down pipe off and see if i can see oil in there. but if compressor surge is a huge killer on these turbos then its pry the case for sure. i was lookin at jgycustoms.com and i like either the gt2871r or the gt25r. those turbos look to have good power and a real quick spool. i will just run low boost until i can upgrade injectors, computer and mafs.

[Bradman123]

well i pulled the down pipe and there was no wet oil. no greasy oil film like i found on my inlet. and i shined a light up in the o2 housing...suprisingly didnt look too bad in there. i could see the O2 sensor and it didnt look chared up. does this make anyone doubt it being the turbo. or is the o2 housing just hot enough when the motor is running to burn up all the oil. if i wipe my finger around the inside of the down pipe i get black sute on my finger..the inside of the muffler is the same way.

[Bradman123]

bump bump bump

[Dweezil]

I think you mentioned it earlier, but wasen't there oil on the compressor side of your turbo?

[Bradman123]

ya in the elbow that bolts onto the turbo. it was a thick greasy film. right where the bend is about an inch wide and went all around the inside. i took it out today. i drove it for 45 min. to an hour straight. never smoked once while i was driving it. never at stop lights nothing. i even parked it in the driveway and let it idle like before for about4-5 minutes and got one puff of smoke..but it was minimal and it was right when the fan kicked on. other then that it stopped and didnt smoke today. last night i took it out and drove it down the road and back and then parked it and let it idle. and after about 2-3 minutes. it started smoking. gives me one puff. then 10-15 sec later another. then 10-15 sec another. then another 10-15 sec it starts billowing out. but like i said today it didnt do it at all. i loosened the tensioning screw on my bov nearly all the way out and i never get any compressor surge. i always hear the valve. what are your thoughts?

[Dweezil]

Compressor surge own3d you. that's all ther is to it. I'd start looking a new turbo, once you upset the seal, it's only a matter of time before you waste it.

[Bradman123]

YEEEEEEEY haha...no hurry though i have time to save before it goes completely then...