Blue Smoke, Oil in turbo inlet

[rudygetz]

Thanks to everyone who contributes to this forum. I've been reading like crazy about possibilities of white/blue smoke on the td. So here's my dilemma.

I had my engine rebuilt under 10k miles ago. Recently finished putting a turbo onto the N/A diesel. When accelerating there's bluish smoke. Once in a while on idle it smokes blueish smoke. Checked the turbo (not currently running a filter over it) and there's oil on the inlet.

There's no play on the shaft of the turbo. The coolant seems fine, oil seems fine.

I had the pump timed to 1.00

The car runs fine, doesn't sputter, starts right up. Overall the car feels fine, but there's that damn smoke. If I don't accelerate too hard there's no smoke.

Any ideas? Is my turbo toast?

Thanks in advance.

[CRSMP5]

breather from valve cover goto turbo inlet? if so that why... supposed too.. if not.. should be dry...

[rudygetz]

breather from valve cover goto turbo inlet? if so that why... supposed too.. if not.. should be dry...

No. I currently have a breather on the valve cover. It's not connected to the turbo.

[CRSMP5]

no ofilter... no breather..... how can oil get in turbo then? must be leaking... or.. how does waste gate vent its air supply? aka some turbos vent into cold side of turbo...

[burn_your_money]

What do you mean by "currently not running a filter over it"?

Usually blue smoke on a diesel is retarded timing, or oil being dumped into the exhaust post combustion. I would think only valve guides or a worn turbo (dumping into the exhaust side, not intake) could cause this.

I would check for a fuel restriction. If you are pulling in air you'll lose your dynamic timing advance which could give blue smoke.

[TylerDurden]

My Jetta's turbo seals are shot... it blows blue smoke at high rpm and when accelerating after idle at stops and such. The cold side exterior is covered with oil.

The passenger side of the undercarriage is well rustproofed now, tho.

[745 turbogreasel]

What do you mean by "currently not running a filter over it"?

Usually blue smoke on a diesel is retarded timing, or oil being dumped into the exhaust post combustion. I would think only valve guides or a worn turbo (dumping into the exhaust side, not intake) could cause this.

I'd put wore out rings big on this list, probably first.  Especially first on  equipment operated without an air filter.

[burn_your_money]

What do you mean by "currently not running a filter over it"?

Usually blue smoke on a diesel is retarded timing, or oil being dumped into the exhaust post combustion. I would think only valve guides or a worn turbo (dumping into the exhaust side, not intake) could cause this.

I'd put wore out rings big on this list, probably first.  Especially first on  equipment operated without an air filter.

Good point. Thanks. Not sure how I missed the most obvious one

[TylerDurden]

I'm not sure worn rings produce blue smoke... how would crankcase vapor get into the exhaust without getting burned?

(Unless we are talking about low compression retarding combustion.)

[745 turbogreasel]

It does burn, blue.  Once the oil ring doesn't effectively scrape the cylinder wall , you have a lot of  non atomized oil sitting there, slowly cooking off leaving a trail of smoke half a mile long.  Same as if you do a rebuild and the rings don't seat.

[rudygetz]

The turbo is in a very tight spot so I've been having trouble locating a solution for an air filter for the turbo inlet, so for the time being I wasn't running an air filter. Oil is getting through to the turbo via the oil feed line (i think someone asked about that).

So is the consensus the turbo is shot? Or may there be another issue that would cause oil all over turbo, blue smoke at accel and idle?

[Trips_B]

Clean the whole turbo up, inlet and outlet.  Check your oil and go for a quick drive and boost.  Pop the hood and see where the oil is coming from. 

as mentioned above oil could be getting to your inlet through bad seals via the wastegate.  it will generally vent back into the inlet. 



as well if seals in the turbo are shot you may have oil from the outlet to intake manifold, causing the blue smoke.

[rudygetz]

Clean the whole turbo up, inlet and outlet.  Check your oil and go for a quick drive and boost.  Pop the hood and see where the oil is coming from. 

as mentioned above oil could be getting to your inlet through bad seals via the wastegate.  it will generally vent back into the inlet. 

as well if seals in the turbo are shot you may have oil from the outlet to intake manifold, causing the blue smoke.

I'm not running a wastegate. This is a Rajay turbo, with a custom exhaust manifold. The manifold is blocked where the wastegate goes. I haven't pushed the car much (egt's dont go over 1100).

[burn_your_money]

for the time being I wasn't running an air filter.

How long is the time being? I would suspect your engine needs to be rebuilt

[rudygetz]

for the time being I wasn't running an air filter.

How long is the time being? I would suspect your engine needs to be rebuilt

100 miles total, max. over a weeks time, not 100 miles of driving once...the engine was rebuilt under 10k miles ago.