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Help! Heavy smoke at idle!

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Old 06-28-09, 11:58 AM
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Exclamation Help! Heavy smoke at idle!

For the past week ive been monitoring my car due to the fact that it got so low on oil the buzzer went off. When i looked it was a bit more then a qrt low. So i filled it up and left it alone. (this was about 3 weeks ago) Then this week about monday i decided to check it again and make sure that everything was okay and that i wasnt low. Again about a qrt low. I didnt notice any oil leaking on the ground or anything like that, so i really didnt understand why i was loosing so much oil.

I filled it again and then started driving. It was almost instant, a crap load of what looks like whiteish/greyish smoke comes pooring out at idle. It doesn't burn the eyes but, it does smell really bad. Smells like burnt oil. I can grab some pictures of it today when i try to diagnose it.

A little background on the car; 87 TII - It just had a full rebuild 6k ago - aggressive street port - full emissions delete - s5 turbo - 3in dp - full exhaust.

If anyone in the Lewisville, TX area would like to come help me out that'd be great.

If there is anymore information you guys want/ need to know please ask.
Old 06-28-09, 12:22 PM
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ohhhhhhhhhh no. did you use new oil seals? Also how is the turbo? any shaft play?
Old 06-28-09, 12:41 PM
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Originally Posted by 2slow4stock
ohhhhhhhhhh no. did you use new oil seals? Also how is the turbo? any shaft play?
yes all new rebuild. the turbo is pretty old so i think it could be starting to go out and im not sure about the shaft play.

I just went out there and warmed up the car... took the oil filler cap off and let it run for a little while - no smoke.

rev and hold at 4k for 30 seconds - no smoke.
put the cap back on - it starts to smoke.
rev to 4k and hold for 30 seconds major smoke.
Took the cap back off and the smoke subsides.

I took put the cap back on and took off the little breather nipple next to the cap and no smoke.
Old 06-28-09, 12:49 PM
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Boosted. I got BLOWN!!!

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Sounds like massive blow by. How is the oil pressure?
Old 06-28-09, 01:03 PM
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Oil pressure is great. Found out there isnt supposed to be a cap on that vent. the smoke happened after i pushed it back on. After i put the oil filler cap back on and took that nipple off of the vent, no smoke.

It just couldn't breath i guess.

Few pictures of said car as it sits right now:





Old 06-28-09, 02:04 PM
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Originally Posted by bl00dlust
I took put the cap back on and took off the little breather nipple next to the cap and no smoke.
On my S5 there is two nipples for the oil filler neck. One is on the iron which goes to the charcoal canister, the other is on the actual filler neck. One of these has to be vented (usually goes to charcoal canister/catch can,I didn't see a charcoal canister on your car) and the other one CAN be blocked off (works the other way around too). This is in the case if you have removed the emissions components...

The stock system has a black "check valve" on the upper nipple, the bottom one goes to the charcoal canister. If you haven't messed with the emissions equipment it is possible one or both of these components the nipple goes to is clogged/not working.
Old 06-28-09, 04:18 PM
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good catch guys. Had that exact same problem. And I took the vacum line off and it don't smoke anymore
Old 06-28-09, 05:40 PM
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Originally Posted by fc t2 drfter
good catch guys. Had that exact same problem. And I took the vacum line off and it don't smoke anymore
Make sure to either replace the component that vac line goes to (im guessing the PCV?) or replace it with a catch can and block off the vacuum line on the other end of the component (in the case of the PCV, you will have the UIM and vacuum spider) so you don't have a vacuum leak. If it is left open without a catch can you will get a big mess soon.
Old 06-28-09, 06:08 PM
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i'm investing in a catch can right now as we speak. Do you guys have any recommendations?
Old 06-28-09, 06:18 PM
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They sell these clear fuel filters at the parts store (made for older chevys and fords, all of them should have it). They will work, or you can invest on something more expensive (like greddy) if you would like to....

The easiest way is just to use the charcoal canister and hook up the bottom oil filler tube outlet to it and cap off the top nipple on the oil filler.
Attached Thumbnails Help! Heavy smoke at idle!-catch_can.jpg  
Old 06-28-09, 08:32 PM
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You can't use the canister as a catch can because it will eventually become full of oil and you have no way of checking the level.

Most people use the $20 ebay one. Looks good and it works, run one hose from the can to the oil filler tube, cap the other one (on the filler tube) and either run a filter on the other port on the catch can or run a hose with a 90 degree bend pointing down or just leave it. Don't bother wasting on money on a nice one, for a street car a simple can with two ports and a level lube will work provided you do check the level and empty it when you need to. I can post a pic of how I mounted and ran mine if you'd like.
Old 06-28-09, 08:52 PM
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Originally Posted by KhanArtisT
You can't use the canister as a catch can because it will eventually become full of oil and you have no way of checking the level.
I was under the impression the stock system uses the charcoal canister and the PCV both connected to the oil filler tube? Is the line under the hose going to the PCV(below the oil filler, on the iron) not connected to the oil filler then? When I did my emissions removal Rotary Resurrection stated that either one of those could be vented and the other one capped off, so I left the charcoal canister one connected.

By the way, you should post that picture of your catch can setup, i'd like to see how you mounted it....
Old 06-28-09, 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by KhanArtisT
You can't use the canister as a catch can because it will eventually become full of oil and you have no way of checking the level.

Most people use the $20 ebay one. Looks good and it works, run one hose from the can to the oil filler tube, cap the other one (on the filler tube) and either run a filter on the other port on the catch can or run a hose with a 90 degree bend pointing down or just leave it. Don't bother wasting on money on a nice one, for a street car a simple can with two ports and a level lube will work provided you do check the level and empty it when you need to. I can post a pic of how I mounted and ran mine if you'd like.
Yes, please post a picture! I'd like to see!
Old 06-28-09, 09:54 PM
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From your description of the car, I am assuming you are running a S4 block. Are you premixing, or do you still have the S4 OMP? If you do still have the S4 OMP, is the linkage for it, connected to the throttle body, stuck wide open? This would also explain some of your oil loss.
Old 06-28-09, 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted by jjcobm
I was under the impression the stock system uses the charcoal canister and the PCV both connected to the oil filler tube? Is the line under the hose going to the PCV(below the oil filler, on the iron) not connected to the oil filler then? When I did my emissions removal Rotary Resurrection stated that either one of those could be vented and the other one capped off, so I left the charcoal canister one connected.

By the way, you should post that picture of your catch can setup, i'd like to see how you mounted it....
I don't know much about the stock stuff other than the purge valve being used to purge the fuel/crankcase vapours into the engine, on my GXL anyway. I think the stock canister has charcoal that absorbs/stores fuel vapour and moisture until it is purged into the engine.

When the crankcase builds pressure (high combustion chamber pressures) all the moisture and oil gets pushed out and needs to be vented. Your catch can will eventually fill up with an oil+water mixture and you need to empty it. You can't use the stock canister because it has no way of purging it into the engine (if you've done a full emissions delete) and it will eventually fill up.

Here are the pics:






btw all the hardware used for installation comes with the can.
Old 06-28-09, 10:22 PM
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Thanks for posting. ill be grabbing one off of ebay. How often should it be emptied?
Old 06-28-09, 10:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Puck
From your description of the car, I am assuming you are running a S4 block. Are you premixing, or do you still have the S4 OMP? If you do still have the S4 OMP, is the linkage for it, connected to the throttle body, stuck wide open? This would also explain some of your oil loss.
Yes S4 block. I premix, i do not have my OMP anymore.
Old 06-28-09, 10:37 PM
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Originally Posted by KhanArtisT
You can't use the stock canister because it has no way of purging it into the engine (if you've done a full emissions delete) and it will eventually fill up.
Thats odd RR would state it is fine to keep it plugged in and cap of the top nipple going to the PCV.....
Old 06-29-09, 11:08 AM
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It is, I'll have to check his site out sometime and see for myself.

Bloodlust: In the last pic I posted you can see the oil+water mixture in the level tube so all you need to do is look at the tube to check the level. Thats after ~2000 miles, 1000 breakin miles and 1000 miles of occasional part throttle boost and some WOT pulls in the previous 500. The can filling up will be dependant on your driving habits.
Old 11-08-10, 10:40 PM
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was this issue ever resolved i actually have a problem like this... on a fresh rebuild with a street port s4 ive started it like 3 times and it has killed over a quart of oil.... im thinking it might be the omp thats stuck open....but i dont really know what the side effects would be... here is a video of the engine smoking on start up!!!!


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Old 11-08-10, 10:54 PM
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and my oil pressure at idle is around 40- 50psi
Old 11-09-10, 04:02 AM
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Sounds like a bad rebuild..
smoke is pretty common on first startups because of the oil used during the build, but usage of oil is a no-no
Old 11-09-10, 11:31 AM
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^^ Indeed.
Old 11-10-10, 04:22 PM
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i tried changing the oil but the smoke was even worse with thicker oil....
Old 11-10-10, 04:32 PM
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....im just bummed out that i have to tear the engine out again


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