My friend's '91 Turbo II backfires a few times upon startup and pours white smoke out of the exhaust at all times. 99% sure this is coolant leaking internally, but we're trying to figure out what could be causing this? I'm assuming a blown seal, but which one seems most likely? If it's a minor seal (basically, not an apex seal) how much do you think it might cost to replace said gasket? Any help is appreciated!

 

Could he coolant o-rings, could be oil control o-rings. What is the car consuming?

Rebuilds are never cheap, regardless of the cause. Quoting FD prices, so FC may be a bit cheaper.....complete rebuild parts (seals, springs, o-rings, bearings) are around $1200 or so. Labor varies greatly, usually $750-1000 and up to rebuild a short block.

 

could be the turbo oil seals

 

Alright, I'll start with the turbo and go from there. I'm hoping it's that because I have a spare S5 turbo lying around.

 

first of all...does the smoke smell sweet?? if not then rule out coolant seal bc it would smell like antifreeze. does it smell like gas? if so and it backfires, could be leaking injectors.....with it backfiring upon start up i would rule out turbo oil seal bc backfiring means theres a ton of unburned fuel in the exhaust