Mitsu finally bit the dust....I think.

[3Bar_Mopar]

Taking the g/f to work today, when I let her out I had some blue smoke hazing around....usually I only see the blue smoke when I give it hell and let off. I'll see a big puff of blue smoke.

This time it was hanging around during idle and was there during my drive all the way home.

When I get home, as soon as I pull into the parking space, there is white smoke pouring out from everywhere! Under the hood, under the car and everything! (open downpipe)
I thought I had a fire under the hood.
I shut it off and popped the hood. The smoke was white, so I was thinking "headgasket", but the smoke smelled like oil and my temp gauge stayed the same. The car didn't run any different either.

There was a little smoke coming from my air filter. I'm gonna pop off the intake hose and see if the turbo is shot.

I have my Enforcer and another head ready to go in so it's not a big deal, but it sucks because I just ordered the headgasket and bolts yesterday and I need my car to be drivable ASAP. I probably won't get my parts until sometime next week!:yuck:

[3Bar_Mopar]

I dunno what the F is going on....I just went outside to check everything out and the compressor wheel isn't any looser than it's ever been. The turbo-to-TB hose and TB is caked with axle grease-like consistancy oil on the inside, so I know the turbo is dying at least a little... I check the PCV valve and make sure it's sealing and working....I start the car to see if I can tell where the smoke is coming from and nothing.....no smoke. I let it idle for like 10 minutes and then drove it around a bit. No smoke.....no plum of white smoke or haze of blue smoke.

What gives? Could this be related to the cold weather? It's like 8 degrees here.

This sucks because I'm freaking sick and this isn't helping.

[TurboGLH]

I had a turbo go bad once, and I had the short block dropped before I noticed (22psi on a t1 shortblock, seemed like a sure thing). The up-down play wasn't that bad, but I realised when I got it out that It was the left-right play, the thrust bearing had disintigrated and the wheel was pressing up against the comp housing, thats why it didn't move up and down like it should. Check the turbo again, this time try and push the well towards the turbine housing.

[jckrieger]

The thrust bearing is what fails on 80% of the turbos I've seen. That even includes turbos with a 360 degree thrust bearing. Has anyone tried the Stainless steel or Nickel thrust bearings? Most of my thrust bearings are brass, but one kit had a different bearing.

[3Bar_Mopar]

Is it possible that my PCV valve got frozen shut or stuck temporarily?

My car would smoke before and I found that my "breather" filter was too clogged and caused some oil to back up passed the valve seals or something. I went back to a stock-like setup and the problem went away.

I've driven the car again briefly and had no smoke, but I'm paranoid as heck that I'm going to get out somewhere and it's gonna smoke again like crazy.

The turbo has very little in and out play, and very little side to side play.