bad engine or bad turbo?!

[WOP'R]

Just got my R/T up and running with my fresh rebuild and broke it in. Now my exhaust is burning a lightly coloured blue smoke(oil) that comes and goes whenever it feels like. My idle is choppy at times and drops very low at (400rpm) and at this rpm i get the most smoke out of my exhaust.

before i go and take my turbo off and rebuild/replace it (gotta plan the day it with my schedual) i took the spark plugs out and noticed that #4 spark plug seems a bit wet and i cant tell if its from fuel or oil (too small of an amount to really smell it) and the tops of all the pistons look like they have wet black grease/tar sludge on them.

My exhaust has a oily black film in it and according to my dipstick i havent used any oil

is there any other way to tell if its from the turbo or engine aside from pulling the turbo out or diconnecting the oil feed, which is NOT a very smart thing to do

[glhs727]

Before you go taking off parts, do a compression check and leak down test. If you are still breaking it in, it could just be rings seating.

[zin]

If you are seeing the oil in the combustion chamber (spark plugs/piston tops) it is either coming form the engine (intake valve guides, compressor side of the turbo, etc), or the rings just haven't seated yet. I'd lean towards the valve guides or turbo as you mentioned that is was the worst at idle (high vacuum), there could be something up in the PCV system, but I lean more to the others.

Best of luck!

Mike

PS If you do a leak-down test that could eliminate the rings or let you know you just need to break it in a bit more.... maybe turn up the boost a bit to really push them against the cyl wall?

[WOP'R]

so is the black sludge i found on the pistons oil?

[IROCNOROLL]

Hey WOP'R. Good to see you finally have it back together and running. The sludge on the pistons is probably oil. Pull the air inlet hose off the front of your throttle body, and see if there is a noticeable amount of oil in the hose and on the front of the throttle plate. If there is oil present, good chance the turbo is hurt, unless you have crankcase vent issues to the air box. If it is dry there, then chances are good it is not the turbo. As you say the issue is affecting idle quality, the oil is most likely being burned in the comb chamber. Rings, guides / seals, crankcase vent system plumbing. If it is just a leak in the turbo, and the throttle plate is dry, the oil burning will happen in the turbo exhaust outlet and the down pipe, and aside from potentially coating the O2 cell tip, which will give you a steady warm idle quality issue, not an intermittent idle chuggle. And the smoking should be pretty steady, not intermittent or sporadic as you say.

Leak down the cylinders and see what you have for leakage, and where it's leaking to.

[turbovanman²]

I think he's running rich, he was last time we got it running and I honestly believe those Delta Stage 1 cams are bunk. When he and I get time, he can come down and I'll look at it.

[zin]

And the smoking should be pretty steady, not intermittent or sporadic as you say.

Leak down the cylinders and see what you have for leakage, and where it's leaking to.

+1 to the leak-down, that will give you some good, specific info, as for the turbo being a steady thing, I had one that would be fine, then not fine then 007 smoke screen, then fine, but it wasn't changing quickly, it would take at least a few minutes to "cycle" through. Don't know if that helps, but I imagine it couldn't hurt.

Mike

[turbovanman²]

He just had it towed in, plugs are wet with fuel and turbo is completely knackered, I can move the compressor wheel 3/4 of an inch.

I will do a leak down test in a bit just for shits and giggles.