Ok so since I started my 1st turbo build months ago, pretty much everything that could have gone wrong....has. Including a fire which toasted a lot of parts.

Here are my symptoms.

Loss of power
Oil in the intake
Oil in the pipe from Turbo to IC and TB to IC.
Lots of white smoke instantly coming from turbo area on start up.
No smoke at idle
Lots of smoke at any kind of revs and no matter the engine temp.

My setup
2000 ls 1.8
7psi
16g turbo
FMIC
EMU

There is no coolant under the filler cap. I made a catch can but havent tried it yet to see if my PCV valve wasnt working at all in boost.

Everything has gone wrong with this car. So I just need some help gettin through this one. Thanks again

 

what size oil line going to the turbo? restrictor?

 

just a basic oil feedline like you see on all the turbo sites. 4 ft long.

+steelbraided

oh and im not getting full boost until about 4600. Running a BIG EVOIII 16g

 

-3an or -4an, are you using a restrictor?

 

No restrictor. I want to say -4an. Not 100%

 

I want to say you're over oiling it, but i also dunno if the engine isn't damaged.

what color is the smoke? I assume blue/white.

 

-4 will not over oil a 16g. they are internally restricted. kink or tight bend in oil return line will cause the oil to not get of the turbo.

 

Did you upgrade the PCV to a 323GTX PCV?

 

I'd like to see what a leakdown test says about the rings.....

 

yep, it's blown, time to /yourself

 

Is there oil in the compressor? +1 for a leak down test etc and I would look for a gasket leak or something on the boost you should have 7 psi by 3300-3600 or so easy. Did you clock the turbo on the compressor any that could cause slow boost if it is leaking. Also where was the fire?

 

Have you verified the condition of your PVC valve?
Is your valve cover breather line routed correctly?
Is your turbo mounted correctly (WITH THE OIL FEED AT 12o'clock and drain at 6o'clock?)
How is your drain mounted? Tap the pan beneath the turbo?

It'd be awesome if you took a couple pictures of your setup for us.

What was the condition of the turbo when you bought it? Used? Mileage? Previous application? Was there any shaft play?

Brain is right, it sounds like over-oiling or under-draining... but could just as easily be blown.

 

PCV was working but wasnt upgraded to handle the boost
Valve cover breather only has a filter on it..not routed anywhere
Oil feed/return at directly 12 and 6o'clock
The pan is tapped on the opposite side of the turbo.
There is a very slight kink several inches under the turbo, but if I press on the side of it to get the kink out and rev the car it still blows plooms of white smoke.. Otherwise the line is not restricted in anyway.
Turbo did have shaft play, I bought the entire kit off of here and every part of it has been either broken,lost or not working well.
SO I rebuilt it at home and got rid of the shaft play.

 

opposite side? like, the passenger side?

 

yes, the routing goes straight down from the turbo and then to the front of the car by the sway bar and then to the oil pan. Its a slow constant corkscrew shape

 

you may very well be the world's first turbo miata to have his oil return on passenger side.

Oil return lines are supposed to be mostly vertical. Straight up and down. When the oil comes out of the turbo, it's a little foamy and not pressurized, it needs the gravity to fall.

Combine a bad oil drain with a home brew rebuild, and I would think there's a good possibility that you're blowing by the seals.

The good news is, most of the time, if you fix the oil drain quckly, the turbo will be ok. You might shorten the life expectancy, but it'll recover..

 

Damn how did i miss that Piratem why oh why did you tap the pan on the other side from the turbo? There has to be a funny story somewhere in there

 

I doubt it's the problem. Ever see a GReddy kit return line?

 

I dont know if it looks a lot different on a 1.6, but on my NB I have ALOT of stuff in the way from the frame, cooling, and power steering. How do you drill and tap this hole without removing everything. The weird thing is how quickly it will blow out smoke. It will be cold motor and started only a second or two earlier and it will start plooming smoke. Can the oil really drain/heat up and the burn that quickly?

 

needs more compression/leakdown test. rule out the engine, then rebuild the turbo.