All right, this is too good not to start a new thread... continued from here: https://www.miataturbo.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9904

I started to diagnose my smoking problem and follow some advice I'd just posted in another thread... so I bought a 323GTX PVC valve on my way home just to rule it out as a cause and found this when I pulled out my stock PVC valve:

So, I assumed that's not what it's supposed to look like and wondered where the guts were... yup... you guessed it:


How ******* lucky am I? I am about 2mm from needing a new engine. Check out where the PVC plunger hit the camshaft and scored it:

So what was happening was that I was putting 12psi directly into the valve cover and then down in to the crankcase, up the oil drain and into the CHRA, preventing oil from draining and BLOWING MY TURBINE SEAL! So I guess that's why I just started smoking. I'm not sure if I caught it in time. I can't drive it tonight cause I'm waiting for the RTV on the valve cover to dry. We'll see tomorrow if it's salvagable.

I also did a compression check. 187/190/191/193... I guess that's pretty good. My valvetrain also looks like brand new. I love this motor.

 

Very Lucky! Do you remember what the original valve was? OEM Miata?

 

Good catch navy. This should be part of a PCV sticky because it seems everyone goes through it till they replace the valve.

 

I didn't boost my car til I had the proper PCV. It's not a pricey part.

 

wow, never seen that happen before

 

Pretty Hands!

 

Wow. Nice save.

 

 

You can get inline universal PCV valves (just a one-way check valve) and then use a fitting on the valve cover. Might be some nice insurance if these things come apart very often. Kind of a scary thought.

 

It will be fine wit the 323 gtx pcv. It is actually made and intended for boost, unlike the stock miata one. It's usually cheaper too

 

Wow, we didn't need another dead engine post. Good thing it landed where it did! What are you replacing it with? The stock 323gtx one? If so I'm gonna go run out and get one....

 

great find and god damn you got lucky. Hope the car runs well man update us once you fire her up.

 

That's insane....Sam, I turst the turbo is ok now. You've rebuild one, the seals aren't really seals....there's nothing to "blow," thing just got overloaded and now everything should be ok.

holy crap on the pcv....i was actually spending most of the night last night looking for a better solution than the gtx valve....if anything get a factory Mazda piece....but I was considering "gutting" my OEM pcv, and putting this brass check valve inline: http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

another thought....behind the pcv valve should be a screen and compartment bolted to the cover from preventing "things" to enter....how the hell did it get past that?!

 

what is a pcv ? ?

 

postive crankcase ventilation

 

is that the hose running from the top of the head, to the intake piping? the oil blow off thing ?

 

otherside, intake manifold to crankcase.

 

ah ok. so, i'm supposed to upgrade this part?? never heard of that before ?!?

 

they weren't intended for boost from the factory....but technically they are just a check valve so should be fine....but too much postive pressure can still force somehow force it's way past the plunger into the crankcase....

this will either:
A. dump LOTS of oil into your intake
B. dump LOTS of oil up back into the turbo.
C. shoot your dipstick out and dump LOTS of oil up the tube.
D. damage rings, valves, etc.
D. combination of A,B,C & D

Most people here upgrade to a 323 GTX PCV valve as it was our same engine boosted 7psi from the factory...The tend not to leak under boost...

 

CRAP!!! HOW DID I MISS GOING OVER 1000 POSTS???

^Well, I'm not sure how long this thing has been broke. My last turbo started to smoke and I thought it was bad, but I was running it well past 10psi and after a couple weeks it started to smoke. Maybe it's been broke for a long time.
On the other hand, I'm pretty sure I've had the PCV valve out in my hands a time or two since then. Every time I pull the fuel rail, that little hose comes off. I'm not really sure how long it's been broken.

Here's pic of the thing with the valve cover on: