turbo blues

[mike2buick]

Hey guys, rebuilt my turbo buick motor runs great except lots of blue smoke especially at Idle and when engine is hot, barely any when driving. last time this happened it was my turbo. Is it possible that there is little play in shaft and seal can still be shot? Trottle body looks fairly clean. Would most of the oil residue gather between exuast part of turbo and down pipe? Any suggestions for a new turbo? 3.8 turbo 30 over TA60, new Champion heads, new rings, roller cam, ArtCar 9 inch 3000 stall, 70mm thottle body, 42 pound injecters. Hope its the turbo its the only thing in this motor that is not new.

[Keller]

IMHO, oil smoke at idle would likely not be the turbo. It would likely be valve guides or rings. Though it could be the turbo, it receives the most oil pressure at the faster engine speeds.

I would suggest:
- Doing a compression test and/or leak down test
- Adding valve stem seals on the exhaust as well as intake valves
- Removing the turbo elbow and/or downpipe to look for signs of black burnt oil coking

It is always cheaper to get a turbo center section rebuilt than to upgrade a turbo. What you have is likely barely tolerable with the converter you have as it is. Unless you want to refinance the house to buy a new converter, injectors, chip, and turbo right after the rebuild.

It all depends on your goals of course. And the problem may not be the turbo after all.

[PaCemkr86]

do you put valve seals on all the valves?

[mike2buick]

Installed an old original turbo and it stopped smoking, time for a rebuild on my TA60.
Thanks guys

[turbopowered68]

Originally Posted by PaCemkr86

do you put valve seals on all the valves?

not if the valves are stock.

The exhaust valves have a grove that would chop up a Rubber seal.