Nissan 370Z Forum - Dan's VSR top-mount turbo 370 v3.0

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Quote:

Originally Posted by FireDan50 (Post 3488297)

So after years of running boosted with this kit I finally started experiencing an issue: for about a month while idling at a light, lots of smoke would start to come out of the exhaust...like a smoke screen. I checked all the fluids (coolant/oil) and everything was the same. I got all panicky and took everything apart and took the turbo out because I thought something was broken.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m...521_145910.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x...2B-%2BCopy.jpg

After talking with a lot of shops/people, it was assumed that a seal had broken. But after researching things online....I think the problem was as simple as a dirty air filter. I remember when I took everything apart, the filter looked pretty jammed up from pollen, sand, dirt, debris and it was like a vacuum cleaner filter when you hit it against something to clean it. Junk just fell from it like crazy. So I think that the restriction there was causing the pressure build up in the turbo at idle to let oil get in the exhaust and smoke it out. I would test this theory but while putting everything back together a t-clamp for the charge pipe broke, so waiting on that....should find out tomorrow, but I'm sure thats all it was.

I also thought I'd tackle the headlight mods while everything was apart :P

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z...2B-%2BCopy.jpg

any update on what you found ?

Yup, pretty damn sure it was just a dirty/clogged air filter. Can't believe it was just as simple as that. Where I'm at has some serious bad pollen and that must've helped gum it up. I drove around town today stop/go traffic getting it up to proper temps...idled at a bunch of stoplights which caused the exhaust smoke and nothing now. Runs like a damn champ again...I'm usually on point w/ maintenance and didn't think it had been that long since I checked the air filter, but I guess full-time student school schedule got the best of me.

nice ! glad it wasn't something more serious

I spoke too soon. So car was running without any smoke for 2 days...then just yesterday was in a parking lot idling and then smoke dumped out the exhaust again :( I'm out of ideas and going to take it to a shop.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireDan50 (Post 3492902)

Do you check the turbo??

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlitos_370z (Post 3493120)

Do you check the turbo??

Yup, no shaft play...didn't see anything that would lead me to believe the turbo was the culprit. Didn't see any oil residue anywhere on either side of the turbine. I'm not a turbo expert, so I wasn't really sure what to look for.

From talking with others and internet researching, my next step in troubleshooting is looking at the PCV system...other things suggester were to do a leak-down test...which I have no clue how to do and don't think I have that equipment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireDan50 (Post 3493469)

Go to a shop if you have a chance bro! to do the leak-down test. I dont know if in your area you can find a shop that works on Subaru, Evo something like that.... Is a most in a shop that work on those cars. I tell you that cause when i have my STi the mechanics that works on my car have the equipment ;)

I hope you can resolve this soon bro!

So maybe figured out why my car was smoking this time...I put in new PCV valves and installed a small air/oil separator (catch can) to see how much was going being circulated. Below is the result after just two days of driving...about 200 miles only.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u...616_171736.jpg

Its a small container, not nearly as big as the majority of catch cans out there, but I was surprised to see this much after just 2 days and a couple hundred miles. Anybody else boosted have catch cans and have a lot of blow by?

Im sure you'd know the answer to this and its most likely within this thread but do you know if VSR or the company they merged with are still making these kits?

Hit them up here if you're interested....tell 'em Dan from Hawaii sent ya ;)

https://www.facebook.com/rjmllc/?fref=ts

Dan, did you ever finish your headlights? Curious to see how they came out. I am contemplating doing mine. But I am leaning towards sending them to Oneighty.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9...80416208_o.jpg

I think they turned out pretty good. I just kept it simple and didn't do any lighting mods. Satin black housing w/ Carbon black shrouds.

Man i want to paint my headlights soo bad

Quote:

Originally Posted by soill370z (Post 3542827)

any updates?

Not really, just finished school and looking for a job so haven't been modding much, but nothing is broke so no updates there which is good too lol.

I switched out that temporary Jegs oil/air separator for a Mishimoto compact baffled oil catch can. That and replacing my PCV valves stopped my car from smoking on idle.