Still smoking after turbo swap. Pcv problem? And noise. Long

[Quick Cal]

Quick history. I bought the car with a blown turbo. Massive smoke and raw oil coming out of the exhaust.

Put junkyard turbo on it. New turbo was bone dry.

Started it after priming system and it still smoked bad and was really noisy. But the noise went away mostly. I can still hear it a little. But not near as bad. Could it be the serpentine belt tensionor. I see it dancing a little bit. Is that normal. It's coming from that area. Or I seen a vid of a similar noise the guy said it was a timing belt tensioner on his V6.

I put on a junkyard pcv upgrade kit. I don't believe it's the latest version because one of the hoses is shorter. The hose going into the valve cover split when I was putting it on. But I had no choice but to try it. I thought I might have a little oil leak.

I initially ran the car for about 20 minutes up on the ramps to flush out the blown turbo bearing. I then changed the oil and dropped it of the ramps.

Started it back up. NO SMOKE!! Or not much anyway.

But I think I tried pushing that split pcv hose on better. I ran it in the driveway another 5 minutes or so. Very little smoke. But the exhaust still had some oil left in it that had to be burned out I figured.

Drove it around the neighborhood and it started smoking again. I was testing out the turbo. It was working good I think. Big smoke when I romped it. I kept checking the oil and it was ok.

So I head out on the highway thinking a longer ride would burn the oil out. Drove it about 20 miles. It wasn't getting better so I got off a ramp to turn around. I thought I'll romp it real good one last time then take it easy on the way home.

When I romped it I blew the hose off the turbo and I was broke down on the side of the road with a check engine light now. Luckily I was able to get the hose back on. I found that split pcv hose was leaking oil pretty bad all over. I pushed it on again the best I could on the side of the road. I threw some oil in it and headed home. I could not see any smoke like I did before.

I get home and did a temporary repair on the split hose. I put duct tape around it and clamped it on with a hose clamp. Oil level was good. I disconnect the battery to clear the check engine light. Tightened the turbo hose clamp.

Very little smoke.

Drove it to O' Reilly's and had them check for codes, which I knew there wouldn't be any since I just cleared them. Drove it home and romped it a few more times. Then on a good romp it started smoking again and the cel came back on.

I called it a night.

So how is this pcv system causing this massive amount of smoke. Can that split be causing all of this. Can the oil trap be full some how. Or is the pcv just sucking oil right out of the pan into the exhaust some how. I don't get it.

Let's say the pcv is the big smoke and I put the #6 kit on it. But if I'm left with a little smoke, what could that be. I have right around 150psi compression on all cylinders.

I'm going to check the oil level to see if maybe that's what made the cel come on. Then I'll go get it scanned so I know for sure.

Sorry so long. But I'm at my whits end.

Please advise. Thanks.

[Mike Brennan]

The system is full of oil from the bad turbo. It should have been cleaned out so you are going to have smoke for a long time if that is the issue. You need to order the check valves and the mod 6 for the PCV system. You also need to drop the pan to clean out the screen and sump. It sounds like the whole PCV system is blocked up. 150 across all 4 doesn't not seem fatal although a bit low. However if your cylinders are full of oil you will get a false reading. Pull the plugs to see about that. You say a hose blew off the turbo and you got it back on off the side of the road, hmmm, well you better buy those hoses as well. Check engine light is not a link to low oil, that has its own light. I think you need to sit back and re process your approach. Get done what needs to be fixed first then report back.

[Quick Cal]

The system is full of oil from the bad turbo. It should have been cleaned out so you are going to have smoke for a long time if that is the issue. You need to order the check valves and the mod 6 for the PCV system. You also need to drop the pan to clean out the screen and sump. It sounds like the whole PCV system is blocked up. 150 across all 4 doesn't not seem fatal although a bit low. However if your cylinders are full of oil you will get a false reading. Pull the plugs to see about that. You say a hose blew off the turbo and you got it back on off the side of the road, hmmm, well you better buy those hoses as well. Check engine light is not a link to low oil, that has its own light. I think you need to sit back and re process your approach. Get done what needs to be fixed first then report back.

Thanks for the reply kind Sir.

As you can tell I'm a newbie here and new to Saabs. I found the other Saab forum first and was posting mostly there. I kinda figured it was probably all the same people anyway just like most of the other forums I'm on,,,lol. Point is I guess you don't know what all I've done. So here it is,,,lol.

First thing I did when I got the car was put what I believe to be a early version of the pcv upgrade kit. It has all the check valves. But one hose was shorter. But that didn't fix it.

Dropped the turbo and found a broken impeller shaft. I replaced the turbo with a used TD04.

Before starting car with new turbo:

Dropped the pan and found gold chunks and fine dust particles from a blown turbo bearing. Cleaned pan and screen. It wasn't as bad as some I've seen. I think it might have all ready been done before.

Dropped and flushed intercooler, oil cooler, and radiator.

Primed oil system and turbo.

Ran car for about 20 minutes, then changed oil and filter to flush out gold dust particles. It was clean.

Started car and made video above.

I found out the cel was P1334 and P1312. Both are ignition coil, ignition control module, or spark plugs. It would make since that the plugs are fouled. I'm getting ready to go clean them and do another compression test.

What it is doing now.

If I let it sit for awhile it doesn't smoke until I start driving it and put my foot into the turbo. Then here comes the smoke.

After posting yesterday I went to the junkyard and found what I believe is a #6 pcv kit. Can you confirm by the pic below. It was off of a 01 9-3. Would they be the same. After putting it on there was no smoke again. Until I put my foot in the turbo that is. It hasn't fixed the problem as of yet.

It dawned on me what part of the problem could be. When I went for the first test drive I took about 3 quarts of oil with me so I could add if I needed to since it was still smoking. I didn't want to run out.

When I broke down on the side of the road a guy stopped to ask if I needed help. I was checking the oil. I couldn't see it because I forgot my glasses. I asked him and he said he didn't see anything. So I put in the 3 quarts that I had. Might have been more.

I'm not blaming him at all. But I also got the easy read dip stick yesterday and put it in. I'm way over full I think. I still can't see where it is on the dip stick. But I believe it's over the top of the plastic nub. I keep draining a little at a time. Still can't see it in the range of the nub.

So today I'm going to drain a little more oil until I can see it. If I can't see it, I'm going to drain it all and start over with new oil and filter and add the 4.5 quarts. Then see what I can see.

Could the extra oil be part of the problem.

[gbest]

Your exhaust still has oil in it, it will take some time to burn off.
I would drain the excess oil, you could ruin the engine.

[Quick Cal]

I changed the oil again. Cleaned spark plugs. They were not fouled. Had some tan carbon and gaped at 1.5mm. I cleaned and regaped at 1mm. I will replace when I get more money.

Started it up and no smoke. Drove it. As soon as I get into the turbo it starts smoking. I was driving it hard and it was smoking really bad.

I got to a friends house and shut it off for 15 minutes. Started it back up and no smoke. Revved it up pretty good. No smoke. Drove home. Again, the harder I hit the turbo the worse it smokes.

Could this turbo be bad. It was bone dry. No oil. If anything, it had some corrosion on the exhaust side. I thought maybe the car I got it off of might of had a blown head gasket.

Here's the turbo I put in. I wonder if it's bad.

[Quick Cal]

Update. Don't be confused by the above pics. They are of the used turbo before I put it in.

Well it's looking like a head gasket dammit.

I dropped the exhaust. Clean as a whistle I guess from the anti freeze/mostly distilled water washing it. At least I know all the oil is out of my exhaust now,,,lol.

I'm still going to get some test strips or the block tester. It's a loaner tool and I just pay the $8 for the fluid.

But by the looks of it wouldn't you guys confirm probable head gasket.

Just a thought. If I have loose head bolts could they cause this. I know I do have an oil leak up high from either a head gasket, imagine that, or the valve cover gasket I just put on.

I'm going to check the torque on the head bolts. Maybe I'll get lucky.

[Quick Cal]

I don't know. The more I think about it I know the smell of burning oil. And that's what this is. It's not sweet smelling.

Everybody who smells says it's oil.

[nordwulf]

Loose head bolts were a common issue for M98-01 but perhaps also on other model years. More info here: http://saabworld.net/showthread.php?t=27258

[Quick Cal]

I still refuse to believe that it's anti freeze burning. It's like I have too much pressure in the crankcase when the turbo kicks in and and its blowing, or sucking oil out. Could I have the rubber hoses going to the turbo hooked up wrong.

If I had a blown head gasket wouldn't at least one of the plugs be a different color. These all look the same.

The head bolts seemed tight.

The oil leak was either a failed valve cover gasket install, or the pcv nipple going into the valve cover leaking. But it's a pretty bad leak. There was oil in the line going from the pcv to the cobra pipe. Is a little bit normal. I would think so.

I guess all I can do is clean it up and put it back together and see if I can find the oil leak.

Could a faulty pcv system be causing this. Can I temporarily block off the pcv to see what happens.

I'll buy the block test kit when I get paid and go from there.

[Quick Cal]

I pulled the plugs. Cranked it over and no fluids came out of any holes. Or the turbo. I watched the pistons go up and down. They are clean.

Put the plugs in and the dic on with out hooking up the plug. No fluids.

Hooked it all up and started the car for about 4 seconds. NO FLUIDS!!

Stated it again for about 10 seconds. NO FLUIDS!!

I'm talking about no fluids coming out of the open turbo.

So does that mean it has to be oil in the exhaust system. Or could it still be coolant and I just wasn't seeing it because the thermostat hadn't opened yet.

I guess I'll put it back together and keep romping the turbo. I'll blow it out or blow it up,,,,lol.