85 SVO - Burning Oil?

[damacman]

A buddy of mine has a 1985 SVO - 2.3L turbo obviously. He has had the entire motor rebuilt, as well as the turbo. He reinstalled the motor and bolted up the turbo. Upon firing it back up, it ran great for several minutes, then began to bellow blue smoke out of the tail pipe.

He's been pulling his hair out trying to solve this problem. I'm clueless, so I thought I'd ask the experts. Oil pressure is 35 PSI and it does have alot of crank-case pressure. So much so, that you can cap the valve cover and the blue smoke comes out more quickly after start up. With the oil cap off and a rag over the hole, it takes longer but still begins to bellow blue smoke.

Any ideas so I can help him from early baldness? He hasn't driven the car at all since he discovered this . . .

 

[RustBucket]

Fresh motor? Was it rebuilt by a shop or by him? I'm thinking that either the rings weren't lined up right or one was cracked during assembly or maybe even installed on the piston wrong. I've seen this before after a fresh rebuild turns out it was only one cylinder with the problem. But you'd have thought it was all of them the way it smoked. On deceleration it would look like a mosquito fogger. Worked good on tailgaters

 

[NY Eric]

turbo

Also who built the turbo. Do a compression check first before you start tearing everything apart. It might clue you in. But also check the turbo shaft for play. I have had too many peope call me about Ebay rebuilt turbos recently.

 

[Stinger]

Is there oil on the spark plugs? That should say whether it's the engine or turbo. Also check the turbo return line for obstructions or kinks. It has to run downhill all the way to the engine.

 

[RustBucket]

The plugs will confirm the presence of oil and maybe even narrow it down to a select cylinder(s), but oil in the turbo will still find its way into the combustion chamber and burn the same way oil that gets past rings or valve seals will. To determine if it came from the turbo, a quick look at the intake piping ahead of the throttle body will tell you if the oil is from the turbo.

 

[markl89]

Thanks guys, I am that friend.

No oil on the plugs, very clean plugs.

Turbo has oil in both sides of the Turbine housing. I was told to check the oil pressure, if it was too high then the turbo drain was being overwhelmed. Oil reads about 35 pounds at idle which I don't consider to be too high and I have put a smooth bore drain on it.

I was told to check the crank case pressure as well. Have the oil cap off and PCV valve is new and clear. Seems to be venting ok.

All of this leads me to believe the turbo has an issue. I am currently working on getting another turbo from an SVO to verify this. We will see.

Thanks'
Mark

 

[65ShelbyClone]

If the plugs are clean and its burning oil as much oil as it sounds, then I tend to agree on the turbo being the problem. It seems that for whatever reason, the turbos on turbo Fords only lasted about half as long as the engine(unless they are well maintained).

35psi idle is not too much oil pressure. If there was 80psi or more going to the turbo, then I'd be suspicious.

On the other hand, I don't know what to think about the "rag in the oil fill" situation. That just smacks of PCV or blowby issues, but you said it has a new one. Its a new engine, so I wouldn't expect blowby. Have you done a compression check?

 

[Stinger]

The plugs will confirm the presence of oil and maybe even narrow it down to a select cylinder(s), but oil in the turbo will still find its way into the combustion chamber and burn the same way oil that gets past rings or valve seals will.

Depends on which side of the turbo is leaking. A leak on the exhaust side won't make it's way into the engine but will certainly smoke.

If it's the compressor side leaking then yes, it will do exactly as you said...

 

[RustBucket]

Good point.

 

[epicstanger]

its the pcv valve system i had the same problem, make sure you get a motor craft pcv valve and then go to autozone and get a vacuum check valve and put it in between the pcv valve sysem this will get rid of the crankcase pressure problem and the oil problem.


go to SVOCA.COM theyll have more info on it for you