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FaceAche

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  1. So my mechanic has had 4 goes at fixing this. Smoke coming out of the drivers side of the engine bay. First was due to turbo leaking oil, this leaking oil building up and subsequently dripping on to the exhaust. Got a second opinion from another mechanic who also diagnosed a faulty turbo, so had both of the turbos replaced - still the smoke persisted. Mechanic then diagnosed failed rocker cover gasket, and replaced it - the smoke persisted. One of the seals on the rocker cover bolts was apparently at fault and was fixed - the smoke persisted. Failed spark plug gasket was the culprit, suspected faulty gasket kit, so new gasket kit sourced and installed - smoke persists!!!!! Every time i've been told that there would be smoke for a few days when residual oil burned out of the nooks and crannies in the engine bay. Even to my untrained eye, it's seemed like too much smoke for it to be residual oil. I'm currently out $550 for the initial diagnosis which included a warrant and service, $800 for two second hand turbos, $1100 labour to have these turbos fitted, and $375 for the rocker cover gasket replacement. Last two attempts at fixing it have not incurred any charge. So at this stage, i'm rapidly losing faith. My good friend and ClubSub member, iludez, has suggested it could be an oil line to or from the turbo, but that i should also consult with the helpful members of Club Sub. What do you guys think? Would Te Rapa Automotive here in Hamilton be the bet place for me to take the car to? I'd really like my current mechanic to sort it out, as i really don't want to have to pay again, but ultimately i also just want it fixed (so am resigned to the fact that i may have to bite the bullet). Would really appreciate some advice! Here's a vid of what i'm talking about;
  2. So the final outcome here is that i got both the turbos replaced. VF 31 and 32 with VF 26 and 27. Whilst i don't know a lot about the mechanical side of vehicles, having had the car for around 10 years now, i know how it drives; it all seems a hell of a lot smoother, gear changes are less jerky and it's running great. Not sure if you can tell, but i have the old turbos from it, and i'd be happy to take photos of them if anyone was interested in having a nosey?
  3. Initially noticed smoke coming from the engine bay (just wispy smoke, not clouds of the stuff). Checked it out, and it was coming from the driver side of the engine, smelled like oil dripping onto the exhaust. My normal mechanic checked it out, said it was oil coming out of the turbo on that side, dripping onto the exhaust. Said it was either 'blowback' (whatever that is), or that the turbo was on the way out - they couldn't tell without pulling it all apart, which would be more costly and the car would be off the road for however long it took to get a replacement. Booked it in to Collins Automotive in Hamilton for a second option, where a guy named Todd (who used to race Subaru's) checked it out for me. Confirmed that the turbo was leaking more oil than expected, was noisy, and needed replacing (quoted me $2125+GST+Labour for a brand new genuine Subaru turbo). Figured that as the car has done 150,000k's and is 16 years old, i'd get both turbos done. Concerned that if the secondary was stuffed, the primary might not be far behind. Quoted $600 labour to do each turbo separately, or $900 to do both (due to the intercooler etc already being out at the time). Confirmed that i had a VF31 as primary, but unsure of secondary - understand that i can pretty much use any of the standard secondary turbos, bar a VF14. SubTech have sent me a VF27 as the secondary, and a VF26 as the primary (which they say is the same as a VF31). So that's where i'm at. Still don't really know what i have as a secondary, but hope the VF27 will be okay. Also hope that the VF26 will be okay as a replacement for the VF31, and that there isn't much difference in performance between what i have and the VF26 and 27 that i'm getting installed.Really don't want a downgrade if i can help it. I work in IT, so i'm technically minded, but don't know a lot about car mechanics, turbos etc, so have to rely on what the professionals tell me. What do you guys reckon about it all?
  4. Thanks for the response. Secondary has been diagnosed as bad by two different independent mechanics (one a Subaru specialist). Was having trouble figuring out exactly what turbo's are installed. Initially thought it was 32/33 but it's Rev C, so 31 as primary and something else. Can see VF31 stamped on the primary, but can't tell what the secondary is. I understand that with secondary turbo's pretty much any of them will bolt on except for a 14. Initially organised a 31 primary and 32 secondary from SubTech, but they weren't happy with the 32 so didn't want to supply it - have swapped it out for a 27. Going to get both of them done, and keep the 31 that's currently on the vehicle as a spare, just in case. Putting aside the single-turbo conversion for the time-being; probably going to be too expensive and time-consuming for me.
  5. Do you mean quoting? But if i do stay with twin, would you get the primary done too?
  6. ^ Excellent - thanks. Have asked for single-turbo conversion quotes from Mattchanics, Subirex and what i suspect will be the joke option due to cost, Torque Performance. If i do stay with the current twin setup, i'll get the secondary replaced, as it's the one that's faulty. Would you suggest getting the primary done as well, even though there's nothing wrong with it? My mechanic has quoted $600 labour for replacing the secondary, and because the intercooler etc is already out, $900 for doing both. So my thinking is that if the primary does the bulk of the heavy-lifting, but it's the secondary that's gone, the primary won't be far behind, so best to get them both done - thoughts?
  7. ^ So that's for a single-turbo conversion? New VF22 by itself seems to be $2000 to $2500 - where would i get one for $300?
  8. ^ Right, okay. Going to be a bit too rich for me i think - sounds like a $6K+ kind of job, which is probably more than the car is actually worth. Damn, maybe just keeping it as-is is the best option. Just get a VF31 as the primary, a VF32 as the secondary, and be done with it. I'm torn!
  9. No mechanical knowledge, tools, or time unfortunately - i'd really just want to drop it off somewhere, pick it up and few days later, and pay whatever i owed. Have messaged Mattchanics and asked for a quote. Will take it from there. Not sure what you mean by @PBMS wanting a link
  10. Far out - do any supposed professionals have any idea what they're talking about? I've had two Winger Subaru's tell me the primary turbo is on the drivers side, another Winger actually get it right along with my normal mechanic, and a second opinion from Collins Automotive. Now i've got Strongs telling me that VF25/26/27 will be suitable as a secondary! Got to admit, this whole exercise has been stressful and frustrating, and for the amount of time i've spent researching it, i might as well have just handed it over to my normal guy and said "Fix it!". VF22 single-turbo conversion is looking more and more appealing - who would be the best people to do it? Anyone in Hamilton? Or would Torque Performance or SubTech be the best? Any other Auckland/Waikato suggestions. Oh, and thanks for the help here guys, really do appreciate it!
  11. It's Rev C. Is that a factor in a VF22 conversion?
  12. Plot twist! Think i might explore the costs involved with a VF22 single-turbo conversion
  13. They didn't actually say why, just said a 32 wouldn't work, that i needed a 25/26/27. No issues with the car, just a noisy/leaking secondary turbo. Figured i'd get both of them done since the intercooler etc would already be out. I am happy to go with whatever works, i just don't want reduced performance, especially if the ECU thinks that there is a bigger turbo in the car than their actually is - sounds like a slippery slope to more issues and more $$$'s.
  14. Thanks. So the primary is definitely a VF31 - i can see it stamped on it after digging in the engine bay a bit. Unfortunately without some serious pulling-apart of stuff (which i don't have the tools for), i can't tell what the secondary is. Strong for Subaru have said i need a VF31, and either a VF25/26/27, which they're sending me. They say that VF32 won't work (so i have cancelled the VF32 that i have got coming from SubTech, which is a shame, as it apparently was coming out of a car that had done around 30,000k's). I know for sure that the primary is VF31, so that's something. Now if i go with what Strongs say, will the VF25/26/27 that they send me be comparable to the VF32 in terms of performance? So much conflicting information out there!
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