Help! Blowing White Smoke and strange noises

[T_Rex]

I need a little help diagnosing an issue I have.

Quick rundown - Version 8 EJ (rebuilt) with VF22 controlled by A\'Pexi AVCR and Link G4

The other day I was driving around a strange rattling noise started intermittantly coming from the turbo area. When the noise was happening it would not build boost, vacuum would drop right up to 0.00psi and then just sit there. But it wasn\'t all the time eg. take off and put my foot down - boosting fine, change into second and and boot it again - strange rattling sound and slowly climb the revs with no boost, change up into third and it would be boosting hard like nothing had happened.

Then after a bit of driving, all of a sudden it starts pouring white smoke out of the exhaust, and I mean pouring! I could hardly see the cars behind me. The next day when I started it up it seemed fine but as soon as it was warm, out came the white smoke again. The coolant was very low when I checked so it must be that which is burning, but from where. A google search tells me its either a blown head gasket/cracked head or a rooted turbo. Im thinking that the boosting problem and the smoke are related and that the turbo is at fault

Has anyone experienced anything similar ?

A mechanic friend of mine reckons its the turbo and I really do hope he is right.

Let me know if anyone has any insights.

Cheers,

Mike.

[AdrianJD]

Sounds like turbo oil seals/bearings have packed it in. No real way to know without pulling it out and checking if the shaft is flopping around like an untrained seal.

[Fail57]

Before you pull anything off do a quick compression test. Then go for the turbo. If it\'s white I would assume head gasket over oil seals which would usually be blue. Head gaskets aren\'t as bad as people make them out to be and not such a big deal to fix. Just means you can do a good service with a coolant flush, radiator flush, water pump, cambelt etc. peace of mind motoring!

But I really wouldn\'t be driving it let alone trying to load it up and what not till you find out what it is.

[soopersubaru]

Turbo dead. possible hole in water cooling side. exhaust will have "sweet" coolant smell. Not oily. Either way Dead turbo.

[Fail57]

 soopersubaru said:

Turbo dead. possible hole in water cooling side. exhaust will have "sweet" coolant smell. Not oily. Either way Dead turbo.

Not fimilar with Subaru turbos. Is it water cooled?

[ADIKT]

 Fail57']

[quote name='soopersubaru said:

Turbo dead. possible hole in water cooling side. exhaust will have "sweet" coolant smell. Not oily. Either way Dead turbo.

/quote]

Not fimilar with Subaru turbos. Is it water cooled?

oil and water cooled

[boon]

Sounds like shagged turbo to me. Only starts smoking when cooling system comes up to pressure and starts pushing coolant into the exhaust housing.

[Guest]

Bypass the CHRA water cooling and see if it does it?

[boon]

The turbo will shit the bed pretty fast if you do that though. Not a lot of cooling to be had from a restricted oil feed.

[T_Rex]

Thanks for the feed back guys. Pulled the turbo off this morning before work then pulled it apart at smoko. And it looks like you all get straight A\'s because the turbo is definitely stuffed, the bearing was completely collapsed inside.

Does anyone know if it is possible to rebuild one of these, seeing as its a roller bearing core? (Ive heard that only journal cores can be rebuilt) And if you can where would I go looking for a rebuild kit? Would also need a new turbine shaft and compressor impeller.

Cheers,

Mike

[Rosssub]

Probably much easier (maybe cheaper) to just get another second hand vf22.

Find one with not too many kms and no shaft play.

Edit: Time for an upgrade?

[Guest]

 T_Rex said:

Thanks for the feed back guys. Pulled the turbo off this morning before work then pulled it apart at smoko. And it looks like you all get straight A\'s because the turbo is definitely stuffed, the bearing was completely collapsed inside.

Does anyone know if it is possible to rebuild one of these, seeing as its a roller bearing core? (Ive heard that only journal cores can be rebuilt) And if you can where would I go looking for a rebuild kit? Would also need a new turbine shaft and compressor impeller.

Cheers,

Mike

Steve Murch replaces the bearings with ceramics from what I understand but if theyre to far gone its a no go. If the bearing collapsed im guessing the wheels hit pretty bad? Gonna be a long wait tho like months long hes a busy boy. Second hand VF22 isnt hard to find.