I want your thoughts on smoke

[Spectre23]

So I put on my exhaust a couple weeks ago. I drove it about 2 - 3 miles to my friend's work. Picked him up and drove about 1-2 miles. Got back to his work and at an idle when I would rev it there was big clouds of pungent smoke. I figured the turbo went out so I drove it home. The entire way back home, stopping at every light, there was no more smoke. Thinking it was a fluke, I drove the car to work the next day. Got to work with no smoke at all. Driving home after work, I drove the car for about a mile (just long enough to get to operation temp) and it starts smoking really bad. Got on the freeway and the rest of the way home, no more smoke.

My first thought was turbo, but when the seals in them go bad, they never stop smoking and this smoke looked more white than blue (but at 0 degrees ambient most smoke looks white). Then I thought maybe head gasket. So I drained the oil to see if there was coolant in it. There was nothing.

So now my plan is to try a compression test, but I am wondering 1) if it is safe to compression test with no oil in the engine... and 2) if the gasket is leaking bad enough a compression test will tell me jack.

I was really hoping for turbo being bad so I could steal my GT28R from my hachi roku. So anyone have any thoughts???

[pulsar gtr]

You can do a compression test, but you should also do a leak down test, it will tell you alot more on the internals of your engine and their conditions.

you might have some oil comming out of the breather on your valve cover and recirculating back into the turbo, intake and burning them out, this could be cause by worn piston rings.

Also, check your o2 sensor, it might be faulty and causing the car to run a bit rich which could cause some smoke But definitely do a leak down test.

GOOD LUCK,

PULSAR GTR

[themadscientist]

Is it a brand new exhuast? they often smoke for a while burning off junk inside the pipes.

[Spectre23]

yes, it was a brand new exhaust. I just figure it is something bad because I am a pesemist and they way it comes and goes doesn't seem like oil residue burning off. Plus it was huge clouds that envelope several vehicles.