[breakemlose]

Okay it's either the valve seals or the turbo.

Buuut once in a while I'd say every 15 miles my car will spit out light blue smoke out the tail pipe for 2-3 seconds then cease completely. What do you guys think it is.

1994 TT 60k miles, TTC, downpipe, AFC dynoed, etc. Running the car hard or soft seems to make no big difference.

I do run race fuel often 50% 100 octane unleaded 76 @ 50% 92 octane.
I run 1.45 Bar on race fuel
1.25 Bar 17 psi ish on pump

Is there a easy way to check if the turbo's are leaking versus the valve seals?


One other quick thing. Since I dyno tuned my AFC with 97 octane. Does running pump fuel kinda mess with my car big time? I notice my car now to ping once in a while in 3rd gear full throttle on pump fuel. Should I set my car to run a little more rich to compensate for the lack of 97 octane.

 

[theman]

usually when turbos start leaking you will get oil in the intercooler piping and you can check the BOV also, it will let oil through to the intake as well. If none in those spots the in may be the valve stem seals. Usually you'll get a little bit of smoke out of the exhaust on first start-up in the mornings as well...

 

[quick]

If it's rings it will smoke all of the time.

If it's valve stem seals it will smoke upon acceleration after idling.

...not sure about if it's turbo.

To check for valve stem seals sit at a stop light and idle, and then accelerate pulling away. Look for blue smoke. If the only time that it smokes blue is in those situations it's valve stem seals.

HTH.

 

[breakemlose]

Okay damn i think it's the damn valve stems! How much does it cost how many hours of labor?


Lately it's smoking a tad bit more. Usually it smokes with cruizing throttle at 37 mph or so. it will kick up then cease after 2 seconds. sometimes for a instant upon acceleration lately.

Never at high throttle situations or freeway (unless I am not seeing it).

I did pull off the intake hose and noted a clean perfect intrance nothing in the intake either. Final check would be BOV?

By the way when pulling the valve stems is it easy access to put some hks272's in there or a fuel system for future requirements of more power.

 

[pwpanas]

Okay damn i think it's the damn valve stems! How much does it cost how many hours of labor? ...

8-14 hours is typically quoted by shops, but the job takes more like 18-24 unless you've done it before...then it takes about 12.

...By the way when pulling the valve stems is it easy access to put some hks272's in there or a fuel system for future requirements of more power.

It's a lot easier to do the cams (you have to remove them anyway when you do the valve stem seals), but you'll still have to add the step of reshimming. In other words, you're putting new camshafts in instead of the old ones, so the clearances with the new cams might be different.
The fuel system is almost 100% independent of the valve stem seal job (in other words - you won't save any time doing the fuel system at the same time).

 

[Guest]

Anyone in the SoCal area want to do a free valve stem service?

Chris

 

[Guest]

Stem seals aren't a bad job on the TT. The Toyota labor guides overstate the time needed.

As mentioned before, its a 4 hour job if the mechanic has done them before. An experienced tech will pressurize the combustion chamber (air compressor to spark plug adapter fitting)and leave the head in the vehicle saving a lot of time. Parts should total around $150, and $300 for labor--- At least that's the going rate in the Midwest. I'd call around and have a local Toyota tech do it on the side. If they've done it before, they'll probably do it for less than book time.

 

[Guest]

Ya I think Im having the same problemm... (tell me if Im right) ...

I made kinda of a hard run through the canyons the other day and I noticed when I came to a stop, I saw a small puff of smoke.. then a few miles down the same thing...hmm??

Also whats a good shop to take it to in the Los Angeles Area??

 

[turbomkiv]

do you guys also experience a bit of oil consumption when having valve stem seal problems. How much?

 

[Guest]

Hardly any.
I think my stem seals or valve guides are shot. It consumes a Quart every 3000 miles or so, but that's not too bad for 140k worth of abuse.

Won't rings cause more oil consumption? From what I was told it just takes a very small amount of leakage up top to create a puff of smoke.

 

[Taimur]

I recently started to see this a little bit my self. Bit of blue smoke is ever so slight. How bad is it if I do not change the valve stem seals?

Is it harmful not to change them?
Thanks

 

[quick]

No harm if you don't replace them.

It's just ugly and embarrassing.

 

[Guest]

Has anyone tried using Valvoline's Max Life? Review's suggest it's effective at "puffing up" seals back to near normal condition. I don't think you need to run this stuff all the time, one oil change cycle may be enough.

I recently started to see this a little bit my self. Bit of blue smoke is ever so slight. How bad is it if I do not change the valve stem seals?

Is it harmful not to change them?
Thanks

 

[quick]

Has anyone tried using Valvoline's Max Life? Review's suggest it's effective at "puffing up" seals back to near normal condition. I don't think you need to run this stuff all the time, one oil change cycle may be enough.

It strikes me that this product sounds like the old trick of putting some ATF in your oil to do the same thing. It always ends up causing more trouble down the line.

IMO the right thing to do is just to replace the necessary seals.