[DreZxt]

Im still wondering about the Turbo on a 82 280zx. When I run it and but my hand by it or behind it (the turbo), everything is cool, not a sign of warmth at all. I didn't think this seemed right because from what I read the turbo is ran of off exaust and should be warm at the least.

Does it only kick in at full throttle, can I hear the turbo? Alsoo.. I just started getting this white smoke. When I first start the car you can barely see it but as it sits the smoke builds greater and greater.

I replaced the oil covered sparkplugs and to me the engine sounds good.. Right now the smoke smell isn't very loud.. Just alot of it. Also I learned recently that it was in the flood that was down here in houston a few months ago.

Im wondering if maybe the flood water could either cause the turbo to go out or is what this smoke maybe. I tried let it run a little but the smoke gets greater.

Should I go out and run the car to get all of the could be water out of the system? I'm scared because I dont want to run her smoking like this.. Before I noticed the turbo I thought the car was just running to lean or rich.

The guy who owned the car before told me he fined tuned it himself, so could it be the adjustments maybe he did is messing me up?

I really like to hear your thoughts on this.. I can SMOKE anyone in my Z =D

 

[CaliforniaZ]

The white smoke is probably a sign of a bad head gasket. It sounds like you have oil leaking into the chambers, hence the oily plugs. The turbo won't come on until you get on the throttle. If you have just been running it at idle, you won't hear it, but when on the road and you get on it, you'll hear it.

 

[Cache]

I wouldn't go as far as to say he has a blown head gasket. If the thing runs, and he's got oil on all his plugs, you're saying that he's lost all compression in the cylinders.

I'd do a compression test to be positive though.

About the turbo, like CaliforniaZ said, It should kick in around 3000rpm, get on the throttle, you'll hear a high pitched whirring noise, and then you'll get pushed back in your seat.

Aren't they great?

If no spool, then you've got a problem.

 

[DreZxt]

Thanks for the replies.. How would I do a Compression Test? (Can I just got to the auto store and purchase a gauge?)

I think I have a problem, I never heard anything spooling up and I punched it a few times.. Although I'll go out there and run her at 3k rpms to confirm.

Has anybody had a turbo that went out on them? Did they have any sim. problems? The only problem I can see right now is.... White smoke!

The car sounds fine to me, so I don't think it maybe anything major but im not any kind of car expert either.

Your ideas are welcome!

 

[Cache]

Well you have to be driving it for the turbo to kick in. You can't spool it up at idle.

Get out on a main road, and floor it (it's an auto i presume), wait for it to shift gears, if you don't get a response from the turbo by the time it hits the next gear, then you have a problem.

 

[CaliforniaZ]

Head Gasket

Actually the gasket does not have to be "blown" to leak oil or water. Most of the time they will start to leak a little before they really let go. In addition, when they do go, most of the time it's on one or two cyl's not al six.

The most likely ways for oil to get into the cyl's and produce white smoke are as follows:

1. worn piston rings
2. worn valve stem seals
3. bad head gasket

If he has white smoke coming out of the exhaust, it's probably from one of those things.

 

[JT240Z]

Re: Head Gasket

He could also have a bad compressor side seal on the turbo. This would pull oil in during vacume. Check to see if the air outlet side of the turbo has oil in it. This would also cause the smoke and oily plugs. Just a thought.