1 Lucky Texan Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 I have been suspicious the last 3-4 times I've driven my WRX, but passed it off as CV grease. But today, looking underhood after a drive, 90% or more of the smoke I've seen out of the scoop is coming from under the turbo shield. I know very little about the turbo system, just wondering about the 'levels' of severity I'm looking at for this problem. Can it leak externally and just needs some kind of seal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 4 minutes ago, 1 Lucky Texan said: I have been suspicious the last 3-4 times I've driven my WRX, but passed it off as CV grease. But today, looking underhood after a drive, 90% or more of the smoke I've seen out of the scoop is coming from under the turbo shield. I know very little about the turbo system, just wondering about the 'levels' of severity I'm looking at for this problem. Can it leak externally and just needs some kind of seal? Good eye and nose! I'd assume the oil supply circuit is leaking - I'm the least familiar with Turbo's but I'd be checking into the oil feed lines and crush washers on the banjo bolts. And of course keep your eye out for other potential leaks - valve covers...etc. Here's a picture for reference: https://www.flatironstuning.com/subaru-oem-turbo-oil-feed-line-02-07-wrx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 it's the smell that is still kinda giving me hope. Maybe this weekend I can get a better look. It is possible for outer cv grease to get thrown onto the downpipe in that area I THINK. No smoke from tailpipe and car seems to run OK (I don't have a boost gauge) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 Turbo oil return hose or valve cover leaking into the heat shields. The oil supply lines normally only leak if someone leaves off the up-pipe/turbo support brackets and it causes the oil supply hard lines to crack. Could also possibly be a bad turbo and it's leaking from the CHRA. But not that likely. You would probably see some level of blue smoke out the tail-pipe if that was the case. CV grease can be thrown in that area also. GD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtdash Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 Been checking your oil level recently? Doesn't take much oil to make big smoke (in my experience, @ least) so it may not be enough to register on the stick. I'd vote CV or VC...:-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted December 15, 2021 Author Share Posted December 15, 2021 yeah, been checking but, as you say, would only take a few drops to really smoke-it-up. Smell is a bit 'waxy' so, hoping for cv grease. I knew I had a split boot before my trip to CO, just don't recall which side. (old guy's memory I guess. The CV issue goes way back to the trans repair I had done. Shop didn't want to return the car with a split boot and I OK'd a new axle. It was from FEQ. They always order HD axles, but that wasn't available for my wagon so, got 'regular'. Turns out, the HD suffix only refers to the quality of the outer boot. When I picked-up my car, I asked for my OEM axle. Pretty sure I still have it in the garage, also can't remember but, I may have already rebuilt it.... yeah, I know, lots of laziness/poor memory on my part....lol! But, the car doesn't get driven much and I thought I'd drive the bad axle at least until it started clicking.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 If you suspect CV, and that’s the most common of all the possibilities, it seems very likely. Those front inner boots see a lot of heat and are first to fail on 2000+ Subarus. Also aftermarket boots don’t last as long as Subaru boots. Good luck ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted December 29, 2021 Author Share Posted December 29, 2021 looked around again today, seeming more like the problem id directly under the turbo shield. no niticeable tailpipe smoke. I guess my next steps are to heat up a nail and sample the smell of my engine oil - and probably take the T shield off. How likely is a fire? The place I'd like to take it for repair work is quite far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 1 hour ago, 1 Lucky Texan said: How likely is a fire? The place I'd like to take it for repair work is quite far. Very unlikely. I've never seen it in practice. GD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted December 30, 2021 Author Share Posted December 30, 2021 Been reviewing some posts and diagrams. Hoping I just need some copper washers or similar. Give me a chance to check the oil screen too. Never looked at it. I will get some penetrant on the shield's 6-7 bolts soon but, dunno when ....maybe after the coming winter blast when it warms-up again. hard to get started on car stuff keeping the grandson. As soon as I start disassembling something, Memaw wants to bring him outside and tells me to put my s4!t away lol! good to hear about fire risk, thanx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 (edited) got the turbo shield off today. Some bad news, some may be good. I think the shield should have 7 bolts, it had 4. clearly, it was removed and re-installed, likely by the collision shop. One of the bolts was barely finger tight so, unclear if one/some may have vibrated out over the years. I have questions; should the bolts be the same length, should they just be flanged, or should they have lock washers.... uhg, too stupid to reduce image sizes anyway, got the shield out - tricky, but easier than firewall-adjacent H6 coils. There was some dark deposits near where the waste gate arm is located, seemed normal. But, the innermost tab on the shield was oily, Just right where the bolt goes through. pretty far away from the turbo so, maybe some blow-back off of valve cover? inside of my shield looked kinda like this one; the far tab, not shown well in the above 'borrowed' pic, was oily. The black area is adjacent to the wastegate arm. Should that arm get any lube? felt around and looked around with inspection mirror. The banjo bolts I can see seemed OK. Might be a coupla weeks before I can get it on ramps to pull the undercover and look around. Still, nothing on the ground, fluid levels look good, etc. Edited January 30, 2022 by 1 Lucky Texan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 (edited) nvrmd Edited January 30, 2022 by 1 Lucky Texan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvu Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 23 hours ago, 1 Lucky Texan said: I think the shield should have 7 bolts, it had 4. clearly, it was removed and re-installed, likely by the collision shop. One of the bolts was barely finger tight so, unclear if one/some may have vibrated out over the years. I have questions; should the bolts be the same length, should they just be flanged, or should they have lock washers.... Just pick some more up from the hardware store or online, They're M6 10mm hex head bolts, flanged is better or you can use washers with nonflanged ones. You probably don't want lock washers, these bolts heatcycle the most and like to corrode and fuse in place. It's better to have them loosen than get stuck and rounded off in the car. They just hold the heatshield in place any length is fine, probably 10-20mm is good enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 thanx, they didn't really seem critical. Just a disappointment finding it like that. The shield has 8 holes, maybe same part used for different models. Clearly had marks/impressions of the original 7 screws. I have enough to match-up at a Hammerbarn, or Ace or w'ever. maybe a touch of anti-seize is a good idea if I'm the one replacing it. these are what I got out of it. I suspect the shorter flanged ones are original; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 (edited) the inboard tab with the oil didn't have a screw thru it. This is probably from the same source as the smell/vapor is from? Kinda weird how the oil is only at the interface of the shield and w'ever it attaches too. Makes me think the oil is traveling there from a bracket or maybe the tab is screwed to the back of a valve cover ?(may need to get my inspection mirror back under there.) That location had no screw in it. Edited January 31, 2022 by 1 Lucky Texan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 this is the wastegate arm. I know nothing about this. Some picks online seem to indicate this is normal appearance. Wondering if the crank or pivot need any lube??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 The heat shield below the turbo is not discolored from any burned fluids that I can see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtdash Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 (edited) The actuator arm doesn't get lubed, in my experience. That C-clip holds it on. You can pull the arm from the actuator to ensure it's pivoting - toward the back of the car. The discoloration is from heat vs. corrosion- usually. Tangent: That nut on the arm can be loosened to allow the mount to be screwed in/out to extend or contract the 'preload' on the WG. Used by some to adjust it, depending on the issue - Refer to a Tuner's recommendation b4 touching it. Edited January 31, 2022 by wtdash 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtdash Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 I may have missed it above...but that turbo's drain line is directly under there...and a Pain to see, but I'd shine a flashlight on it and maybe use a mirror ( or you phone) to view it from other angles to see if there's any seepage/leakage in that area, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 yeah, I have read about getting that lock nut busted loose on rustier cars than mine. I don't think I'll redajust it. I might pop the arm off, just to check for 'play'/ease of operation, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 I may have a better view of some hidden areas when I can get underneath it. If I can idel it on ramps, I might be able to spot a drip. Seems to me there's enough vapor that the leak could be at oil gallery pressures and not just a drip from a gasket. But, yeah, doesn't take much to make some vapor. thanx to everyone for your attention. This is definitely outside my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtdash Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 (edited) 2 minutes ago, 1 Lucky Texan said: thanx to everyone for your attention. This is definitely outside my experience. >>>for now...soon enough you'll be a turbo expert, too. Edit: I'm NOT a turbo expert...just in case that wasn't clear. Edited January 31, 2022 by wtdash 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvu Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Wastegate looks fine, clean it up and no lube if you feel like. BTW, your oil feed line looks bone dry. Don't touch it if you don't need to. At this point it's probably work hardened and probably will crack if you fiddle with it. Probably use an old cellphone and record video, tape it on a stick. Look under the turbo see if it's wet. Hopefully it's not the turbo and something else on the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted February 1, 2022 Author Share Posted February 1, 2022 (edited) definitely no sign of oil on the top. things are tight in that area for certain. I did 'feel' underneath and my hand came back quite clean. I tried to look around with the inspection mirror, nothing obvious. Still wondering if that inboard-most tab on the shield being oily is a clue? Edited February 1, 2022 by 1 Lucky Texan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvu Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 One area under the turbo that could leak, the drain port, gasket and tube. If you can get a good view of that, it would rule out the turbo. Here's where it is on a car with no lower heatshield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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