I've cross-posted this on RL, but wanted to get your guys' advice as well.

So I'm pretty sure my turbos are leaking a bit of oil and the seals have degraded as there's some blue smoke occasionally out of the back of the car, especially at startup. I've got an extra pair of K16's that i might have rebuilt but I wanted to ask about my options.

1) Have K16's rebuilt
2) Install brand new K24's (X50)

If i go with the K24 route, will i need to reflash my ECU? I'm somewhat worried about this as I'll need to pass smog at some point and I'd like to retain the ability to go back to "stock." Are there other advantages to going the K24 route? I'm thinking that the bigger turbos will run cooler and improve the life and performance of the engine.

Any advice? I'm not that interested in making HUGE power. 500 bhp is good enough for me.

 

used K16s go for $500..
with that said, why are you jumping to conclusions? it could be just your check valve on top of the turbo... or maybe someone overfilled when changing oil...
both side do not just leak .. it would be one...
K16 billets with 1 bar wgs are nice... and probably enough for you...
K24s are nice too but very expensive...

here is our K16 billet,
markski

 

First question,
Are your turbos definitely leaking?

I ask this as its quite normal for these cars to smoke, especially on start-up

 

Hi Markski,
Thanks for your reply. I actually have a pair of used K16s, but i was thinking if i was going to go through the effort to have them installed, i'd have them rebuilt as well. I don't think it's prohibitively expensive to do so.

I've also heard from a couple people that the puff of blue smoke and some oil in the intakes is normal and not really worth worrying about.

Would I need a new tune with your K16 billets and/or a fuel pump/regulator upgrade?
Like i said, i'm pretty happy with the power that I'm making. I already have a 500 bhp tune.

Thanks again.

 

I'm not 100% sure. I see a small amount of oil in the intakes (turbo to plenum). I would thin that would have to be coming from the turbos. I guess I'm also trying to gauge how important doing this upgrade is... I'm consuming about a quart of oil every 1300 miles.

 

Yo dont think its expensive to rebuild them? Yes it is... very expensive...
so hybrid good k16s, add a 5 bar FPR, and a tune.. you will be very happy...
markski

 

+1 what he said!

 

But is the puff of blue smoke and a bit of oil in the intake normal?
As I said, I'm not that interested in power adders.

 

why did you buy a turbo lol

 

For a couple reasons: First, the turbo's engine block is way better and more reliable than the M96 and early M97 one (and probably the recent M97 one) and second, I don't think there's a good 500 bhp NA porsche out there (except for the GT3 4.0 which I'd gladly trade my turbo for).

I suppose I should say, i'm not looking for any additional power adders.

 

could be.... but the it also could be the check valves....
or a turbo... guessing is not going to get you answers.. if you cant diagnose it take it to a shop that can... then make a honest decision...

 

I get that. I'm trying to be informed and learn about these things as I go. Some say the smoke at startup is an issue, and most say that they see the same thing. I'm seeing a liter of oil go every 1200 miles or so, some say that's normal too. I'm trying to determine if i have an issue at all.

Most mechanics I can think of will sieze the opportunity of my thinking I _might_ have an issue as a blank check to make some quick cash. This is especially true where i live.

But from the feedback i'm getting, the symptoms i'm seeing are normal behavior. Thanks for chiming in.

 

Definitely listen to Mark
He's straight-up and honest......no bull, just the facts, a very genuine guy


Mark - Is his oil consumption normal?
What would be the best way to self diagnose if he's uncomfortable about going to a shop?

 

I should say... one of the things is I bought this car to learn more about cars in general. It's no fun and not really much of a learning experience to take it to a shop at every sign of potential problems.

Thanks again for the help guys.

 

What oil are you using?

I switched to M1 5w40 and no longer need to add oil every 1200 miles.

Mark definitely knows what he is talking about and will not steer you wrong.