any update on what you found ?

Yup, pretty damn sure it was just a dirty/clogged air filter. Can't believe it was just as simple as that. Where I'm at has some serious bad pollen and that must've helped gum it up. I drove around town today stop/go traffic getting it up to proper temps...idled at a bunch of stoplights which caused the exhaust smoke and nothing now. Runs like a damn champ again...I'm usually on point w/ maintenance and didn't think it had been that long since I checked the air filter, but I guess full-time student school schedule got the best of me.

nice ! glad it wasn't something more serious

I spoke too soon. So car was running without any smoke for 2 days...then just yesterday was in a parking lot idling and then smoke dumped out the exhaust again :( I'm out of ideas and going to take it to a shop.

Do you check the turbo??

Yup, no shaft play...didn't see anything that would lead me to believe the turbo was the culprit. Didn't see any oil residue anywhere on either side of the turbine. I'm not a turbo expert, so I wasn't really sure what to look for.

From talking with others and internet researching, my next step in troubleshooting is looking at the PCV system...other things suggester were to do a leak-down test...which I have no clue how to do and don't think I have that equipment.

Go to a shop if you have a chance bro! to do the leak-down test. I dont know if in your area you can find a shop that works on Subaru, Evo something like that.... Is a most in a shop that work on those cars. I tell you that cause when i have my STi the mechanics that works on my car have the equipment ;)

I hope you can resolve this soon bro!

So maybe figured out why my car was smoking this time...I put in new PCV valves and installed a small air/oil separator (catch can) to see how much was going being circulated. Below is the result after just two days of driving...about 200 miles only.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u...616_171736.jpg

Its a small container, not nearly as big as the majority of catch cans out there, but I was surprised to see this much after just 2 days and a couple hundred miles. Anybody else boosted have catch cans and have a lot of blow by?

Im sure you'd know the answer to this and its most likely within this thread but do you know if VSR or the company they merged with are still making these kits?

Hit them up here if you're interested....tell 'em Dan from Hawaii sent ya ;)

https://www.facebook.com/rjmllc/?fref=ts

Dan, did you ever finish your headlights? Curious to see how they came out. I am contemplating doing mine. But I am leaning towards sending them to Oneighty.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9...80416208_o.jpg

I think they turned out pretty good. I just kept it simple and didn't do any lighting mods. Satin black housing w/ Carbon black shrouds.

Man i want to paint my headlights soo bad

any updates?

Not really, just finished school and looking for a job so haven't been modding much, but nothing is broke so no updates there which is good too lol.

I switched out that temporary Jegs oil/air separator for a Mishimoto compact baffled oil catch can. That and replacing my PCV valves stopped my car from smoking on idle.

Have any more angles/photos of the fitment? :tup: Lookin' good man!

18x10 +30 275/40/18
and
18x11 +18 305/35/18

So are these 275/40's all around? Looks fantastic

Welp...coming up on near 5yrs boosted now on stock internals running 10psi daily. *knock on wood* Still rolling on yes, these are 275/40/18s...sorry took me several months to reply. I've been outta the "scene" for a while from moving to another state, starting a new job, and stuff. Just starting to get into cars again and went to a couple meets/events this weekend.

https://i.imgur.com/KTvi0pl.jpg

Welcome back. :tup: The Z is still running strong. :tup:


By the way. Who is that? :yum:

https://i.imgur.com/p636jom.jpg

Well almost a year later and finally doing some things. It was about time to change brake pads so figured might as well do the lines as well....and the brake fluid, trans fluid, and diff fluid. I'll post more pics later but ended up going with Z1's Premium stainless brake lines, StopTech Street pads, Motul 5.1 brake fluid, Redline MT-85 trans fluid, and Redline 75w90 diff fluid.

While working on the brakes, one of the hard lines actually cracked and had to be replaced. It broke at the passenger front side at the angle where it passes through the metal fender well. I guess all the heat from the downpipe and the vibration at that point weakened it enough to where it broke while I was installing the steel lines. Didn't discover it till I was bleeding the brakes. I'm just glad it happened while on the jack stands and not while driving.

So we replaced the entire line and actually did a small reroute to take it further away from the downpipe and alleviate some stress. The line did well though, having lasted for over almost 6 years boosted. While we were at it I also said bye bye to the heat wrap and went for a full high temp ceramic coating to the downpipe and some other hot turbo pipes.

Wrap the coated piping. I just did the coating on the downpipes and all of my connectors and wiring started getting cooked. Now I've got the heat wrap over the coating and everything's a lot happier.

What type/ brand of coating did you use? Also which wrap?

Not sure on the brand of coating, but the wrap is just the same old Thermotec.

I had my pipes done with Cerakote high temp coating (Glacier Black C-7600) which is supposed to be the ****. However...I figure couldn't hurt to wrap it again lol. I need all the heat control I can get with this set up. As you can see in the pics, the space is tight, but its been working (knock on wood). I used DEI Titanium exhaust wrap for the downpipe.

https://i.imgur.com/M321Z9M.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vCZ2N68.jpg

While doing this project I found a sweet light at Lowe's for about $60. Pretty damn right and multiple angles, tripod mountable, USB and outlet connection.

https://i.imgur.com/RAQd7zl.jpg

Also OCD kicked in so I hit the Greddy cans with some Blue Magic. Got the carbon off the tips good.
Top is before - bottom after

https://i.imgur.com/lZUhwQr.jpg

Did the first actual "mod" to my Z in years yesterday. Greddy "Boost Brigade" wheel with quick tilt hub. I'm surprised at how different it feels ti drive with an aftermarket wheel, feels great and the tilt feature makes it easier to get in and out with the fixed back Status seats. Install was super easy and took about 30 min.

https://i.imgur.com/x3tdZRx.jpg

Latest project was installing the Trackspec Motorsports 3 hood vent kit.
Link to post in the "exterior section"

https://i.imgur.com/SwNLrXa.jpg

Been following your post for a bit ever since I picked up a Z in august that’s running the same kit. Old turbo blanket got coated in oil when the turbo line leaked on the old owner. Any recommendations for what brand to run? Black friday coming up!

Boost controller is next up, as well as finding a thermostatic sandwich adapter that has enough ports for my new setrab oil cooler and the turbo feed line

DEi makes a solid turbo blanket.

Haven't updated this in a while because I haven't really been doing anything. Just been trying to maintain the car and keep it running no problems...just realized a lot of the pic links to some posts are now broken; not sure what happened to the pics.

So while trying to just maintain my Z I was having some intermittent oil pressure warning lights coming on so I went to change out the oil pressure sending unit which was only like $20. So yeah that went out the window and ended up costing over a grand to fix in labor and parts. While putting the new sensor in the upper oil pan, I over-torqued it and ended up cracking the pan. Wasn't a super bad crack like others I've seen while googling the problem but it was bad. Tried to plug/weld but that didn't fix it. Ended up just ordering a new upper oil pan.

https://i.imgur.com/CVxnoNq.jpg

Luckily my neighbor has a shop that does good work and he replaced it for me. Figured I might as well change out the motor mounts and tranny mount while work was being done.

https://i.imgur.com/oQHs4fP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rphIPtk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0mXIStT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TPiLgcR.jpg

OMG this thing feels like a track car now but I love it. The solid motor mounts are a HUGE difference not only in NVH but the response/driving feels great. So I have solid motor mounts from CJM, urethane trans mount from Torque Solutions and urethane diff bushings from Z1 now. This isn't my daily driver so the added noise/vibrations don't bother me and I kinda like the extra noise and definitely love the change in driving feel. Hard to describe but solid motor mounts aren't for the timid lol.

So I think I messed something up with where I had a lot of my pics stored/linked....going to have to go through this weekend and restore all the pics with broken links.

The last time I cracked a hole in aluminum. I had to rebuild a motorcycle engine just to replace the cracked case. :shakes head: Learned my lesson on that one.

Glad to see that you’re still keeping us updated with your build.

Enjoy the CJM solid motor mounts. You get a little race car added.

Please do! I'd love to read and see this!

Sucks that you ended up having to replace the upper, but at least you got it fixed! i'll definitely keep the torque down when I work on my oil pressure sensor. Almost done installing my Kw3's, then working on installing my Setrab 34 Row Oil Cooler. Will be running the oil cooler inlet and outlet to the thermostatic sandwich plate, and the oil feed for the turbo to a t-fitting that goes off the oil pressure sensor.

Also i'm curious if my VSR kit was an older, less revised version? Your maf sensor placement seems superior compared to mine. My passenger side piping is the same, but my maf location is on the bottom side of the pipe and extremely close to the turbo. the wires down there are pretty charred. My intake piping on the driver side is a completely different shape. It doesn't go between the power steering and coolant reservoir, it goes inwards towards the block and back out, allowing the reservoirs to be side by side. weird!

Yeah, I've seen a few version of the VSR kit as it progressed. You know when you had yours done? I think mine was in Aug 2013

So if anyone is on Facebook, I've decided to sell my Z and posted it on the Marketplace and a couple Z Groups. I just don't use my car anymore; don't do meets/shows/races etc and its just kinda taking up room that we'd love to use for a home gym. If anyone knows someone in the market, hit me up.

After 8 years of ownership, tens of thousands of dollars in modifications, blood/sweat/tears, I have sold my Z. I told the new owner he should join this forum to learn more.

Dan glad that you found her a good home. Sorry see you move on but that is life. Don't be stranger and check in every now and then. Be well and stay safe!

Bob

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