Smoke from engine bay

[SST_Ti]

Gah, first problem with the SST.

Got home last night and left the car ticking over while I opened the garage door. When I went back to the car I noticed quite alot of smoke coming out around the bonnet. Drove the car quickly into the garage and got the bonnet up.

The smoke seems to be coming off the body of the turbocharger itself. I checked the obvious things like a leaking rocker gasket and the engine seems to be oil tight. There's no oil dripping onto the floor so what's likely to be the cause?

[Excite]

i had this mate, i was givin my car some stick and the power steering fluid was coming out of the resovoir tank cap and travelling down the pipe on to the turbo as well as some small splashes. it burns like hell and lasted a while 30 secs-1minute maybe.

check that out 1st mate.

[30psi]

His car wont have power steering.

I would check the oil feed. Sounds like a little leak

[SST_Ti]

No, I don't have power steering.

I'll get the heat sheild off and check the pipes going to/from the turbo.

If the pipes need replacement am I best sticking with stock items or are there better options?

[CNHSS1]

As 30PSI says, probably an oil leak from the stainless braided oil feed hose from the block.
NOTE:- it isnt a nissan part, nor is the manifold, or oil return to sump pipe, they are all Scimitar items. Graham Walker or QRG will sort them if they need replacing.
Could well be the coolant banjos from the steel bundy pipes. They have a habit of the copper washers relaxing and weeping. Its generally microscopic amounts (as with the oil feed leaks) but makes a hell of a lot of steam/smoke!
If its water banjos, worth checking the 8mm return pipe back to the water header tank isnt blocked as the plastic header tank has a steel tube insert in it (to stop the jubilee clip crushing the plastic) that rusts up constricting flow and makes the cooling system prone to leaks.

[CNHSS1]

Oh and power steerings for girls

[SST_Ti]

It did seem to smell like oil smoke rather than steam from the coolant, but from what I could see with the heatshield in place the solid metal pipes to the turbo looked very corroded.

I'll check out that pipe on the header tank, I had the same problem with my Quantum kit car. There is a small water leak from somewhere up front and the heater doesn't work, plus the gauge is showing that the engine seems to be running very cool (about quater way). I suspect the thermostat has been removed or is jammed open.

[alundra]

Color of smoke? Smell? Fluids level?
If i was you, i'll put something under the motor, start the engine, open the hood, drink a can and localise the area of smoke and area of fluid.

[CNHSS1]

the temp thing could be the guage mismatched to the sendor. The nissan senders make the guage read very cool, normal is just below halfway generally, although they all vary somewhat, Good ol Reliant... Think you need a metro sendor to suit the dash.
If its oil smoke check that the turbo castings arent caked in oil cos even if you cure the leak, itll still smoke but you wont know it. Remove the two heat shields (main one and smaller one underneath/near chassis rail) and have a good look from underneath. A good steam cleam may well make the daignosis a hell of a lot easier.
Its a Ford header tank, so probably very similar to those used on your Quantum.
Difficult to tell if the heaters are working anyway! they are poor. If cars used infrequently as most scims are, then the heater matrix will be full of shit. Put some of that rad clean in the secondary filler cap (nearest thermostat) and use for a few days, then flush the whole system throughly with the garden hose and then fluch the heater matrix again separately with the garden hose connected first to the inlet stub ( pokes thru the bulkhead next to heater blower under bonnet), then repeat on the exit stub and reverse flush it. Makes a big difference. Stops hotspots too. Refill with good antifreeze (50/50 water a/freeze) suitable for an alloy head.
thermostats rarely stick (its the nissan bits that are reliable!) but they are only a few quid anyway.

[SST_Ti]

Cheers for the advice, I'll check it all out over the weekend.

Tha car has only done 8000 miles in the last 7 years and then only in the summer so the matrix is probably sludged up.