I have a 235 that smokes white during inital start up. After it reaches operating temp it stops smoking. Do you think it needs a new head gasket??
Usually related to worn valve seals / guides which allows oil from the rockers, to drain down the valves stems after shut down and puddle either on top of the piston or on the back side of the valve. Once it gets burned off the smoke goes away. You might also notice a puff of smoke after cornering hard, or after it sits at idle and the high vacuum pulls some in, then it burns off as you accelerate. If you have a vacuum gauge, and idle vacuum is lower than spec this would confirm this also. Putting new seals on which are cheap and easy may aleviate most of it if the guides aren't shot.
If it was me, I'd pull the head have it checked for warpage. It sounds like it could use freshening. Valves, guides, seals and surfaced as needed, will address the smoking issue. If you do find the head has warped, check your water pump while you've got things torn down, radiator too! Don't forget to test your thermostat for correct temperature opening, belts and hoses. After that you should be good to go! Unless something else is wrong?! Dan Stevens dba, Steelsmith
Could just be water condensation in the exhaust pipe. You are near the Ocean and after you shut it off hot the pipe sucks up all the dampness in the air and it condenses in the muffler/pipe only to be vaporized again while warming up. Or it could be a blown gasket or cracked casting. Check the spark plugs, if you have one or two REALLY clean ones that's coolant giving them a shower....
Yup, sounds like you're sucking coolant past the head gasket until the engine warms up. If it is indeed smoke and not steam, look for a bad vacuum modulator sucking ATF into the engine.
As said above , valve stem seals are the most likely culprit .... Also a compression/leak down test will tell you if it's anything worse ....
Are valve stem seals something you can change your self or do you have to have it done by a machine shop?
First off, you need to know the difference between condensation on a cold day, and actual white smoke. Assuming you can tell the difference, then I would ask if it has been using any coolant? Valve stem seals would allow oil into the combustion chambers, not water. Oil burns BLUE... To change the seals, you will need the right kind of valve spring compressor. Use umbrella type seals if you can. Chances are the guides are worn and you should think about a valve job anyway...
My test for a bad head gaskets. Been doing it this way for years. Make sure it's nice and cold and fill the radiator up to the top, as much as you can fit in it. Start it up, and as soon as the thermostat opens, shut it down. Wait about 20 mins and start it back up again and watch the tailpipe, if you see fluid, it's a internal leak somewhere. My theory is, enough water and just hot enough gets the pressure up nice and high as it's cooling down, but the engine doesn't get hot enough to close up anything with expansion. So either the water goes to the exhaust or towards the oil. At least then you know which direction to look. Works for me about 90% of the time.
If the coolant level is going down you have a problem. When filling a radiator in any old car or truck without a recovery tank system/reservoir fill only as high as the last time you checked it after it puked because you filled it completely to the top last time. You have to leave room in the tank for expnasion after engine shutoff..
235's are notorious for having cracked heads i tried selling a guy one but after the third one came back from the machine shop because it was cracked i gave up and the machinist is reliable we use him a hell of a lot later mike
it's not oil. pull your plugs and have a look. you probably have a bad gasket, sixes like to eat them (at least ford sixes do). if the coolant level keeps dropping pretty rapidly and you know it isn't a line leak (which it ain't--that wouldn't put steam in your exhaust), it's either a head gasket or a crack in the head or block. before you do any major teardown though, retorque the head bolts like 29nash said, might save you time and money.
JANDK...WHITE smoke means water in combustion chamber. the cheapest and best thing to do now is, TORQUE the head bolts. the problem will only get worse if something isn't done. if this doesn't help, well pull the head and have it checked for CRACKS. this means pulling all valves, so they can check for cracks around valve guides. good luck my friend...POP.
I got up yesterday morning and starting at it again. I had bought a headset gasket kit thinking I would take off the head and replace the gasket to be safe. Once I pulled the head off I thought..............since I'm this far I might think about reconditioning the head. I called my the boys at LESCO RACING & MACHINE SHOP in San Luis Obispo. I told Josh what I needed done and asked for it to be done quick if possible. I drove over to his shop and within 1 hr (11:30am) from the phone call they starting the repairs. By 4:30pm, I got the call the head had been repaired. With new surfacing, polished valves and new custom seats, I was ready to put it on. I'm headed outside now to get to work...I let you know what happens. jason
Just my 2 cents, but before you tear anything down pressure test the cooling system cold. if it will leak coolant anywhere it will show on the gauge, given a little time.
Personal opinion, I think this e10 fuel absorbs more moisture than people think, resulting in more condensation at startup.
JANDK...after i answered your post, i thaught let's ask you this question. is the smoke you speak of, like steam or actualy white. the reason i ask is, well in the cold season all vehicles make tailpipe steam, YOU KNOW? and it doe's look like smoke. 1 way to know for sure, is wait for warmer days. I just didn't want you to pull the head if not necessary. please post your findings...POP.
The smoke was white. It's been about 62 to 70 degrees here. Not too cold. However, when I placed my hand over the tailpipe it did leave moisture on my hand. jason
I put the head on today and all the white smoke seems to be gone. It was about 75 degrees today. I'll start it up early in the morning and see what happens. I'll also take it on a long test drive tomorrow. By the way. I was not able to use the old manifold sleeves because they were buggered up so I made some new ones. I used copper piping. Does anyone know if that will hold up or am I looking at replacing them soon? jason
The Jalopy Journal
