Engine Smoking after rebuild

[SP BLING]

Ok so I got my car back together enough to take it for a drive around the block on the weekend, but it's starting to blow smoke. The head has been fully rebuild, head gasket replaced, but the bottom end is original (195,000k).

The engine wasn't smoking before the rebuild of the head, hence why I didn't change the rings/bottom end bearings. It's now smoking at startup (cold or warm) and when you put your foot down. I ran a compresion test across the cylinders at got this:

Cylinder 1: 195
Cylinder 2: 195
Cylinder 3: 185
Cylinder 4: 190

As a pre-caution we have re-torqued the head and dropped the oil. Oil looked fine. There are holes every in my radiator though so it will not be pressurising. The radiator will be replaced shortly with a new one.

So basically I'm not sure if the rings are gone (has been sitting for 18months) or if the valve stem seals are not seated correctly. But as the compression is good, I thinking it's the valve stem seals.

[project.r.racing]

start smoke = valve stem seals.

but, are you using a very thin run in oil? slight chance it might be that. (very slight)

if you have to take the head of again, do a re-ring also. saves having to take the head off again to do the rings at a later date.

[bourbon]

what colour smoke is it blowing first???

[project.r.racing]

ah true nathan. if it black smoke. could just be burning off 18months of crystallized carbon build up.

[bourbon]

or since the new rebuild the engine may be running rich since most of the engine is new...maybe try reseting the ecu if it is black smoke...

[70NYD]

question, im sorry to hijack the thread but how do you reset the ECU??

myn is blowing black smoke as well

and myn blew blue oil at startup for 2 times after i changed from 10w30 to 20w50 which is wiered, but only twice and heavily after that its fine for weeks now

[SP BLING]

It's blowing White Smoke. Currently running a 10W-40 oil.

It is running rich though as the plugs are black (though could be oil as well). There's been no battery plugged in for at least 12 months so I think the ECU should be reset.

[70NYD]

white smoke is either a blown head gasket or water in pistons in general from somwhere or water in the car/muffler if its been sitting that long not turned on...
try taking of your exhaust before the cat and have a looksee. like afger the headers or something. if it blows then its out of the engine. if the car had a blown head gasket before you stripd and fixed it it is likely that there is bout a litre of water in the cat/exhaust, k so not a liter but enough to smoke white for a good while till it evaporates away.
but white smoke is water (think nuclear plants and their cooling towers )

[Cosmo Dude]

Condensation sounds like the most obvious cause if it's been sitting. Take it for a good drive down the highway, maybe in 4th. If it was head gasket then you'd need to keep topping it up and in extreme circumstances spit water from the exhaust.
If the engine wasn't newish I'd suggest a really good thrashing to put some real temp in the exhaust.

[phildough]

Originally Posted by 70NYD

question, im sorry to hijack the thread but how do you reset the ECU??

From what I have read disconnect the battery and depress the brake pedal for 30 seconds

[D Valerius]

I can vouch that battery off / faulty and running the foggies for a photo will do it -_-

pardon the intrusion.

[rodhog]

white smoke ? if it's pure white and oyu have no coolant pressure and it's large enough it might be burning off - assembly oil or even run in oil on some parts. but as you never touched bottom end I doubt it. if you have dropped in forgees and rings then I would expect it too.

I'd say fix you coolant issue first and get it up to temp first. A decent head run in and then if you still have smoke you have an issue.

water won't make white smoke it's normally the additives that make it white. you have gasket gone and it's 90% water it's STEAM. The steam makes a pure white due to anti-frezze.

[SP BLING]

I have taken it for a drive, but not far, but enough to get it up to temp.

The head was skimmed and a new head gasket was fitted. We even checked the block and it was super flat as well.

I was wondering if it had something to do with the coolant..... The radiator will be fixed first.

[70NYD]

just check to c if its condensation in the muflers before you tear sht appart man...

[SP BLING]

I got it sorted! It turned out to just be old fuel - approx 18month old fuel to be exact That's if you could still call it fuel......

We drained the tank on the Saturday and filled it up with some 98 octane. At the same time we fitted the new radiator which allowed the car to get up to temp properly. After 15 minutes or so, all the smoke and water has now gone!

Thanks for all your help and suggestions!

[project.r.racing]

I guess if it was kept outside for those 18 months. Moisture would have got into the tank at times. Good to hear it's all sorted.