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By 55Birdman - 14 Years Ago
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I know its been a LONNNNNNG time since I was on this site but been very busy. Couldnt sell dads car so I inherited it and have been driving it a lot. In this beautiful North Carolina Summer the days cry for the old top down and cruise. Thats what I was doing the other day on my way home I noticed a ton of white smoke coming out of the tailpipe. Engine ran fine just tons of smoke. I limped in to a gas station a short ways away and opened the hood. Checked all I could check and lastly I pulled out the dipstick and found it almost dry. If my mind is still working properly is this a sign of a blown headgasket? Engine starts and runs fine just smokes. So, before I tear into it I thought I would get a second opinion from all of you guys. If it is I know to get both heads done and all that. Just want other opinions on the possible issue. Thanks in advance and its good to be back. BTW my name is Earl just like dads.
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By Barry L - 14 Years Ago
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Hi how's the water level in the cooling system? Does it smoke all the time ? Check for bubbling with the rad cap off. Might be a good idea to drain the oil and check for water. Barry L
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By 55Birdman - 14 Years Ago
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Water level was fine. as long as its running its smoking. I dlid have to add oil to the engine. about 2 qts. That was almost gone when I got home. Did run ok not great but ok.
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By charliemccraney - 14 Years Ago
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Sounds to me like you're burning oil. In what distance did it use those two quarts? Is it actually coming out of the tailpipe? Could the smoke be blowing under the car and appear to be coming out of the tailpipe?
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By 55Birdman - 14 Years Ago
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I drove about 8 miles maybe less. Smoke was out the tailpipe. No oil leaking uner the car anyplace. I havent had time to look at it any further . I will tomorrow pull the plugs and drain the radiator. just a brief visual there are no leaks on the engine anyplace thats what told me headgasket. Could be wrong. Just dont have the money for a new engine now.
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By PWH42 - 14 Years Ago
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It sounds as if you have a broken piston.That much smoke and using that much oil in 8 miles,it can't hardly be anything else.
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By slumlord444 - 14 Years Ago
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Not head gasket problem. PVC or road draft? Have seen stuck pvc pump a lot of oil out a tailpipe. If no pvc my bet is blown or broken piston. Compression test should find it.
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By 55Birdman - 14 Years Ago
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My mileage guesstimate may be off a bit. Never was good with numbers and distance and time. But the winner is a blown head gasket. Badly corroded in one corner that made its way to the cylinder .
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 14 Years Ago
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Earl: There is no oil in that part of the head, only coolant, which produces a white smoke. May be another problem causing the oil consumption. I have seen the wrist pin locks jump out of their grooves, and the wrist pin push them against the cylinder wall and wear a wide groove in the wall. Had that happen to a 390 I had, also a John Deere combine. Could happen to a Y, though I have not experienced it.
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By charliemccraney - 14 Years Ago
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Hoosier Hurricane (10/24/2011)
I have seen the wrist pin locks jump out of their grooves, and the wrist pin push them against the cylinder wall and wear a wide groove in the wall. Had that happen to a 390 I had, also a John Deere combine. Could happen to a Y, though I have not experienced it.
I have but it didn't consume nearly that much oil. Until the plug fowled, there wouldn't even be smoke out the exhaust. I guess every case could be different. I've also had intake pushrods jump out of the rocker arm, which caused it to smoke a lot, but there is also a noticeable difference in the way the engine runs, for obvious reasons.
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By bird55 - 14 Years Ago
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I've had an oil ring break on one piston. Smoked like crazy, used a bit a oil, but ran great.
Bad valve guides and seals are a possibility too.
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By Larry D - 14 Years Ago
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Pull the spark plugs and do a compression test. I'm betting you'll find one that's Zero. We drove a '55 Merc that smoked like that for 50 miles. Found it had a hole in the top of the piston.
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By oldcarmark - 14 Years Ago
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I am with Larry on this one.Compression test will tell the tale.
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By 55Birdman - 14 Years Ago
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I will do the test when the head comes back from the machine shop. When the smoke started the engine ran fine. No knocks, bangs or anything that sounded out of order. No missing or sluggish running. It hesitated when the smoke started but all it did was smoke till I got home. Next day I went out and checked the engine. I found no oil leaks on the garage floor pan. No water leaks although it was a bit low but not way out. I had a dark brown plug 2 were light brown and 1 was hardly brown at all. When I pulled the head off I found a lot of ashlike residue in the back cylinder where the gasket was messed up. The closer to the front of the engine the less residue. Looked like finely ground charcoal. Smelled like antifreeze. No score marks on the cylinder walls . The engine turns smoothly by hand and doent seem to be binding anyplace. A friend of mine helped me and he felt the pistons as they moved and he said they felt ok. But I will do the compression check and see what happens. The heads are 113 heads that dad put on just before he died. I have done nothing to the engine except keep it running. Do you think it could be a waterpump problem? I had a 72 Pinto that blew a waterpump and my wife drove it till the headgasket went. Just a thought.
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 14 Years Ago
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Earl: I don't remember details about your Dad's posts as he was working on the car, so I don't know if he retorqued the heads after a few miles of running. That is something that needs to be done. If you haven't rermoved the other head, retorque it before you run it again, and retorque the new gasket after a few miles. Also be aware that the front and rear head bolts in the top row are a little longer than the rest. If they get put in the middle holes, they will probably bottom out and not clamp the head properly.
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