I have been helping my friend get his 2800cs back alive. We recently got it finally running (2 plug wires were in the wrong orientation), so we were pretty happy to get it running on all 6. He replaced the normal wear items (cap, rotor, plugs, etc). The car apparently had sat for 10 years. He had his tank boiled and sealed to be sure his gas supply was clean. We then sucked through a vacuum line water and later sea foam for about 30 minutes. He then dumped about half a quart of atf into the crank case. Since then he has run the car for an hour. It still has white smoke coming out of the tail pipe. Are his rings shot? The white smoke does not seem to be dissipating with more run time.
reviving a 2800cs - white smoke
- Thread starter charofire
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Things to also consider besides burning oil:
steam from a blown head gasket?
burning brake fluid from a leaking booster?
pull the plugs and pour some Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder, turn the engine over for a few seconds without starting it and let soak overnight
try some Marvel Mystery Oil in the crank case and run for an hour then drain and replace oil with a fresh batch
some swear by MMO, others say it is snake oil, but worth a shot.
steam from a blown head gasket?
burning brake fluid from a leaking booster?
pull the plugs and pour some Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder, turn the engine over for a few seconds without starting it and let soak overnight
try some Marvel Mystery Oil in the crank case and run for an hour then drain and replace oil with a fresh batch
some swear by MMO, others say it is snake oil, but worth a shot.
White smoke is usually water in the comustion chamber. Suggest doing a compression test.
Maybe the car sat for 10 years because it overheated and cracked the head at the exhaust valve or valves. The old heads have a very thin wall between the water jacket and the exhaust valves and fracture easlily.
The head on my car had two fractures at the exhaust valves. Replaced it with a 1986 head with drilled water jackets.
Maybe the car sat for 10 years because it overheated and cracked the head at the exhaust valve or valves. The old heads have a very thin wall between the water jacket and the exhaust valves and fracture easlily.
The head on my car had two fractures at the exhaust valves. Replaced it with a 1986 head with drilled water jackets.
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The head was replaced at some point. Its an '83. My friend replaced the booster with a new one. No burning smell coming out of the engine bay.
Ill tell him to let MM0 in each cylinder. Terry Conors aka the e9 Zeus said to do something very similar.
Ill tell him to let MM0 in each cylinder. Terry Conors aka the e9 Zeus said to do something very similar.
Drain the crank.
Re-fill
Carefully mark water level and leave cap off.
Let idle for an hour
Pull plugs.
Re-fill
Carefully mark water level and leave cap off.
Let idle for an hour
Pull plugs.
MMercury
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Hard to determine from your narrative whether it is water, oil or both billowing out of the tail pipe.
I do not necessarily subscribe to the idea of dripping water or seafoam down the throttle of an engine just because it has been inert for years. It may do some good. It may not. Hydro-lock and broken plug tips don't often happen except when the boat capsizes at full throttle. :lol:
I am reminded of a similar cloudy situation though. During the course of a valve job I observed a certain young mechanic's helper cover everything (including engine internals) with ATF and/or Marvel Oil. Seems like he may have disposed of a couple quarts. Much of this mysterious moisture preventative found its way to the exhaust system. After start up, the engine ran well but the smoke was equally impressive. It was seemingly never ending as it took considerable time to heat up and exit two mufflers. If your e9 is stock, that is three potential reservoirs to purge.
The difference between vapor clouds and smoke caused by burning oil is usually distinct. Either or both would not be surprising in an old engine. Measurable coolant loss speaks for itself. Per Don's suggestion, if you have to add it, where is it going? A quick look at the plugs should be revealing i.e., coolant leak = very clean plugs. A look at the plugs should also reveal whether you have significant oil burning, e.g., evidence of fouling.
The next step is contingent upon what you find. Coolant in the combustion chamber speaks for itself and typically requires removing the head. Rings occasionally unstick themselves but scored cylinder walls typically do not improve with age or mysterious oil. Same with cracked/broken/hardened viton valve stem seals and seriously worn guides.
Best of luck.
I do not necessarily subscribe to the idea of dripping water or seafoam down the throttle of an engine just because it has been inert for years. It may do some good. It may not. Hydro-lock and broken plug tips don't often happen except when the boat capsizes at full throttle. :lol:
I am reminded of a similar cloudy situation though. During the course of a valve job I observed a certain young mechanic's helper cover everything (including engine internals) with ATF and/or Marvel Oil. Seems like he may have disposed of a couple quarts. Much of this mysterious moisture preventative found its way to the exhaust system. After start up, the engine ran well but the smoke was equally impressive. It was seemingly never ending as it took considerable time to heat up and exit two mufflers. If your e9 is stock, that is three potential reservoirs to purge.
The difference between vapor clouds and smoke caused by burning oil is usually distinct. Either or both would not be surprising in an old engine. Measurable coolant loss speaks for itself. Per Don's suggestion, if you have to add it, where is it going? A quick look at the plugs should be revealing i.e., coolant leak = very clean plugs. A look at the plugs should also reveal whether you have significant oil burning, e.g., evidence of fouling.
The next step is contingent upon what you find. Coolant in the combustion chamber speaks for itself and typically requires removing the head. Rings occasionally unstick themselves but scored cylinder walls typically do not improve with age or mysterious oil. Same with cracked/broken/hardened viton valve stem seals and seriously worn guides.
Best of luck.
Don,
what would my friend be looking for when the car is idling for an hour with the cap off other than the coolant level going down?
what would my friend be looking for when the car is idling for an hour with the cap off other than the coolant level going down?
m_thompson
Well-Known Member
One trick is to run the engine until it gets warmed up, then hold a Kleenex in the white smoke. If it is water vapor from a head or head gasket then the Kleenex will be wet.
It can take a long time to get rid of that water in the exhaust.