Smoke screen at about 60 mph

Tiny
DALLYN MILLER
  • MEMBER
  • 1995 GEO METRO
  • 1.0L
  • 3 CYL
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
  • 150,000 MILES
My car has an engine out of a 1995. I bought the engine from a junk yard and rebuilt it. Put it in got it all running and whatnot. Took it out for a test drive and after it warmed up when I get to about fifty five to sixty mph depending on fourth or fifth gear I get a big white smoke screen. My oil pressure is about 40 at idle and 65 at 5000 rpm's. I changed the PCV valve and valve cover. Do not know what see to try other than the oil pump. I want to get some input before I try that. Anyone else seen this problem or heard of it before? Thanks
Friday, November 25th, 2016 AT 2:50 PM

6 Replies

Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
What operations were done as far as doing the "rebuild"?

Can you tell if this is smoke or water vapor?

Engines sometimes do smoke (oil) until the rings break in, normally it is maybe a little bit, not a smokescreen!

The Medic
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Friday, November 25th, 2016 AT 4:11 PM
Tiny
DALLYN MILLER
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Was not really a rebuild I guess. New seals and main/rod bearings. Still had great compression so I did not worry about replacing rings. 100% sure it is smoke because I have a exhaust leak and some of it makes its way into the cab. And it is a lot of smoke. It stops when I let off the throttle, but if I go right back into it I lose power and blow clouds again.
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Friday, November 25th, 2016 AT 7:49 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 34,330 POSTS
Hi guys. Allow me to add an observation, then I will go away. White smoke is a sign of burning engine coolant, and that is almost always due to a leaking cylinder head gasket. However, given the circumstances, if you are not losing coolant now, consider that is is possible, depending on what you took apart, for coolant to run into the exhaust system, then it burns out later when the new engine is running. If that is the case, the smoke will diminish after more miles. I have seen this happen to other mechanics with engine oil too.
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Friday, November 25th, 2016 AT 9:21 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
Doc,

You pipe in anytime!

You are the man!

I am sort of thinking white/ blue/ gray might be mistaken to be the same thing!

Especially when your guts are churning after doing a bunch of work, spending money that you had to scrape the bottom of the barrel for,

And now your dream seems to be creeping its way towards a nightmare.

I have been there (too many times!)

Like Doc said "depending on what was taken apart"

If it is burning oil, did you somehow disturb the rings?

Did you get this engine sort of just sitting there, not having seen it perform at all? Maybe it was like this before you obtained it?

Broken ring? Piston skirt?

Do you think it is burning oil?

Doc, jump back in with your scientific answers after he responds. I learn a lot from you too!

I really like your method for finding shorts in the electrical system, It has saved me a lot of time (and the capability of actually finding one), has also made me the "Hero of the Year" several times. "You are so smart", has been slung at me quite a few times! Sometimes I do throw the credit your way!

The Medic
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Friday, November 25th, 2016 AT 10:06 PM
Tiny
DALLYN MILLER
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I am no master mechanic by any means but I know what I am doing. The engine runs beautifully. Purrs like a little three cylinder kitten. I know the difference between burning coolant and oil and I can guarantee it is oil. It cant be a head gasket because all three cylinders hold compression. The only thing I can think that it could be is maybe my oil pressure is too high and my valve cover is filling with oil and running into my air cleaner. I was just wondering if anyone has seen something similar to this and what they did to fix it?
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Saturday, November 26th, 2016 AT 10:59 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 54,137 POSTS
I would remove the valve cover to see if there is any blockage in the oil drain back ports in the cylinder head which would cause the problem.

Please let us know happens so it will help others.

Best, Ken
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Thursday, December 1st, 2016 AT 9:46 AM

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