Old Smokey

[FST4RD]

Why does a carburated bar normally smoke at start up and then stop once it's been running a while?? I bought my mini with an empty tank (as you normally do with a new car!) and filled it to the top with 96 no additive, the second time i filled it to the top with 96 and put a thing of that valve master in it, now it smokes when i start up and once it warms up it's fine, even with the foot down. Would the valve master have anything to do with it?? If not what could it be??

[Truenotch]

Yeah my mates *cough*prelude*cough* smoked a bit on start up so we put in stop smoke and suddenly it smoked chronically on startup????? Maybe the motor has to be propperly warm before the additives start to work.

[fuel]

When you mean smokey, what colour smoke is it exactly? It's not just specific to carby cars.

If it smokes blue smoke on startup, it's an indication of worn piston rings or valve stem seals.. - either way, oil is entering the combustion chamber.

If it smokes blackish grey smoke on startup, it means it's running rich, which on a car with a choke is about normal when cold.

Also valvemaster, or any lead substitute replacement contains a lubricant to protect the valve seats on an older vehicle with no hardened valve seats. It's possible the smoking is just from the lubricant (which is an oil of some kind) being burnt in the combustion chamber.

Back in the old days, they had leaded petrol, in which the lead acted as a lubricant for the valve seats.

If you are really worried about it, get a compression check done to give you an indication of the piston ring and valve sealing condition.

[FST4RD]

Apparently the compression is 120 on all cylinders, the smoke is a light colour not black or grey, more of a whiteish. There's no choak on it (there will be tomorrow though) So normally takes a bit to start. I'm also doing an oil/filter change with some castrol gtx, some thick stuff to stop leakage!

[fuel]

Are you sure the white "smoke" is infact smoke? And not steam or condensation?

[dazzag]

Are you sure the white "smoke" is infact smoke? And not steam or condensation?

cars will have steam which can be mistaken for smoke when its colder. Because the condensation sits inside the exhaust. when you start up the car the exhaust creates steam which stops after it has be evaporated by the exhaust. check the 'smoke' as see if it is just lots of steam[/quote]

[FST4RD]

done an oil change in the weekend and it hasn't smoked since , but when i took the oil cap off there was some whitish gunk in the bottom and a bit of condinsation, i cleaned it up, put a flush through the motor and done the oil filter change, ran around for a while and took the oil cap off again and noticed condensation in there again. is this normal??

[fuel]

What exactly do you mean by condensation on the oil cap? Is it white and milky? Or just droplets of water?

A by product of combustion is water (in the form of steam), and some will escape passed the rings into the sump. Around town running will cause it to accumulate more than usual, whereas open road running will allow it to all evaporate.

If it's white and milky looking under the oil cap, or even on the dipstick, then I would be worried as that's a sign of a blown head gasket, or worse - a cracked head.

[FST4RD]

it was white and milky, but cleaned it off when i changed the oil, and it hasn't seemed to come back, just the little droplets of water, if it happens again i might have to be forced into a rebuild with a worked head and cams with the motor bored out hmmmm...

[solberg Fan]

Droplets of water under the oil cap is not good.., esp if it comes back so soon. The water may take a little time to mix with the oil, then it will be milky. Ive had the same problem with my 4k. (cracked head). Keep a keen eye on it!

[87ep71]

does the temp needle move? had the same prob with my 2et, temp needle wouldnt move off cold and condensation under the oil cap (milky crap) after driving around 4bit, thought it was the headgasket but was just stuffed thermostat.

[mr pad]

Those old A series motors tend to get a bit of white gunk and build up when they havn't been run for a while/not serviced very often. Noticed on a old austin it had some water beads around the cap too but was probably just from being left to sit in a damp place, those caps don't create the best seal.

If its an old mini id say you should be running 91 plus lead additive but you may be able to run 96 with it too??

[FST4RD]

It's got a 1300cc motor out of an austin 1300 landcrab, doesn't smoke now that i had the twin carbs fitted though.. I always run 96 with the additive as well. the temp gauge works, it raises to bout 1/3 up then sits there once warmed up, it doesn't over heat.
Oh yeah and it's not using water, well not that i've noticed, the radiators still full.
The oil that i did drain out was quite black so i'm guessing it hasn't been changed in a while. I'm going to do another oil filter change soon to try and get rid off the gunk thats still in there.
P.s thanks for all your opinions and advice