Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

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Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

June 06, 2006, 11:01:47 PM

Wondering if I can get some input on this, I asked this question over on turboford and didn't get much of a response so I figured I might see what you guys here thought.

My car has a fairly fresh rebuild in it with less than 10K on it. Basically ever since I put the engine in, it has had this weird intermittent smoking problem. If you start the car and drive it for 5 minutes or so, when you stop it will smoke at idle, often pretty bad, even if it's close to operating temperatures. However, if you go and drive it for another 10-15 minutes and stop, it basically doesn't smoke at all (theres still a tiny bit you can see but nothing bad). In fact I just checked this tonight, because I left work and was sitting at a stoplight and I could see the smoke from the headlights of the car behind me, and it was pretty bad. Drove for 15 minutes, stopped near a light, got out and looked, no visible smoke at all.

I have a bit of a hunch it could be the valve stem seals, but I don't know. I took the head to a shop my brother recommended to have new valve guides installed when I was building the engine, and they (IMO) did a pretty piss-poor job of it. Where they reamed out the old guides, the original metal on several of them cracked and/or broke around the top where the valve stem seals actually install, and I figure this is probably a big part of my problem...

Anyway, what you guys think?

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #1 – June 06, 2006, 11:25:07 PM

Sounds like leaky valve guids or seals. Then again I've never really worked on a 2.3T so I couldn't say for sure.

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #2 – June 07, 2006, 01:23:43 PM

Well I figured valve guides & seals were pretty much the same amongst Ford engines...

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #3 – June 07, 2006, 03:59:45 PM

Quote

Well I figured valve guides & seals were pretty much the same amongst Ford engines...

Yes, but there have been threads on here that have also indicated smoke problems on a turbo 2.3 are in fact the turbo itself on occasion. Check this thread out: http://www.turboford.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=041707;p=0

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #4 – June 07, 2006, 06:58:24 PM

Uhh yeah that's my post :p That's why I asked here, only got one reply about the smoking problem.

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #5 – June 08, 2006, 01:20:28 PM

Wow, didn't even see the name on the side of that one. I was tired....my apologies....

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #6 – June 08, 2006, 11:18:49 PM

Ive got the exact same symptom going on with my engine. I was a little confused by it because I figured either an engine smoked or it didn't. But the temporary smoking only lasts about 1 or 2 minutes and its just at a certain point in driving, about after 10-15 minutes or so and then it goes away. Basically I drive and I stop at a light and smokes like crazy, then by the next stop light it's gone and doesn't come back. jason.

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #7 – June 09, 2006, 12:41:31 AM

Maybe it is valve stem seals, I dunno.

On my old engine (which had 145K on it) the seals would "dry out" while it was in storage during the winter, so after you took it back out it would smoke at startup & on deceleration for the first 1000 miles or so, but then it would basically stop. Now it has new valve stem seals and it smokes at idle when cold, but not during deceleration (at least not that I can tell), and it hasn't gone away. I dunno.

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #8 – June 09, 2006, 03:15:36 PM

Generally valve stem seals smoke more the hotter it gets. If it isn't the turbo(oil in the throttelbody?) or maybe the PCV its likely internal...

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #9 – June 09, 2006, 06:59:42 PM

Doesn't smoking during cold and not when it warms up point more towards a ring problem?
I was told by someone that a diesel engine smokes like it does when it starts because of something to do with the rings. I know these aren't diesel engines but they have the same basic parts inside as far as rotating assemblies so in theory the same things apply I would think. I don't know it may be totally off base or they may have been full of it as well.

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #10 – June 11, 2006, 11:16:50 AM

Well guys i must say I believe it would be the vavle seals. The motor I have in my 84 Tc is from a salvage yard bought it for $200 well it smoked just as Red LX's does. When I started the car it would smoke until you got it warmed up good then it would smoke any more, well eventually the head started making a noise. but that was an yard motor that had been runnin 15psi. So I droped in a fully rebuilt NA head. Now it never smokes. I have great compression. I have broke down the turbo head and the head itself checks out. The cam was worn and it really needs a valve job.

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #11 – June 11, 2006, 12:21:51 PM

Is there any oil treatments that actually help smoking issues or is that just a myth? I have used some to stop leaking by conditioning seals and they worked for that but I am not sure that smoking issues are only fixable with rebuild. Just curiousif anyone has had luck with it. jason.

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #12 – June 11, 2006, 12:40:08 PM

Well that sucks...

I was kinda pissed about that head. I spent a good bit of time porting it, and then sent it to this shop for new valve guides & a 3 angle valve job, and they insisted on putting the valves & springs and all that together for me. So awhile later I go back and pick up the head, and for one thing it doesn't look like they gave me a 3-angle valve job, just a regular one. Then a month or so later I happen to look and half the valve stem seals aren't even on all the way. I take it all apart, pull the seals and I find the cracked tops of the guides like I said, plus most of the seals are all chewed up on the inside from where they just jammed em on over these cracked places. I had to put on a whole new set of valve stem seals, but I'm betting that whole thing there is why it's smoking.

I can tell ya one thing, I'll never take a head to those guys for machining ever again.

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #13 – June 11, 2006, 08:27:21 PM

cant you take it back and make them replace it? I thought machine shops were supposed to replace what they mess up?
If they got a replacement wouldnt they have to port it to to put it back to the condition it was in when it came to them?
Just an idea

Intermittent smoking problem, what's the cause?

Reply #14 – June 13, 2006, 10:13:50 PM

That does suck. That's seems to be a common theme, gett'n ripped. Jason.