Exhaust smoking

[James k]

Hi,
As usual, my never ending problems with my Traveller continue! As you know, I changed the head gasket and reground the valves on Thursday and the car has been running better. However, it's now started smoking (I would say blue) a lot. It doesn't smoke when I'm just driving along but when I'm pulling off, especially on a hill start. It doesn't do it every time I pull off, in fact, it seems to do it at rather random times. Funnily enough, when I drove it on it's third journey today, it didn't smoke, even on a hill start.

I don't know what it might be but this is what I know: The oil has not been changed since the head gasket went, there is not a plume of smoke from the oil filler hole when the engine is revved. The engine gets slightly faster when the filler cap is removed. There is also a sound from the engine which sort of sounds like paper being rubbed together or a quiet sneeze, this disappears when the filler cap is removed.

Any ideas? I did worry that some grinding paste got left in the head and the engine has now 'rebored' itself but I did my best to make sure there was none left. I wiped it all out and then blasted with brake cleaner from both sides.

[aupickup]

well normally blue smoke from the exhaust is a sign of oil

[James k]

I know that the rings are worn (since the compression went up with a 'wet' compression test) but it's never smoked before. I don't know why it's started doing it now after I did the gasket and valves.

[panky]

Didn't you have the same thing last time you did the head, I seem to remember you noticed it when you reversed at home.

[James k]

That was before I did the head but it was only a little bit when I reversed into my drive, now it's blowing out loads suddenly. I thought about sticking some stop-smoke in the engine, as it feels anti-social driving a smokemobile! I don't know why it's suddenly happened though.

[les]

Did you put rubber seals over the top of the inlet valve guides?

[James k]

Yeah, I put new o rings in. I've just had a thought, I cleaned the block with brake cleaner before fitting the gasket. Could some have got into the oil and thinned it down making it smoke?

[les]

I can't see that being the cause. Have you put too much oil in it perhaps?

[chesney]

Any chance when you removed the head a lot of oil was dumped into the cylinders?
I'd consider taking it for a good hard run somewhere, maybe at night if it bothers you, and see what happens afterwards.

[James k]

It's been on a couple of hard runs already, the smoking didn't start until the second.

[les]

Check the plugs you may find the one near the oil feed to the valve gear is oily, I'm wondering if the new gasket is allowing the oil feed hole to link up with the nearest cylinder, probably a long shot. Do you know if the oil pressure has changed?

[bmcecosse]

I think you worry too much - let it settle down....You are using 20W50 oil I hope? The O rings are hopeless you should have fitted the top hat seals on the inlet guides..... Did they not come with the Mini 998 head gasket ?

[grumpydad]

Hi James
hav a look at number 3 spark plug counting from the front
is it the black ?
pop in and see me tomrow
will be about after 11

[James k]

I've got 20w50 in it and it's burning and leaking a lot. What top seals should I have fitted? Grumpydad, I'll drop in tomorrow afternoon and have a look at the plugs. I've got a real love hate relationship with my car. It's a real joy to drive when it's going properly but it keeps messing around. I suppose that's just the frustration of owning an old car, or the fun depending on how you look at at

[bmcecosse]

If it's burning and leaking then there must be pressure in the crankcase. Make sure the breather pipes are clear....... I think you have to accept your engine is quite worn, and start looking for a decent replacement engine..... The top hat seals used on later engines, on the inlet valves only, do help to control oil consumption. http://minispares.com/search/classic/LJQ101160.aspx

[James k]

Right, I've now got another engine to recondition so that should start shortly I've got some stop smoke to put in for the moment so I'll see how that works.

[bmcecosse]

Do tell us.....

[panky]

Nicotine patches?

[James k]

Do tell us.....

Surprisingly enough, it has considerably reduced the exhaust smoke. Hopefully for long enough for my engine rebuild!

[bmcecosse]

Hope so!