Smoking..Rings?

[Suntzuzuki]

Hey Guys,

 

So I recently put a new head gasket on, and since then it's been smoking. At first I thought it was the timing and maybe the carb was running rich. Now I think it may be a bad piston ring. I set the timing to 12degrees advanced and the carb mixture seems just fine.

 

The smoke doesn't seem blue to me, but it only happens when it's cold, once it warms up it stops smoking.

 

Is it possible that with the new head gasket the pressure is making the smoke more noticeable? Maybe before it was just escaping through the bad gasket?

 

I did a ghetto compression test by pulling the ignition wire off the plugs one at a time. 1, 3, and 4 almost stalled the truck instantly when pulled, but the #2 cylinder barely makes the engine shimmy.

 

Is there a better way to test what's going on?

 

Thanks in advance!

[wayno]

Check your valves, make sure they are gapped properly on #2.

[Suntzuzuki]

Thanks Wayno!

 

I'll check this weekend.

[wayno]

Another question, when the head was removed, did you rebuild it, or just put it back on the way it was?

[Suntzuzuki]

I just put it back, everything looked pretty good. Minimal carbon on the valves, which I cleaned off. Head wasn't warped.

[metalmonkey47]

You need to do a REAL compression test. Go to Autozone and rent a compression tester. $40, OEM part number: 27138

Do TWO compression tests. 

The first one will be a 'dry' test. Test it as is with the motor hot. 

Second compression test add about a table spoon (maybe less) of motor oil. If the rings are leaking, the compression reading will shoot up quite far. The oil will help seal the rings for the compression test. 


 

 

Another option is finding a local shop that does a leakdown test and let them dig into it. Not difficult, but often times you can pay a good shop 1 hour labor to do a leakdown and come out cheaper then buying the tools to do a proper leakdown test. 

[datzenmike]

It's getting cooler out, maybe just condensation. Like seeing your breath in the cold.

[720inOlyWa]

I like how datsunmike always has the optimistic diagnosis- at least at first! I did the same kind of ‘junker rebuild’ - head gasket and timing chain and I get just a little puff- very little- when I shift gears sometimes. I figured it was either rings or valve guides or both. I am burning a quart every 400 miles or so right now, using 10-40 Pensoil. I am going to switch to 10-30 here soon, even though it is getting cooler now. Will that slow down my burn rate a bit? Eventually, I am going to to the real deal rebuild, but it runs pretty good right now as is.

[Suntzuzuki]

Oh man, I wish Mike was right! But it's been warm during the day and it's the same nasty cloud behind me. I'm gonna say a little prayer to Jobu tonight and hope that Wayno was right and the lifters are off.

 

With all these PNW members, let's get a rally together while the weather is still decent! 

 

Maybe at the car museum in Tacoma?

[bilzbobaggins]

I say "Fuck you Jobu.....I do this myself".......Are you trying to tell me that jesus Christ cant hit a Curve Ball?

 

 

oh....and good luck

[wayno]

I wasn't saying that the valve clearance would fix the smoking issue, but it could possibly fix the #2 plug not effecting the engine RPM, if the valve is to tight on the exhaust side, the engine will just not run that great and it will sound funny, tight on the intake and it will backfire out the carb.

 

Sometimes an engine can just be wore out, I was burning 3 quarts of oil a tank or more, I was literally going threw a gallon a week, I knew I had an issue when I filled the engine with oil when it was cold and then I started it, it would smoke the whole area out for several minutes, when it was cold and I added the oil, it would get past the valve seals and go directly into the cylinders, and then when I started it, it had to burn that oil off, my engine did not smoke after warmed up, but it still burned a lot of oil, it also leaked it as it had a lot of blow-by, what I mean is that I could take the oil fill cap off the valve cover while the engine was running, rev the engine and I could soak the underside of the hood with oil in no time with the hood up, air was always coming out of that hole, when I did the same thing with my new LZ23, air came out at an idle, but when I rev the engine now, it actually sucks air in.

Keep in mind that the engine I am talking about above was in my work truck, this engine was working it's ass off every time I started it, 95 percent of the time it moves it is dragging a trailer around that likely weighs 3/4s of a ton, and the flatbed can be anything from empty, to having over a ton of debris on it, the actual engine above I was talking about was an L20b, it was under powered for what I was using it for, so it worked very hard, I have wore out at least 4 rearends, 5 transmissions(I am using #6 right now, the first 4 were doglegs), so I am harder on my truck than 99 percent of the members on here.

It is important to figure out what color the smoke is coming out of your tailpipe.

[Suntzuzuki]

DAMN! These little trucks are such workhorses. They're like pitbulls, fierce, loyal and all heart. Which is why I love 'em.

 

I'll adjust the lifters this weekend and hope that gives me more HP. 

 

Also, I'm not a fan of "mechanic in a can" stuff but do any of these additives help with this situation?

[Suntzuzuki]

I adjusted the valves and it helped tremendously!

 

I just want to confirm

 

Intake = .008

Exhaust = .010

 

Right?

 

Also, I got a little excited and over tightened one of the valve cover screws and it snapped. What's the best way to get it out of the head to replace it?

 

Thanks guys!

[datzenmike]

Hey Guys,

 

So I recently put a new head gasket on, and since then it's been smoking. At first I thought it was the timing and maybe the carb was running rich. Now I think it may be a bad piston ring. I set the timing to 12degrees advanced and the carb mixture seems just fine.

 

1/ Was it smoking before?

2/ Why was the gasket replaced?

3/ Did you check for head warp as this may be the cause of #2 having poor power and coolant may be blowing out the exhaust causing the cloud.  

 

 

The smoke doesn't seem blue to me, but it only happens when it's cold, once it warms up it stops smoking.

Maybe condensation. This often goes away once the pipes warm up.

 

 

 

Is it possible that with the new head gasket the pressure is making the smoke more noticeable? Maybe before it was just escaping through the bad gasket?

Unlikely.

 

 

I did a ghetto compression test by pulling the ignition wire off the plugs one at a time. 1, 3, and 4 almost stalled the truck instantly when pulled, but the #2 cylinder barely makes the engine shimmy.

This would indicate that #2 is not doing it fair share of work.

 

1/ Check the valve clearance on #2. A tight valve will hold it open and ruin compression.

 

2/ Check for spark on the end of the #2 wire by placing a plug in the end and laying on a grounded surface. Crank the engine over with the starter.. got spark?

[Suntzuzuki]

Hi Mike,

 

Thanks for the detailed response.

 

I replaced the head gasket because I was losing water out the overflow of the radiator. I was filling it up every time I drove the car. I got one of those Napa kits to test the water and turns out the ratsun gurus were right and it was the head gasket.  Since replacing it I haven't lost a drop of water from the radiator.

 

It would always smoke a little bit in the beginning but nothing like this.

 

I adjusted the valves this weekend and they were ALL off except the #4 exhaust! I reset them all  to .008 on the intake and .010 on the exhaust. I hope this is the right setting.

 

Since the valve adjustment the car has been running so much smoother and the smoke is reduced greatly. 

 

Unfortunately when I was putting the valve cover back on I over tightened one of the bolts and snapped it. Any advice on how to get the broken bit out of the head?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Nick

[banzai510(hainz)]

valve cover is only like 5-7 pound torq.

 

take ove valve cover and hopefully enough the the tip of bolt is sticking out and you and get vicegrips or something on it