Merc 208 van smoking

Oct 02, 2003 3 Replies

Bro-in-law's 208 started puffing out blue/white smoke so it just went in for a compression test - 280-300 for each pot but should be 400. It sounds like general wear but until last week it was running perfectly and always has done - no smoke at all, even on full chuff.



Any ideas what else it might be? It's blowing through the oil filler cap too so I suggested valve seals to the mechanic but he thought not.



It's billowing out smoke now - LOTS of it, and using plenty of oil.



Si



p.s. Also, one of the tappets has got very noisy over the last few weeks.


p.p.s It starts really easily and runs as well as it ever did - apart from the smoke!

Si

Check the crankcase breathers. If they get blocked and the crankcase itself gets pressurised as a result, then the pressure will force oil past the rings and the valve-guides and into the cylinders. You'll also get a lot of blowing out the oil-filler-cap. I've seen an engine with blocked breathers develop so much pressure it blew the dipstick out the disptick- tube, followed by a few pints of the contents of the sump...!

in

Thanks, I'll check them. That did cross my mind but I didn't think there'd be enough pressure to make it smoke like it does.

But then if it can do that............!

Si

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