White smoke - lots of it

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- Per Erik Jorde
  
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posted
15 years ago

Mon, Sep 8, 2008 11:58 AM

I get white smoke from the exhaust in my 1981 380SE. Compresssion is OK in all 8 cylinders, but cooling water seem to penetrate into the front left-hand cylider, as the spark plug goes all wet. Some white steam (water) is also emerging from both valve cover vents but I see no water in the oil, or vice versa.

Given the lack of a signature for a broken head gasket (i.e., no low compression) does is seem likely that there could be a leak of coolant in the intake manifold gasket? Both gaskets (head and intake) were recently replaced (last year, 20000 km ago) during a repair from the consequences of a faulty timing chain tensioner (bent exhaust valves).

pej

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- Tiger
  
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posted
15 years ago

Mon, Sep 8, 2008 2:21 PM

I still think it would be head gasket that is faulty. Do a pressure test on your cooling system. If the pressure keep falling, you got a head gasket problem if you don't see any wet spot.

Leakdown test is more accurate way to determine problem with headgasket.

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- -->> T.G. Lambach
  
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posted
15 years ago

Mon, Sep 8, 2008 6:16 PM

Headgasket or cracked cylinderhead.

When the engine cools down the coolant leaks into the cylinder. Upon start up it's expelled into the exhaust. Inside the exhaust it boils and burns creating the classic white smoke.

The only path is to remove the left cylinderhead, no other course. When it's repaired be sure to have the cylinderhead machined so it's flat - no warp - and buy new head bolts.

As a test, the smoke may be reduced if you relieve the coolant pressure at hot engine shut down (don't get burned) by loosening - not removing - the coolant fill cap. But this is just toying with the problem.