91 Galant smokes bad at first start

Valve seals (probably), and clear water is a byproduct of combustion. Most time can replace seals with with cylinder head in car

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 17:20:26 -0600, "Dennis C. Latham" scribbled:

And what sorta milage is on the motor? We aren't psychic.

Well, Phil, it's a '91, so around 200,000km would not be unexpected. In any case, the description of the smoke is definitive of the need for new valve stem seals. Its a common problem at 180,000+ km.

So, original poster Dennis, do the following: a) get a wet and dry compression test to check the rings. Another test is let the car idle for about 10 minutes. If it starts to smoke, or blow smoke when revved, your rings are toast. b) get the head off and have it serviced with new valve stem seals. Replace the belts and waterpump at the same time.

Stewart DIBBS

Thanks for the advice.

Sounds as if your head needs to be rebuilt. Possibly the valve seat not sealing properly until heated up. Or it could be your piston rings not sealing completely until heated up. Perform a compression test to verify this. The compression in each cylinders should be close to equal. If not then you will need to replace the rings to correct this prob. Not a big deal if it quits after warming up. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it, unless you are trying to sell it.

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