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Engine basics - help please

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ichthos

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Kevin,
I have white/grey smoke coming out an engine after it heats up for about five minutes. If I take engine cylinder pressures, and I then add oil to each cylinder again and pretty much get the same readings, wouldn't this point to something being wrong with the head? Any thoughts?
Kevin
 
First of all, that is just about hot enough to get condensation turned into smoke in cold weather created out of the water that forms in the muffler as the hot car cools down, so let's talk about how it is after 10-15 minutes or better yet, 10-15 miles.

Are you losing any coolant on a regular or daily basis?

What were the readings that you got when you checked the compression dry and then wet?

Did you have the throttles wide open when you did the compression test?
 
is it smoke or Steam like Paul says. smoke will keep wofting in the air, if its condensation inside the exhaust system that gets turned into steam it will disappear a few feet from the car and once the exhaust system heats up it should be gone altogether. IF after a 5-10 minute driving and you still have white smoke thats another issue

Hondo
 
All above seem like good advice. A little oil (common in most cars of this vintage)in the cylinders will exacerbate the smoke from a slight combustion leak but however slight, all combustion leaks are bad.
You can get a combustion leak test kit from NAPA (or others) for about the same price as you'd pay a shop for the test.
Tom
 
Kevin you just did your head. Is this from just starting it or have you been using it a while??
 
Don, this is not the TR6. I ended up rebuilding the entire engine on it. Thanks for all the suggestions. I sounds like I have more testing to do, but it will have to wait for the weekend. I may just pull the head anyway - all I will waste at best is my time and a head gasket. Thanks everyone,
Kevin
 
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