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Smogging Sprite!

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Cookie

Cookie

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Hello folks - back again!

My recently purchased fabulous 1971 Austin Sprite Cookie ran beautifully for around a month - and then I went on holiday! She stood for a fortnight and when I returned she started smoking furiously just as she warmed up.

I put up with the unruly behaviour for a few weeks but as she's my everyday car I decided to get the head reconditioned as I was advised that it might be valves or valve seals.

After three weeks of car sharing I picked up my little car yesterday, the engine was already warm and just a little smokey on the way home, I assumed that this was due to it burning off excess oil. I came to work in her this morning and guess what?! Yep, after around a mile she let out a good cloud of smog which cleared by the time I got to work - pah!

I am now thinking do I bite the bullet and get the piston rings seen to, the compression was checked when the head was replaced and all seemed fine - and I haven't got unlimited funds to solve the problem. In fact I invested in a restored version to limit these problems...

I have trawled the internet for answers and have found similar questions posed but not found anyone who has got to the bottom of it.

Aragh!!! Any advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks so much in advance!

Melissa
 
We'll wait for smarter people to show up but I'd guess your crankcase vent system is pulling too much into the intake so whatever PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system is on your Sprite may need some tweaking. You had the head reworked eh? Did they tell you it needed it once it was underway? I have my doubts. I believe there's a diaphragm in the original system that can go bad? I don't such on my car but someone should be along shortly to advise.

Number 71 here?
 
Agree

Let's pull the pcv line and plug the pcv end and take her for a spin

cheers

Mark
 
Find the line where it comes out of your intake (somewhere around the carbs) and take it off and plug the end that opens toward the intake (so the engine isn't sucking air in through there) and drive it a bit if it doesn't smoke you're onto something. Disconnecting that isn't a fix though as it will probably promote oil leaks somewhere else in the engine. What engine/carb do you have again?
 
Cookie, just so I can be sure, you're in UK, right? West Midlands?
Most of the people on this site are in USA, and though I'm not 100% certain, I wouldn't be surprised if US cars were a different specification. I don't think all that emission control stuff was used on UK cars
Nevertheless, it does sound as though you're maybe sucking fumes through the breather, so disconnecting the pipe as suggested above might give a clue.


BTW - where in West Midlands? I'm originally from Gloucestershire, a bit south of you I expect.
 
What color is the smoke? Is it pure white, light brown, or blueish-white?
 
Hi Roger, thanks for this and very helpful. I have a local group who will I hope will also be able to offer some advice. I'm near Wolverhampton so yes a little North of Gloustershire. :eek:)
 
Before you spend too much money on a rebuild--
What weight oil are you using?
Assuming that you are using 10-30 wgt I wouldn't doubt that it is pushing a bit through the rings, if you can find it try using some straight 30 or 40 wgt and see how it does for smoke.
To do a really quick and easy check try putting a can of STP in with the oil that you have and see how it behaves. I have done this for many years when I had "tired" engines and it prolonged the need for a rebuild for a VERY long time (until I finished college :smile: ).
Bill
 
Valvoline has a straight 40 weight VR1.
They also sell the 50 and 60 straight weight VR1 down at the local auto parts store (Schucks, Checker, etc).
 
Having seen the video of the petrol-fired Porsche in England who was driving down the road trying to burn off 10 gallons of diesel, not an issue with contamintated or old fuel, right?
 
Seems odd that it would happen suddenly, but if a ring breaks it breaks suddenly. Do a compression test. A leakdown test is better. That may help narrow it down to valves or rings.
 
I think all of you knowledgable folks should request about 20 more photographs of Cookie. The two in the gallery section have had me longing for more! Not that I would suggest taking advantage of a Spridget owner in a time of need, but I feel confident Cookies predicament will be rectified, and Cookies owner may just be a little accomodating about now.

Regards
 
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