Spitfire Spitfire Dry Engine Starts-Need Smoke Explanation

[dklawson]

You may remember that I am working on a project Spitfire with my sons. The previous owners had taken the cooling system off the engine. I don't know why they felt it needed a new water pump and radiator. They said they never drove the car after they bought it as a project.

Anyway, my sons and I worked through setting the valves, setting points, and setting static timing. I looked at what was involved in putting the cooling system back on and decided I just wanted a few short moments of run time to find out if the engine even ran.

I hooked up all the fuel and electrics, turned the key and with surprising ease, the engine started. I only ran it for 15 to 30 seconds since there is no cooling system installed. I observed smoke coming off the headers (from things we had splashed on the pipes). When I shut off the engine I saw smoke/steam coming out of the t-stat opening (no t-stat is installed). I know there is some residual anti-freeze in the block as the previous owners didn't open the petcock to drain it.

Am I right in thinking that what I observed was coolant flashing to steam... or should I be concerned about the block and/or head gasket. Since no coolant hoses are on the engine, could the water pump have pulled some of the smoke off the header and pumped it into the block? I going to do a leak-down test to see what's going on but I figured I'd ask here first.

 

[Brosky]

It should be fine. Any water or coolant left around the cylinders will quickly vaporize as that area gets hot very quickly. If you had a problem with the head gasket, it may take until warmed up to have it surface.

I would recommend that you put the car back together and get it running with coolant in the system. Make sure that you bleed all of the air out and then see how it reacts.

 

[tomkatb]

My 1500 always ran hot. I finally tried an electric fan(from Moss) but, it was too small. I put the mechanical back on and used the electric as an additional fan. Now the car acts very modern. Cool enough, all the time.

Button the cooling system up and put the correct thermostat in it and see where you are.

Larry

 

[dklawson]

I've got a lot to do on this car so I may perform the leak-down test just as a matter of course, even before fitting the cooling system.

As a footnote to this thread I'd like to mention something else I observed on the car this weekend. Like most LBCs, this Spit was owned by someone with a questionable understanding of electrics. Along with sloppy splices and the remains of burned wires I found the gauge voltage stabilizer dangling under the dash without a ground connection. If you leave the stabilizer floating or if it has a poor earth connection, it passes full system voltage all the time. With the engine off (and key on) this means gauges that expect 10V receive 12V. When the engine is running these same 10V gauges see 14V (or thereabouts). This makes the electrical gauges (fuel and temperature) read high, very high.

I now wonder if the new radiator, water pump, and associated hardware bought by the last owner was purchased in error because the temp gauge was reading way high due to the stabilizer. It's an expensive mistake if that's the case.