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One more time: Oil smoke!

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trymes
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon May 23, 2016 4:03 am
Location: New Hampshire, USA

One more time: Oil smoke!

Post by trymes »

After having sat out the winter hiding from road salt and waiting for a rebuilt brake servo, my 1968 V8 250 is back on the road. However, it does seem to smoke more than I remember. I was hoping that it was just brake fluid stuck in the system somewhere, but I have had the car out for a good long drive today, and it is still smoking. I was also hoping that it was an over-rich mixture due to the hole I found in my vacuum reservoir (now fixed), but I checked and that doesn't seem to be the case.

So, I pulled the plugs and did a compression test, and all are 140-155 PSI (I need to check the valve lash, too). I noticed that cylinder 1L has a badly fouled plug, while the other seven look to be running well.

I know that this topic comes up all the time, and I am aware of the options out there to fit exhaust valve stem seals to these engines, and I am also aware that some feel that this is not needed. My car's previous owner (Dick Steinkamp) had bought a set of seals for the exhaust valves from somewhere, and I still have them, but it is my understanding that the guides need to be changed, too, so they are of little use.

Before I go pulling the heads off of the engine, what should I be doing to troubleshoot this?

silverdart
Posts: 285
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:49 am
Location: West Midlands

Re: One more time: Oil smoke!

Post by silverdart »

Hi there, Could it be that you are not getting a spark on 1L cylinder, due either to a faulty plug, or plug lead?
I would suggest check this first.

Regards Dave.

trymes
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon May 23, 2016 4:03 am
Location: New Hampshire, USA

Re: One more time: Oil smoke!

Post by trymes »

I thought of that, so I swapped the 1L plug and plug extension into the 2L cylinder last night, to see if the problem followed the plug or stayed with the cylinder, so we will see. I am cautiously optimistic, I also really cranked down the contact for 1L on the distributor cap (it wasn't loose), and it seems to have subsided for the time being. I can't say if it was that or the plugging and unplugging I did last night, or if it's just waiting to come back again tomorrow.

Perhaps it's time for me to swap in new plug wires, as the ones I have are ancient.

Tom

trymes
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon May 23, 2016 4:03 am
Location: New Hampshire, USA

Re: One more time: Oil smoke!

Post by trymes »

It's still better, but it's definitely still smoking more than I'd like. I haven't had a chance to pull the plugs again, but I'll let you know what I find.

Tom

TonyZim
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 6:31 pm
Location: Zimbabwe

Re: One more time: Oil smoke!

Post by TonyZim »

Petrol additive?

I bought a Fiat 124 in the mid 70s. Car was fine on test drive, but smoked dreadfully on high speed run of about 35 miles to village where I lived. Problem went away with fresh tank of fuel. Never returned.

Explanation given was that car had been parked on dealer's yard for some time. Fuel evaporated, leaving high concentration of additive.
Tony

1958 104 Lady's Model

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