White Smoke ...Whats wrong?

[killab443]

Ok. After finally getting my swap all buttoned up I noticed I had a bit of whitish smoke coming from the exhaust. I recently swapped a rebuilt engine into my car. It has a rebuilt shortblock with a 40k jdm head with new SS valves. The engine was built with a 4 layer gasket and copper spray + arps. Compression test reveals all cylinders within 160 and 150. After being warmed up the idle becomes rough and it kinda fights to stay alive. NO CEL in the car. Any idea what could be causing the idle and the smoke? I removed the lower intercooler pipe and the sidemount and there was no oil or any liquid in it.

PLEEEEASE HELP

 

[TotalEclipse112]

Rough idle can be cause by a ton of diffrent factors, need to get more specific on how its ides rough to narrow it down. Also white smoke is coolant, if its coming out of your exhaust it could be just water vapor burning off, or you could have a coolat leak into the combustion chamber. Head gasket, cracked head, bad water jacket. If the idle is rough it could be the head gasket. Can you explain the rough idle a bit more? Also is the white smoke pouring out of the exhaust or is it just a little bit?

 

[killab443]

From exhuast. Also I'm running a stock turbo and exhaust. Both have 125k on them. Im waiting for break in to be done to put exhaust and the jdm 14b turbo on it.
Also idle fights basically hitting like 400 rpm and bouncing up to 1000rpm. but only occurs after I've drivin on the car for 2 mins and the car has been warmed up.

 

[TotalEclipse112]

Ok is the exhaust pouring out or does it seem to be a little bit? Also are you running a factory cat? If you have a factory cat and its seems to be just a little bit you are fine. A factory catylitic converter converts NOx and hydrocarbons to H2O and nitrogen gas. If its just a little bit of white smoke its completly normal. If its pouring out you have a serious problem.

 

[TotalEclipse112]

If the car was down for an extended period of time you should be fine the computer needs to reteach itself the motor. Just drive it normally for a while and it should relearn.

 

[killab443]

I dont think its pouring out but enough to notice. Th car itself has been sitting for 2 years.
Could it be a bad cat converter?

I also put a dry gas in to get any water out of the gas + 5 galons of 93oct. It had been sitting with a quarter tank of regular 89oct.

Im trying to be most in detail so hopefully someone can pick this up for me.

 

[TotalEclipse112]

No I don't think its the cat, could be residual moisture in the exhaust burning off, but its sounds like coolant is burning off. Is your coolat level going down at all?

 

[killab443]

Im using an altermarket coolant overflow container and no fluid was in it. how should I measure the amout of coolant? If the headgasket shows good compression how could coolant be getting in?

 

[TotalEclipse112]

The overflow bottle should be about half way full, at least on the stock bottle. Asl have you checked the water coolat lines to the turbo and the turbo housing for leaks, they could be to blame? Small amout of coolant, enough smoke to be noticable, not enough to indicate a head gasket.

 

[killab443]

If a coolant line is pinch could that be of blame?

 

[TotalEclipse112]

Most likely not, if a line was pincehd it would't explain how the coolant is getting burned off. A pinch would just raise the pressure of the cooling system, which would acutually make the coolant harder to boil. But thats a long disscussion for anoother time. Start looking in the turbo cooling region, I'm willing to bet the problem is somewhere in there. Espically since the head gasket is brand new.

 

[killab443]

I have a fresh 14b turbo would u recommend it to be installed

 

[TotalEclipse112]

You could give it a try, you defenitly have a leak somewhere and it dosen't sound like the head gasket, so it might be the center section of the turbo. What turbo are you currently running?

Also watch the use of "U" verus "you"

 

[ddavisaf]

Wait, are you still running the 2 year old 89 octane gas???
If there is some left, drain it and fill it back up with good gas.

Check for boost leaks and vacuum leaks. Then pressure test the coolant system to see if you're losing coolant under pressure only.

If you fill up your coolant reservoir how long does it take it to empty it?

 

[TotalEclipse112]

<quote/>Wait, are you still running the 2 year old 89 octane gas???
If there is some left, drain it and fill it back up with good gas.<quote/>

good catch did't even think of that.

 

[ddavisaf]

Wait, are you still running the 2 year old 89 octane gas???
If there is some left, drain it and fill it back up with good gas.

good catch did't even think of that.

Me either actually. I've been watching this thread for a couple hours, re-read it a bunch of times and I just now caught that....

 

[TotalEclipse112]

Still sounds like coolant is burning somewhere though.

 

[ddavisaf]

My guess would be a coolant line going into the turbo, or a cracked water pipe.
Easiest way to tell would be to dye test the coolant system.
Or simply pressurize it. There are a couple different ways for coolant to escape.
Cracked head, Bad radiator cap, Hoses are damaged.
Overheating is a whole different story though.

Hell, his overflow might have a hole in it...
He needs to pressurize then if that doesn't yield any results dye test it.


As to the idle problem, you might have a clogged cat. Forgot about that one.

 

[TotalEclipse112]

<quote/>My guess would be a coolant line going into the turbo, or a cracked water pipe.
Easiest way to tell would be to dye test the coolant system.
Or simply pressurize it. There are a couple different ways for coolant to escape.
Cracked head, Bad radiator cap, Hoses are damaged.
Overheating is a whole different story though.
<quote/>

Exactly what I was about to suggest but you beat me too it. Also I don't know why but my quote button isn't working. Sorry if it looks like I'm stealing your stuff.

 

[killab443]

Im not leaking any fluid either, iit just smells like its burning under the hood. NEW UPDATE: I disconnected the exhaust and the ISC the car idles fine now. I'm now gunna test the ISC to make sure its bad