hey there,

oh god yes i am a newbie as they come. well we are in the process of buying a 91 automatic fc. its in almost perfect condition and i have some questions to ask.

i read that the rpms should go to 3000 then to 1500 then to a steady 750 around startup. theres no doubt that it does that perfectly. but when i start it up. it smokes puffs of white for like a good while. if we get in it and drive it stops. i know this is maybe possible b/c the oil seeps off of the rotors. but i am still wondering. its very noticeable white clouds. but its fine afterwards.

if i drive it, will it harm anything?

also, when i put it in gear, it is an automatic, it kinda jolts a little, and the gear shift is kindof harsh. does this mean i need to have the tranny looked at. i will also check the fluid. any tips would be great. what brand should i use just in case.

what kind of oil should i run in it also. i am curious if i have to use a special kind in the winter. any tips would be much appriciated. this is my first car. and im trying my best to learn but these are some areas i need some advice in.

thanks again.

-allen

 

Does the car overheat or spew coolant out of the overflow bottle? White smoke on start-up is a sign that the coolant seals are fried, but a little smoke on start-up is normal. So as long as its not overheating, or spewing out coolant, I would'nt worry about it.

I reccomend Castrol GTX 20-50 in the summer and 10-30 in the winter.

I don't know anything about automatic trannys.

Welcome to the rotary community!!!!

 

the white smoke sounds like you may have blown coolant seals which will require a rebuild.
it should smoke on start up but the smoke should be blue oil smoke.
it wont realy damage anything to keep driving it, just keep up on the coolant levels.
use any quality 20/50 oil non synthetic.
and check your trans fluid level and condition. you should have the trans serviced and flushed.
you dont need any special oil for the winter
welcome to the club

 

is the car red ad did you buy it in greenville? if so i saw it for sale. if you need help with anything send me a PM and i will see if i can help you out. welcome to the club. now you need to do a auto to manual swap!!!

 

It's required that you do a manual transmission conversion

 

which is exactly i'm experiencing every morning... not if the neighbours are complaining about bad smell

how long would you think the motor lasts before it giving up?

 

if the seals are fried it. It depends dring style how hard you are on the car and if you keep yhe coolant full.

 

mostly spirited driving down on the highway, once a day, with no more than 5mins.

 

It will last a long time. I blew my coolant seals in January, and rebuilt in July. Daily driver duty in between.