Hi guys,

I have a 1986 GX that I've been trying to get roadworthy for a couple of months now. The car had been sitting for 5 years when I bought it but it wasn't starting (flooded engine, got it started for 10 bucks). Problem is, when I start the car it smokes like a beeyotch. It's white smoke but it does not smell like coolant, just smells like normal exhaust. I also notice that the exhaust tip will have a lot of water in it even after driving just 30ft. When I mean smokes like a beeyotch, I mean it fills up the entire neighbourhood, kind of like how it smoked when I did the ATF unflooding trick... I don't think it's an apex seal as the car still runs strong, just smokes a lot.

Can anyone help me out?

 

If it's smoking that bad, it's got to be a blown coolant seal.

Are you sure it's not oil? Does the smoke have a bluish tint to it??

Worst case scenario - rebuild it with a soft seal kit if the hard seals (apex seals, side seals, corner seals, control rings) are within limits to the FSM.

Are you losing coolant? Check to see.

-Justin

 

Nope, not losing coolant. Just did a coolant flush the other day. On startup it has the normal bluish smoke for like 1 second or so, just a little puff but I'm pretty sure it's not coolant because it just smells like plain exhaust to me. I have a couple of theories, can anyone tell me if theyre valid?

1) Condesation (I only filled the gas tank to half when I bought the car, probably still some shitty 5 year old gas in there)
2) Carbon deposits?

 

Blue smoke is oil. A little probably isn't that bad, a lot means you've blown either a side seal or an oil control seal.

 

Yep I know that much, that's why I know that the white smoke isn't oil... but it's not coolant either... or is it? can coolant ever smell like exhaust when it's burnt?

 

its probably just tons of condensation

 

I know I have a bad coolant seal, since I'm sucking down coolant like a pornstar. Now, since I have a bad seal, I have no other choice but to drive it, since I have no other means of transportation. So my solution until I get the money, is to keep coolant and juggs of water in my car, and constantly refill it until I get the money for the rebuild. Long weeks to come.