![]() |
Register or Log In To remove these advertisements. |
|
|
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
![]() |
#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 143
|
smoke out of the left tail pipe.
Just noticed this morning that my truck is spewing some smoke out of the left tail pipe only. It isn't particularly thick and it's white in color so I'm not sure if it's steam or what but it's only the left pipe which confuses me.
I noticed while it was warm that the left pipe was spitting a little bit of white which maybe was steam and now that it's cold outside maybe it's just more obvious since it's not dispersing as quickly in the cold air. What sort of things could be causing this? I need to put antifreeze in the truck once every couple of weeks but I'm pretty sure that's because it's blowing out on the road from the little hose on the radiator cap (I don't have a resevoir or a closed system installed yet) and we pressure tested the system and it held pressure fine. Any ideas? |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Richmond, TX.
Posts: 127
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
Don't have an answer but my truck does the exact same thing. White smoke from left tail pipe only.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bowser
Posts: 13,628
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
If your truck is still stock and using the heat riser valve on the passenger side then till it warms up you'll see no exhaust on that side. Heat riser closes and redirects exhaust under and thru the intake to warm it up.
And stop wasting all that coolant. On your rad the coolant should normally be about 2 inches below the filler lip. That's how it was designed. As the coolant expands it needs room to expand into. The coolant seaks it's own level. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Richmond, TX.
Posts: 127
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
Interesting. I have an LT1 from a 95 Vette in mine. Does it utilize a heat riser? The white smoke continues on mine even after it warms up and for a while after shut down...my motor also runs very cool. Can this still be attributed to a heat riser?
Good excuse to post pic of my motor?
__________________
"Once a Chief, always a Chief!" MCPO (ret) 03 2500HD- 'Daily driver' 67 Short Fleet- 'Drivable project!' 11 Malibu LTZ- 'The Wife's ride' |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 143
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
truck isn't stock, and the coolant drops WAY below that level after a couple of weeks.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Richmond, TX.
Posts: 127
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
Lance-
Didn't mean to snag your thread. Thought it might be helpful since mine does the same thing.
__________________
"Once a Chief, always a Chief!" MCPO (ret) 03 2500HD- 'Daily driver' 67 Short Fleet- 'Drivable project!' 11 Malibu LTZ- 'The Wife's ride' |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Active Member
![]() Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Centrally located between Houston, Austin and Waco. BCS area.
Posts: 7,947
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
How did you pressure test it?
If you're losing fluid and you have to add water to the radiator as often as you do, chances are you have either a gasket leak or (hopefully not) a hairline crack in the head. First thing to do is to check the spark plugs to see if there's a discoloration on any of them. Keep them in order so you know which one came out of which cylinder. If you still can't tell, install some sort of overflow container to insure that you're in fact losing water through the engine. I made one for my truck out of 2" pvc pipe with caps on the end. Total cost: $10 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 143
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
the mechanic hooked up a pressure gauge thing to the radiator cap and pumped it up then let it sit there. it leaked at first but we found a small leak next to a hose on the radiator, fixed that and it held pressure just fine.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: daytonabeach
Posts: 22,956
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
not knowing the proper way to add fluid to the radiator is a normal cause for adding coolant on a regular basis on old vehicles like these
lots of white smoke comes from condensation and to make it worse is todays gasolines
__________________
71c-10 350/2004r/4:11 lowered3/4 longbed/dead by hurricane MEANING OF DEATH::::: SOMEBODY ELSE GETS YOUR STUFF DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK TAKE MY ADVISE;I DON'T USE IT ANYWAY |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Salt Lake City UT
Posts: 441
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
When you take out the plugs to examine, do a compression check.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 |
the boat guy
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: springfield mo
Posts: 2,339
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
if it's not water. Could be oil. If it's mostly rigt after startup it's most likely valve seals after it warms up most likely rings.
if it bothers you do a compression test, or a cylinder leakdown test.
__________________
67, swb, fleet, tach, throttle, 5.3, 4l60e, 3.73's, fuel cell, 5 lug, p.d.b., 4-6 drop. great little truck 66, stevens drag/ski 18' silouette, 350, 2.02 doublehump heads. comp extreme marine 278 cam, vette 7 fin valve covers, old polished edelbrock intake, velvetdrive, casale v-drive, adj cavitation plate. 28, model a rpu project, |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 291
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
What does the smoke smell like? Don't need a pressure/leakdown to smell steamin' coolant.
__________________
__________________________________________ Sean 1972 C20 2005 4Runner ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: MT
Posts: 85
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
Quote:
When I rebuild my 350, I set in bronze valve guides for that bit more lube in there. These tend to wear a bit faster and one side of the engine slightly smokes when they do. If for any reason you do pull the heads, I strongly recommend switching to hardened seats and possibly stellite valves so that you can run nearly any gasolines,(E-85s - E-10s), or even pure alcohol without burning the valves. Crane Valve Trains are excellent for this. IHTH Michael Last edited by C. M. Wolf; 12-04-2010 at 12:12 AM. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Posts: 2,454
|
Re: smoke out of the left tail pipe.
Quote:
Ray
__________________
Live more responsibly. Eat lower on the food chain. Eat vegetarians. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Bookmarks |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|