Lots of smoke on start up

[JTalley]

When I first got the van in February, it didn't smoke at all. If it did, it wasn't enough for me to notice. Lately, though, it's been starting to smoke on start up. I just started it and this huge cloud of smoke came out of the exhaust and completely engulfed the van. I had difficulty seeing through it. Then nothing. No more smoke. It had been sitting there for about an hour and a half, so it's not like it hasn't been started in a while.

Also, it's been missing lately. Could that be relevant?

[Jasen]

What color smoke, white, black, bluish grey?

[JTalley]

White. Sorry, I forgot to mention that.

[Jasen]

Sounds like your getting water in the motor some where. Check the oil does it look like a chocolate milk shake.

[JTalley]

Nope. I just changed the oil the other day, and it was dirty, but not watery. I have had some coolant appearing on the front of my engine, though. It didn't seem to be coming from any hoses or anything...

[Jasen]

I'd check the oil again. But either way your getting water in the engine. At this point it may have just started and is a small leak that drips into a combustion chamber and hasn't worked it's way down into the oil pan. Sorry to say this, but it's probably a blown head gasket.

[JTalley]

Wouldn't I have a more severe loss of power if it was the head gasket? I've had a loss of power, but it's not very bad, and I figured it was just because of it missing...

[Jasen]

Not necessarily. It sounds as if you just have a small leak and the water is slowly dripping in the chamber, then when you start it it burns out the water giving you the white could. Once it's running and you've burnt that little bit of water the drip is so slow you don't see any more white smoke, or steam rather. It only takes a pin hole. Your minimal loss of power is due to loose of compression back through where ever the leak is. Another thing you can do it take off the radiator cap, don't burn your self, start it up and see if there are bubbles in the radiator or oil mixing in the water.

[JTalley]

Ok. I hope I don't have a blown head gasket... or worse...

[Jasen]

If you've got some basic auto repair ability's, this is something you can fix yourself with a little guidance from the forum. It's not a major repair, it's just getting all the other stuff pulled out of the way and reinstalled correctly that is the big part. Other then that it's pull off the heads, clean them correctly, put in a new gasket set and put it back together.

I was 15 yo when I did my first one, had just enough guidance from the guy next door to make sure I didn't screw up, but he pretty much just let me at it. The 63 Biscayne ran like a champ after that.

[Jasen]

JT, are you sitting there drinking beers and being POed
Did you see air bubbles in the radiator?

[cowboydan]

Wouldn't I have a more severe loss of power if it was the head gasket? I've had a loss of power, but it's not very bad, and I figured it was just because of it missing...

jasen is right. you have it backwards. you have had a small leak for a long time. the coolant leak is what is causing your missfire. it's also plugging your catalitic converter. best get it fixed. you can't fix a cat. it may not be your head gaskets. it may be your intake manifold. pull the plugs. you will find the cylinder. the plugs don't lie. best way to pull the plugs is by removing the front wheels. pull the doghouse. you might get lucky and find a puddle on the rear of the intake manifold. the engine sits on a slight angle. any coolant will puddle in the back.

[JTalley]

I've been busy since getting off the computer yesterday... By the time I had a chance to check it it was already dark and I don't have much in terms of exterior lighting. Now I'm in school, so at about 11:40 I can check.

While the engine was still hot, though, I popped the hood and looked at where the coolant was coming from. The hose clamps on to a little mount, and that's bolted onto something else. The crud on the engine was obstructing my view, but when I looked closer, I realized that whatever the hose mount is bolted on to bolts on to the engine. There are wires coming from the left side (my left, technically the right side of the van), and where it attaches to the engine on the right side is where the coolant seems to be coming from. Also, while I was watering the horses, I talked to my dad, and he says that it could be some type of rubber ring (not a piston ring- something in the valves) that wears out over time, causing a bit of oil to seep down where it can be burned. He says that his mid 90s Chevy pickup smoked on startup, and that the Blazer (his old one that I got in July and had to sell in February) also did it.

I don't know. I still think looking at the coolant is worth a try.

[Phantom]

Some good tips given here,, that hose mount you speak of sounds like where the thermostat is , maybe a leaking thermostat housing gasket ,.or a cracked worn out hose
Depending on where the hose is , it could also be a heater hose and clamp

that rubber ring you speak of maybe a valve seal

there is a test that can be performed that a device covers the spout of the radiator and measures the air content and detects if the head gasket is going , you can buy the kit , or have a tech do the test ,,last time I heard the test done by a tech cost about $100 , not cheap for a test , but it does show if there is a leaking head gasket , if you can do th e work yourself it may be more cost effective to replace the head gaskets , as you could also replace intake manifold gasket at the same time , that way you know you have it covered

[JTalley]

I checked the radiator finally. No air bubbles!

[cowboydan]

alright. your coolant leak has been discovered, external leaks won't smoke untill the engine is hot enough. the only way white smoke is going to happen on start up is internal leaks. is the smoke a white white color or does it seem more light grey? if you still think it's white in color then you still have an internal leak.

[Zebediah III]

Do a compression test.
IF you have water going into a cylinder, your luck will be short lived if you keep driving it.
If that's not happening, that would be great.
With a car that old, it's almost certainly due for valve guide seals, but do the compression
test first to rule out coolant down a cylinder. Then fix your leak, that way you will know if
and how much coolant you are losing. Right now, you have no way of knowing you are losing
coolant because it's dribbling out the front of the engine.

[chevymaher]

It is established something is wrong.Smoke and lack of power.There are only 2 choices in my world.Drive it till it dies and have an engine ready.Or take it apart and fix it now.Alot of white smoke which dissipates quickly is water.If it was oil it is blueish and the cloud would be there after you got back from going around the block.

[JTalley]

How do I do a compression test?

[Jasen]

You can probably rent a compression tester from the AP store. The proper way is to get the motor up to operating temp, you might want to buy some mechanics gloves, the ones rated for working on hot stuff seeing your going to be right in there with the exhaust manifolds.
Pull the coil wire, because you don't want it to start. Then start by pulling one plug, screwing the tester into the plug hole. Now have someone crank the engine for a few seconds while you read the gauge. Record the cylinder number and it's reading, put the plug back in and repete for each cylinder. They should all read roughly the same, if one is considerably different, lower, then the otheres, that's the hole where your trouble is.