220SEb smoker

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

corix - 10 Apr 2006 02:22 GMT

I recently bought a '61 220SE coupe w/2 plunger and in the process of trying
to get it to run smoothly. It belches continuous whitish smoke with
occassional black soot upon startup but gradually thins out (still
continuous) as the engine heats up. When really hot, the engine stops
smoking at idle but appears as you rev to shift around 3000 rpm. I've run
the car daily in the hope that the valve seals would sit properly but no
improvements. Is this something related to the injection pump adjustment or
the valves/cylinder head? Should I try different oil / additive
combinations? All help and comments greatly appreciated.

Reply to this Message

T.G. Lambach - 10 Apr 2006 05:30 GMT

These smoke signals are symptoms of a head gasket problem. No
combination of fuel and oil makes white smoke. White smoke upon start up
is from coolant that's leaked into the exhaust being burned by the
exhaust heat. Black soot could be from oil seeping into a cylinder or
misfiring due to a wet plug or over fueling. Any oil in the coolant and
or coolant in the oil?

Suggest you remove and inspect the spark plugs after the engine has
stood over night. One or two may be wet with coolant and or oil.
If nothing found, briefly crank the engine without the sparkplugs
installed, then inspect the spark plugs' holes for expelled fluid(s).
If still nothing is found a compression test is the next diagnostic step
on this path short of removing the cylinderhead.

It's not what you wanted to hear but may be the reason for the smoke.

Reply to this Message

T.G. Lambach - 13 Apr 2006 01:58 GMT

Further thought: When shutting the motor down for the day, loosen the
radiator cap - carefully, it's hot - to relieve the cooling system's
pressure that's forcing the coolant leak. In the morning tighten the
radiator cap and start the motor - if there's no white smoke the head
gasket diagnosis has one additional confirming clue.

Reply to this Message

corix - 14 Apr 2006 09:38 GMT

Tried it out! Very little white smoke (less than before) upon initial
start-up and idling. However, greyish-blue smoke showed up near operating
temp. It was really noticeable (thick) when revving from idling. I haven't
checked the plugs as I'm resigned to the fact that a cylinder job is in
order. I just hope it won't include the pistons/rings.

Incidentally, I got rid of the black smoke during warmup by turning a screw
at the left side of the base where the coolant thermostat is mounted. I
assumed it was running rich and turning the screw leaned it out. My FI is an
early 2-plunger with a separate air thermostat from the coolant thermostat
(in contrast to newer 6-plungers). Can anyone out there with knowledge on
this type of pump validate whether my guesswork was on the right path?
Thanks and appreciate your help.

Martin

Reply to this Message