Smokey Pinto

[Nomexnomad]

Can anyone tell me why my pinto is smokey on start-up?

Its a newly rebuilt engine (as far as i know anyway) and when it's first started it smokes (blue smoke) until its warm, then its all ok from there. Once its up to temperature it seems fine, but it does use a little oil. Can this happen during running in maybe? Car has done 500 miles now.

This wasn't built by me so i can't be sure of the build quality, and it wasn't doing it when i bought the car (it had covered 200 miles then)

Engine is strong when driving, and apart from getting a bit hot when standing in traffic for a long time, runs fine, no knocks or bad rattles, no misfires, idles ok.

Back when i was a youth, i had several pinto engined cars, and all were a bit knackered and oily   , is this just a common trait of pintos?

[Cleggy the Spyder Man]

dunno that much about the pinto, but sounds a bit like valve guides worn to me

[peterg]

Could be valve guides if they weren't replaced during the 'rebuild'.

Other option is that the rings are bedding in and it 'should' get better...however, if it didn't do it to start with this is less likely - er, unless it's not been run in properly and the bores have glazed - you haven't been caning it during the time since you bought it have you      

[Nomexnomad]

Ahem...not really... the occasional blip, but nothing going mad...

[Hammy]

or more kindly... valve stem seals. To check go down a hill on closed throttle  in gear then boot it at the bottom - a puff of blue smoke is a good indicator of oil going down the valve stems.

As its a new motor there might be a bit of oil passing the  piston rings at this point in time- noted when you start the car with a very rich mix that burns it off.

Oil consumption may drop when run in. 800- 1000 miles to the pint is ok IMO for old style motors

[combatsapph]

er, unless it's not been run in properly and the bores have glazed - you haven't been caning it during the time since you bought it have you  

You want to give the engine a fair amount of load (but not high rpm) to bed rings in - idling and light throttle driving is bad.

I think it sounds like valve stem seals - butit would be unusual on a newly built engine.  Are you sure it's been rebuilt?

[Nomexnomad]

Can't be sure, i have receipts for all common parts used in an engine rebuild, and the car was built professionally by a coachworks company on behalf of Sovereign cars, who are a kit car specialist sales company, so that's about as sure as i can be, as i have no build photos of the engine.

I will try the downhill throttle off test.

If it's a help i have looked at the contents of the catch tank, and the oil is not clear. It's a semi transparent but with a darkish grey deposit in it. It's not the kind of sludge you get from blowing head gaskets often called 'mayonaise'. Its the kind of colour and texture that made me think metal wear deposits of a very fine nature.

It's what made me think about running in...

[scruffythefirst]

Thrash it for a bit to make sure the rings are properly bedded in.  Sounds like rings to me, it might have had a re hone and new rings rather than a re bore so the piston - bore clearance might be a bit big / oval bore or something similar leading to smoking while cold.

[Nomexnomad]

Ok, done the down hill test off throttle in gear, and when accelerating again all is good - no smoke.

I will give the thrash test a try    see how it goes. Went up to Surrey from Andover and back in it today, and it seemed better, it's now got 700ish miles on the clock. Maybe some motorway driving will bed it in. Going to Stoneleigh so it will have a good run up there  

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

My Pinto wasn't smoking until fairly recently and had little oil consumption. Suddenly, and quite surprisingly, it began to show symptoms of valve guide or valve guide oil seal wear - not something that happens suddenly. In the main oil passing the valve guides in shown as smoke on a trailing throttle or when the throttle is first re-opened after either a gear change or a stop using mainly engine braking. This is because the oil in the cam chamber is sucked down past any wear gaps in the guides when the engine is pumping against closed throttles. Bore wear smoking shows under conditions of load - full or near-full throttle when high pressures are developed in the combustion chambers and very hot gases pass into the crankcase. The smoke is often seen not from the exhaust but from the crankcase breather though. I have not yet nailed down my problem but I do have an unrelated (on the face of it) problem of a wear flat on one exhaust valve cam lobe causing a 'tappety' noise.

[perksy]

it's now got 700ish miles on the clock. Maybe some motorway driving will bed it in. Going to Stoneleigh so it will have a good run up there  

Has the Oil & Filter been changed yet since the engine was rebuilt    

[scruffythefirst]

Don't run it in on the motorway at a constant speed and light throttle, its the worst thing you can do.  Use larger throttle openings and go up and down the revs, including engine braking.

[combatsapph]

QUOTE

Don't run it in on the motorway at a constant speed and light throttle, its the worst thing you can do.  Use larger throttle openings and go up and down the revs, including engine braking.

 

The man speaks the truth. A country lane session is whatyou want but stick to 2/3rds avail engine revs.

[Nomexnomad]

QUOTE

The man speaks the truth. A country lane session is whatyou want but stick to 2/3rds avail engine revs.

I have done this It's still smokey on start up but seems better. I am going to do an oil change this week ready for Stoneleigh, and i will ensure a good quality 20w50 is used. Is it worth adding something like a slick 50 type PTFE solution?

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

No, I wouldn't be adding anything; the last thing you want when bedding rings and things in is the oil being too slippy   I know, I know. But want you want is for the rings to bed, into the bores. There's actually quite a strong argument for using cheap basic mineral oil while running the engine in, before changing to the good stuff.

Sorry, I don't know enough about Pintos to know if you've got the right grade, but I'm sure someone will be along to advise.