White smoke

[elcamino80]

Here´s some background. The car has been standing still over the winter. It has a '89 350 TBI in it.

When I wen't to start it up yesterday it took awhile before it started. It run bad, idle bounced between barely running to 1500rpm. It sounded like it would be skipping a/some cylinders now and then...



I went through all the connectors and found that the water temperature sensor had cracked during winter and the connector seemed rusty. I got a new sensor today and cleaned up the connector. It ran better (don't know why) but it still seemed to skip a cylinder now and then.

I took it for a drive and as I looked in the rearview mirror I had a white cloud of smoke behind me... When I stopped it would barely idle anymore. I got it home and know its constantly coming white smoke out of the drivers side exhaust.

Is it a headgasket that is blown or what could it be?

[Bill Howell]

Did you have sufficient anti-freeze in her this winter? If the sending unit cracked, you may have other things that cracked also, hopefully not a head or even block. Did you check the water level when you got home? White smoke is usually water issue so you either have a blown head gasket or something cracked. be sure to check oil also, and see if it has any water in it. Whatever you do, don't drive until you figure out what is wrong. The only other thing I can think that would cause white smoke would be auto tranny fluid as in a bad modulator valve on tranny. If you are not losing water, check the tranny to see if it might be low. You could also pull the vacuum line from the tranny to the engine and see if it has any atf in it. Problem here though is I think if it were the modulator, it would be smoking out both sides, not one.

[68camaro396]

Just curious about how a tranny modulator would be able to cause white smoke to come from the exhaust. It isn't even connected to the exhaust system.

[Bill Howell]

Just curious about how a tranny modulator would be able to cause white smoke to come from the exhaust. It isn't even connected to the exhaust system.

I am talking about an old th350 or th400. If the modulator is bad, when the engine is running it will suck the atf thru modulator and into the intake. As the atf is burned thru the combustion camber, it will create a cloud of smoke as he described. We used to pour (small amount,very slowly) atf thru the carb to burn carbon off the pistons. It really causes a smoke when you do it.

[elcamino80]

well its the same water/anti freeze as last winter but I started suspecting that when the sensor also was broken.

And when it also just comes smoke from one off the exhaust pipes (dual exhaust without X/H pipe) it has to be burning water.

I guess I'll have to find some time then and start disassembling the engine

Any advices since I never have done this before or should I just start tearing it apart until I find the problem?

On the bright side, this will be a whole new experience for me...

[CAMAROBOY69]

Just start by checking what Bill said. Check your oil to see if water is in there. Next check your antifreeze to see if any oil is in there. That would be a great start and let us know what you find.
Also take each spark plug out and inspect them to help you narrow down what cylinder could be having a problem.