Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

I have white smoke shortly after engine starting. It has not run in several months, so I'm excited to see it turn over so easy now. I would have thought immediate smoke would more likely be oil because the thermostat isn't opened yet. It does smell a bit oily or rich. Definitely not sweet. I cant try and start it tonight or tomorrow morning to show you guys the color and amount of smoke.

Here is my plan of attack.

1) let it run for about 15 minutes to warm up and then see if the smoke stops. It is my understanding that it can be steam from condensation over the last few months, but I don't like the sound of that either.

2) Check valve clearance and then tune carbs. Ever since I got the car about a year ago it has smelled rich whether choke was in or out. P/O stated in 15 years of ownership he never addressed the carbs.

3) compression test. See if I have a bad gasket.

OOORRR just say screw it and drive it this year and see if it'll last the summer.

How bad is the smoke?
Agree, warm it up - check the carbs and let her fly unless major repair is indicated.

Doesn't white smoke indicate water leak into exhaust??

Normally white smoke (continuous) would mean head gasket as water is getting into the head and steam out the back ... So depends if it stops after running for a while ??

Peter- Thanks what I thought too but there are 2 reasons why I reached out to the forum. 1 is that it doesn't smell sweet, it smells like oil, or that the mix is rich. and the 2nd is that its immediate before the thermostat opens. So I am not sure. I think water/coolant just sits in the block until the water pump mobilizes the fluid through the thermostat after opening.

NOTOPTOY-What would indicate a MAJOR repair? just the fact that a pressure test reveals a low number?

Down under that's what I was thinking. That's why I was going to do step 1 first. I just wanna take it out for a long drive but don't wanna get stuck somewhere! I don't get a temp reading either I think the sensor or the wiring is bad. So its a double negative.

The coolant is still full. I have lost nothing.

Major to me would be billowing clouds of white smoke that doesn't go away followed or at the same time as massive temperature spikes and overheating. The main question is how bad is the smoke. If it hasn't been run in years, then I think the thing to do is run it for 15-30 minutes and see what happens.

White smoke can be a rich mixture. Does it need the choke to start and run for the first 2 minutes? If not, probably rich. White STEAM can be just condensation in the exhaust.
If your temp and oil pressure gauges work, go for a local ride up to full temperature and see how it runs. How old is the gas?

Dave- Those are great points. The car actually runs better this morning with choke IN. When out it actually felt like it was drowning and the idle went down from 800-500. The gas is about 2 gallons from last year mixed with another 2 from God knows when. I had fuel additives in it as well. May have had too much.

Either way sounds like the first step is to run it a while. Which I will do first chance I get.

I would dump the crap in the tank and fill up with fresh fuel. With old gas, additives, etc, you can't rule out the fact it is the fuel causing some of the smoking. It only takes a minute to drain the tank. If it were my engine, I would spend 5 minutes and use fresh fuel.

Ya I've drained this tank b4. Nice having that bolt on the bottom. Thanks for the insight.

see if one of the carburetor nozzles is stuck down

Just check under the rocker cover the you don't have a white oily mess - if so head gasket if not could be a range of other items listed - ps it might be worth re-torquing the head as it maybe it is with heat closing back up ...
Good luck

So if white mess it's NOT head gasket? It was hard to understand what you wrote.

White oily mess under the valve cover indicates water and oil mix - this is typically a head gasket, but can be any source of the mix, including cracked block - Again, what kind of white smoke are you talking about, thin wispy stream at start up that goes away, or thick billowy clouds of white smoke? A video would be helpful. Also, if there is white mess in the rocker cover, how is the oil at the dipstick - clear or milky? If milky - don't run it.
If clear at the dipstick/oil pan and milky up top then again, head gasket is more likely.