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  #1  
Old 03-26-2006, 09:24 AM
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300SE apart for 2 years.. FULL RESTO..white smoke and clear water from the tailpipe

My 300SE, as some of you know, has been completely restored over the past 2 years. Head off, machined, new cams, rockers, gasket, valve guides and seals and everything associated.
I also replaced everything in the suspension, steering, full disassemble, paint job w/ color change, new interior, sound system, refinished wood, ect...

I haven't started the motor in 6 months, fired right up.
BUT .... I HAVE LOTS OF WHITE SMOKE FROM THE TAILPIPE AND CLEAR WATER DRIP.

Now its has a 1/2 tank of fuel, with stabilizer in it , and a big bottle of techron dumped in a couple months ago. Everything in my mechanical knowledge tells me its just WATER from condensation and it will burn off.

I am thinking also water in the fuel from sitting. It been in the heated garage, except for wetsanding and buffing the body outside on a few pretty cold days, could have formed condensation.

The tailpipe drip, as collected in a clear plastic cup, is perfectly clear.
If it was antifreeze getting by head gasket...ALL NEW.. wouldn't it be discolored? Exhaust smells normal too.

WHAT do you think?

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  #2  
Old 03-26-2006, 09:39 AM
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I should add, I have heard, on a BMW forum, Techron can cause white smoke too.
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  #3  
Old 03-26-2006, 10:28 AM
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Well white smoke would usually mean a bad head gasket. Do you have coolant in the system yet or just water? If their is coolant doesn the smoke smell sweet?

It is possible something was put back wrong, mistakes can happen.

I'd drive it a bit, run that down some more and refill it with fresh fuel.

Put a few hundred miles on it and see if it clears up.
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  #4  
Old 03-26-2006, 01:52 PM
t walgamuth's Avatar
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well

there is smoke and there is steam. steam will disapate quickly. smoke will linger and waft away. steam is bad.

water in the fuel will cause it not to run. some gas line antifreeze (fuel treatment) will absorb water and allow it to burn off harmlessly.

tom w
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Old 03-27-2006, 09:17 AM
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It has normal orange coolant in the system, and the tailpipe drip is perfectly clear.
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  #6  
Old 03-27-2006, 09:30 AM
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Hi there,
My suggestion is to run it awhile and see if the white smoke goes away. If it doesn't, check the coolant - is it going down?
Normally if there is a leak into a combustion chamber, there will also be a compression leak back into the cooling system, which will cause lots of bubbles in the radiator cap overflow. Are there continuing bubbles when you remove the cap?? Sure sign of either a bad head gasket or a crack in head or block!
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  #7  
Old 03-27-2006, 09:35 AM
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It could just be condensation in the exhaust system; they all will have this until they heat up. If you have run it for several short periods, the condensation will build up. I have seen it run out of my pickup exhaust in a stream.
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  #8  
Old 03-27-2006, 09:55 AM
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I am putting the plates on it later this week, and should be able to run it and see what is happening. I can say that there is no bubbling in the radiator, the coolant level appears to be stable, and the exhaust does not smell like burning coolant.
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  #9  
Old 03-27-2006, 09:57 AM
t walgamuth's Avatar
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i bet

you are fine

tom w

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..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
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