White smoke from tail pipe means??

[LRDisco94]

Most of the time in the after i start the rover for the first time white smoke comes out of the tail pipe for a good 5 mins....what this mean? its been doing it since i got the truck in august

[Funrover]

Burning oil !!! Could be a few things....head work etc.... Nothing too bad if you take care of it now!

[Disco Mike]

Originally Posted by LRDisco94

Most of the time in the after i start the rover for the first time white smoke comes out of the tail pipe for a good 5 mins....what this mean? its been doing it since i got the truck in august

White smoke means only one thing, coolant being burned internally, failed head gaskets.
It is pretty easy to verify by either a chemical test on the radiator or using a emission smiffer at the collant recovery bottle to check for exhaust in the coolant.
Sorry, it is time to see the mechanic.
Mike J.

[LRDisco94]

well, i just hit 170,000 miles just last week, how much would it cost to get the head gaskets replaced? is that something i could do myself? If i were to replace the head gaskets would that fix both the coolant problem and the oil problem? i guess those new tires are gonna have to wait

[Disco Mike]

Originally Posted by LRDisco94

well, i just hit 170,000 miles just last week, how much would it cost to get the head gaskets replaced? is that something i could do myself? If i were to replace the head gaskets would that fix both the coolant problem and the oil problem? i guess those new tires are gonna have to wait

Can you do the head gaskets, depends how mechanical you are, some people do their own.
While the heads are off, with the mileage you have, the heads should be inspected for cracks and valve replacement. At the same time, yes you may actually correct a few oil leaks as you go.
You might want to flush the crank case witha good engine flush once you have it back up and running, probably have alot of sludge build up. Flush out the radiator also to keep it cooling.
Good luck,
Mike J.

[LRDisco94]

If the heads are cracked, is that repairable ? or do i have a serious problem?

[DiscoPilot]

If the heads are cracked its best to replace them, although some speed shop will weld and rework them. I wouldn't start worrying about a cracked head unless the motor has been badly overheated and even then i would guess at warped. Most likely you'll find that spot on the headgasket around the combustion chamber has let go. Either way have the head checked out, nothing worse than putting back together to find out a head was warped and didn't seat right.

White smoke is coolant

Blue smoke is Oil

Black smoke is carbon buildup or bad A/F ratios

[apbtpetey]

Head gaskets are not that bad to do on these. i just finished replacing the head gaskets on my 97 disco and it went fairly well. Except for a wire my dad cut and spliced together ( he thought it was something else, but it was for the crankshaft sensor). Other than the wire thing it went very smooth.

If you buy the kit from Atlantic British it comes with everything you need as far as gaskets go. In addition it came with the valve seats. If you go that route, you'll also need to get a set of head bolts. I would also get the thermostat, oil filter, and check the hoses while you are in there.

My heads were fine. Stripped it down on Saturday and had it back together on Sunday. Make sure you tighten the head bolts in the right order and to the right torque. The lower rear bolts are a pain in the ass to get at, but it is a very doable job if you are mechanically inclined.

[LRDisco94]

Sounds like a weekend project....thanks for all the info

[Paul Grant]

You're going to go to the bother of replacing the head gaskets and you're not going to redo the heads while you have the opportunity???? When were the heads done last?

[LRDisco94]

i dont know man...there were three owners before me...the 1st owner followed the book and had it serviced every so many miles or whatever...all the spots in the book are signed and stamped by the dealership...at 90,000 the stamps stopped...guessing he sold it...that guy went from 90,000 to 160,000 miles sold it to my dads friend were he did nothin to the engine except for the reg. tune up and he put a couple thousand miles on it then i bought it from him......so probably nothing has been done.... i probably need to buy a new engine......

[Paul Grant]

So you're going from some white smoke coming out of your exhaust to needing a new engine? First, have you noticed any change in your coolant level? Are there any signs of coolant leaking anywhere in the engine bay? How do the hoses feel? What does your oil look like. Have you pulled any of the spark plugs/ If so so any of them look like they have been steam cleaned. Have you done a leak down test or a compression test. How about attaching a vacuum gauge to the engine, that can tell you a lot.

To jump to the conclusion that you need a new engine may be a bit rash. Start, one step at a time trying to reach a diagnosis of the problem.

[Paul Grant]

You know, I just had a friend who had a similar observation about white smoke. In the end his coolant was leaking but it was a bad intake manifold gasket not a head gasket. The point is, there are any number of things that can go wrong but you have to start by examining and eliminating different areas of the engine.

If you are not that well versed in engine mechanics you might want to enlist a friend who is to help to go over the areas you need to look at. It really isn't that hard but having someone there to look over your shoulder and to ask questions of is a great asset.

[LRDisco94]

I bought the truck last aug. the guy told me it leak coolant somewhere....either in the engine or in the engine bay, i did the reg. tune up...new sparks, wires, distributor cap and rotor. Last month i pulled my fan shroud out to get a good look at the radiator and...what do i find a leak... so i bought an aftermarket and installed in two weeks ago...been checking and it seems to be going down real slowly....the oil looks fine the hoses are fine ? i can squeeze them pretty easy..hmmmi havent done a leak test or a compression test...and no vacuum gauge done

[Disco Mike]

Originally Posted by Paul Grant

You're going to go to the bother of replacing the head gaskets and you're not going to redo the heads while you have the opportunity???? When were the heads done last?

If he is going to keep the truck, he will need to have someone look at his heads, there has to be a fair amount of valve wear at 170K plus.
Mike J.