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Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) New CTD owner, Smoke question??

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Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) what mod next?

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I am hoping someone can steer me in the right direction. I apologize if this ends up long winded, but I will try to be descriptive without it.

I purchased a 2001 6 speed (in case Sig doesn't work) with 106,000 miles. From what I can tell at this time engine is bone stock. The truck does have a gooseneck hitch and was used for towing, what I don't know. There are only two modifications that I can see. there is a carter fuel pump mounted inside the drivers side rail that was being used as a pusher pump and is now bypassed. I haven't even jumped the relay yet to see if it functions. Second is the bottle on the vent tube was removed and the tube was extended down drivers frame rail to about the rear of the block near the starter motor.

Now the problem: When first starting the vehicle for the day it is blowing out excessive white smoke. When I say excessive it appears I could cloud up a parking lot. After bring it to operating temperature and driving it, this appears to go away and I only get some black smoke when on the accelerator. When I then stop the vehicle and am at an idle there is white smoke coming from the vent tube under the vehicle where it has been extended to. It's coming out at a constant pulse with the engine, not just a little bit. The truck seems to have plenty of power and boost and by turning the key comes up with no codes. Thanks in advance... Andrew
 
A little pit of blowby out the bottle is normal. If it is excesive you have bad rings. White smoke on startup would also lead me to beleive you have low compretion for the same reason. Does it have a egt gauge? Posibly it has got too hot pulling the goose neck.
 
The truck does not have any gauges and never did. I have already ordered them to install as my first addition to the truck. Can anyone tell me how to check the rings? Compression or leakdown test maybe? If so, where should the compression numbers be? I have worked on gas engines for years, this diesel stuff is fairly new to me. Thanks again for any help... Andrew
 
I may be wrong here but doesn't the pump running off the engine effect pump timing? Also getting back to the compression issue, does anyone have any suggestions on how I should go about testing this? I would really appreciate it as I just shelled out alot of money for this truck. I need to verify this soon in order to try and go back to the person I bought it from if it is in fact a serious motor problem. thanks again for your input so far.
 
The blowby bottle should give you a fine spray, and a little vapor-like mist-- NOT WHITE SMOKE. If you are getting white smoke out the blowlby for real, then it points to bad rings.



If true, the bad rings are not only letting the blowby into the crankcase, but they're bleeding off compression pressure which means less burn and unburnt fuel, which is what white smoke is.



If the rings are good, there's a chance that the previous owner installed modified injectors that atomize the fuel poorly- like say, BullyDog injectors:)



This poor atomization explains both the white smoke when cold and the black smoke when hot.



Justin
 
Originally posted by 1empire1

I may be wrong here but doesn't the pump running off the engine effect pump timing?



The VP-44 fuel injection pump is electronically controlled (as is the timing). It's not like the VE or P7100 pumps that are mechanically controlled and that is changed by rotating the pump or changing the position of the pump driving gear on the pumps shaft. The pump is only driven by the gear.



To check the compression, you need to pull the fuel injection nozzles. There is an adapter that is screwed into the head, with a gauge attached to it. Have to check each cylinder that way.



IF these trucks had glow plugs (which they don't), there are adapters that are screwed into those holes, so you don't have to remove the injectors.
 
I ran the truck again and the same thing is happening. White smoke out of the tailpipe until warmed up. Once at operating temp and driving it, no smoke from tailpipe. Just a little black smoke when cracking the throttle, appears normal. At that time there is white smoke coming out of vent tube and it smells like unburned fuel. The whole time the truck is running it has this smell. Could it be bad fuel? I will look at the injectors tomorrow. What should I be looking for to see if they were in fact changed? Thanks again for all your help. This site really helped me make my decision on purchasing this truck. One more thing, can anyone tell me where I can get an adaptor for my leakdown gauge to fit in the injector hole?
 
You may want to get the truck to an authorized Cummins facility. If the truck has issues, even besides the smoke, it'd be good to have an "authorized" piece of paper to back up your claims.

I can't answer the injector question specifically, but many of the aftermarket injectors can't really be identified visually, they are modified stock injectors - generally extrude honed.

Good luck,

Get the junk sorted out and you'll know- once you go diesel, you never go back!
 
I would suspect the intake preheater. The other suggestions sound fine except that the problem goes away. Low compression sounded good till you metioned the problem clears. Low compression, even with ring expansion due to heat transfer, would still leave you with tell tale smoke. Does you Voltage gauge indicate that the intake heater is coming on during startup? You should see a substantial voltage drop when trying to start at less than 60 degrees.

Timing sounded fine also till you mentioned 'the problems seems to go away". If timing was suspect then the problem should persist.
 
I would say it could be a bad heater but only if it is really cold. If it has big injectors it would pour black smoke. So I don't think those are likely. A bad vp 44 could cause a timming problem to explain the white smoke. But nothing but bad rings or a burn piston explains major blowby. And if the compression is margianal If could get a pretty clean burn when hot. Causing the white smoke to go away.
 
I know that the two trucks are different but my fathers '95 would puke white smoke during start and warmup. It would clear after the truck was at operating temp. It turned out to be timing, it was something like 4 degrees out. So, in your case the vp44 or the ecm. Also, if it has injectors like BullyDog's, and it was idled extensivly, it could have washed the motor with all that fuel. Pull the dipstick and look at the oil. JMHO.
 
I did have my truck create a fog bank of its own once. The temperature was -17 degrees F and my injectors were Stage III DD. Once the truck got warm it stopped smoking. I have not had my truck down to that temperature since nor has my truck smoked since.
 
All of the aforementioned things could be problems, but go back to the basics if you have excessive blowby. It only comes from compression leaking by the rings...



What does the compression test say???
 
I went by a shop today that works on heavy equipment that I know. The owner looked at the truck warm and thinks it is definately a ring sealing problem from one of the cylinders the way it is huffing out of the breather. It does the same out of the oil cap when removed. He called someone at a cummins authorized facility and I am now waiting to hear back from them with an appointment to bring the truck in for diagnosis. This way I may have something to stand on when approching the person I bought it from. This clearly isn't a new problem. Thanks for all your help. I will keep you all posted.
 
Since it seems to be the rings and relatively low miles, I would be suspect of a bad air filter. Either the current one or previous.



Had that happen on a self propelled field sprayer. Had to be overhauled at around 980 hrs. Was leaking/burning oil at the rate of up to 3qts/hr. :--)
 
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