Spitting???

[az88turbo]

This is more of an irritation than a problem. The car has been doing this since I got it and the engine has been rebuilt since then. Here’s the story:

When I first start up the car from cold it starts fine and runs well. When the temperature gets to around 60 degrees C; it starts spitting water out of the tail pipe. This wouldn’t matter except for the fact that it picks up dirt from the tail pipes and blows it all over the back of the car (just makes a mess, very irritating). So, my question is: how do I stop this? Or at least why does it do it? Can any of you experts out there help please?

Here is my path of deduction thus far:

- Don’t think it could be the cylinder head because it is not there when I first start up and I’m not losing any water.
- Compression test comes out good.
- Can’t be from the cat because it doesn’t have one
- I live in Arizona so I wouldn’t think it would be the humidity

Could it be that too much or too little fuel produces water? I’m not up on this so I am keen to learn.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark – 88 Turbo

[Dr.Hess]

Ummm, They All Do That, Sir.

Dr.Hess

[lotusguy]

az88turbo said:

This is more of an irritation than a problem. The car has been doing this since I got it and the engine has been rebuilt since then. Here’s the story: When I first start up the car from cold it starts fine and runs well. When the temperature gets to around 60 degrees C; it starts spitting water out of the tail pipe. This wouldn’t matter except for the fact that it picks up dirt from the tail pipes and blows it all over the back of the car (just makes a mess, very irritating). So, my question is: how do I stop this? Or at least why does it do it? Can any of you experts out there help please? Here is my path of deduction thus far: - Don’t think it could be the cylinder head because it is not there when I first start up and I’m not losing any water. - Compression test comes out good. - Can’t be from the cat because it doesn’t have one - I live in Arizona so I wouldn’t think it would be the humidity Could it be that too much or too little fuel produces water? I’m not up on this so I am keen to learn. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks, Mark – 88 Turbo

Mark,

As mentioned, TADTS! But seriously, it's nothing to worry about. If you recall your HS Chemistry, one of the byproducts of combustion is H²0 and that's what you are seeing. Admittedly, it's worrysome at first, even messy (my garage floor is spattered).

Most cars pass this moisture off as steam, but in the Esprit, the water condenses back to liquid prior to leaving the tailpipe, so you get the characteristic sooty splattering from the tailpipe. Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE

[AZ88Turbo]

Thanks guys, that puts my mind at rest.

Wish I could figure out a way to stop it messing up the back of the car though. I only have to drive it for 40 or 50 miles and the back of the car is filthy.

Any suggestions?

Mark - 88 Turbo

[kylie]

Paint ya car black?

What about a small extension to the exhaust have it slightly pointing down or something, like a chrome exhaust tip welded on over existing one. Just a thought.

[autocross7]

Extending the tip works great. The three inch diameter chrome pipe looks good too!

Drive topless!!!
Cameron

[lotusguy]

AZ88Turbo said:

Thanks guys, that puts my mind at rest. Wish I could figure out a way to stop it messing up the back of the car though. I only have to drive it for 40 or 50 miles and the back of the car is filthy. Any suggestions? Mark - 88 Turbo

Mark,

With my Esprit, I just live with it. But on an old Datsun 240Z I owned, I drilled a small hole into the bottom of the silencer (water runs to the lowest point) allowing this water to drip out under the car before reaching the tail pipe. It worked well, although my intended purpose was to drain the muffler to discourage internal corrosion as I drove this car sparingly. If it's really that bad, give this a try. Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE

[cnh1990]

We all do it. Except my tailpipe never spits on the car but it does leave black crap on the garage floor.
Calvin

[AZ88Turbo]

Thanks for your help folks. I'll try these ideas and let you know how it goes.

Mark - 88 Turbo

[kylie]

cnh1990 said:

We all do it. Except my tailpipe never spits on the car but it does leave black crap on the garage floor. Calvin

Mine too

[arium]

I too was concerned about the 'spitting' on the garage floor. I was even more concerned when my car failed emmissions. Fortunately the problem was solved by replacing the cat with the largest and most efficient replacement available. Hopefully I'm okay for another ten years or so.

The technician that did the work noted that my old cat had been gutted by the previous owner and by reading hydrocarbons before the cat via the inspection bung it was 300 ppm. However, it would vary from between 400 - 600 ppm in the silencer. Why, cause the cat wasn't working and it was allowing all those unburned hydrocarbons to collect in that very large 1989 muffler. Hence the spitting when moist condensate from a cold engine picks up all that goop. Like a chimney gets when the damper is always half closed.

Hope that helps a little more as to maybe why.

[rlearp]

Drill a hole as Jim suggested. Lots of OEM systems used to have a small (1/8") at the lowest point to drain water. Especially with designs that use a muffler as the last bit and empty out just under the rear of the car.

Motorcycle systems still do have drain holes in many cases to keep water from collecting is a cool spot in the exhaust. Most times though the exhaust will get hot enough over a short enough period of time to drive all the water out. I know the Esprit does, it is so short that even at the very end it is pretty damn hot! But even so, condensation will happen when it cools and if left to stand for along time will lead to corrosion over time.

[Mark91SE]

Mine does that during the colder California months. Summertime... no black specks. Jim, that's a good idea on drilling the holes... maybe a little catch pan made of fiberglass netting underneath or something to catch it and let it evaporate before it hits the floor might be nice too!

- Mark91SE

[princecharming]

Mark,

Does your car still have a functioning EBPV (Exhaust Back Pressure Valve)? A good friend of mine had the same problem with his Esprit and found that the previous owner had wired it open. When he put it back to normal, he found that this problem was greatly reduced. I know that a lot of people either eliminate or wire open their EBPV, but there is some benefit to having it there.

Roy

[AZ88Turbo]

Hi Roy,

Nope; that went away a long time ago. Car runs like garbage when that thing is on there.

I think it's just one of those things that I'm just going to have to live with. I am going to experiment with tailpipes to see if I can at least point it down away from the back of the car a bit.

Thanks for your help,

Mark - 88 Turbo

[princecharming]

Hi Mark,

Ran like garbage? Really? Only when it was cold and before it was fully warmed up though, right? My '88 used to have a perfectly functioning EBPV and I thought the thing sounded downright wicked when it finally opened up. The problem was that if you wanted to make a quick getaway, you had to sit there 'till it warmed up with the thing rev'ing all by itself. People would walk by and give me curious looks. Anyway, for a period of two years after that, someone else owned the car and took it off before I got the car back, so I no longer have it either.

The exhaust idea might work, but overall, my advice would be to just live with it. You might try experimenting with a different brand of gas. Not sure if it would make a difference, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Roy
'88 Commemorative Esprit Turbo, #87 of 88 made
(Pearl White in bodyshop still getting vandalism repaired)