What could it be.....

[itsallyellow]

After 2 years of the cerb being off the road this week i have finished her and have completed over 500 trouble free miles....

However, yesterday was the first really dry day. I opened her up a few times and had no problems at all (apart from the brakes / problem 1)

After about 100 miles i was heading up a fairly steep dual carridge way, there was a car infront so i held the revs at about 4500 in 4th under load. Suddenly the cockpit filled with white smoke as did the mirrors. I automaticly switched everything off and coasted to a halt. Had a look over the car a could see nothing wrong so drove it home (3 miles) All was fine.

The exhaust system has a lot of oil on it but the back of the engine bay dosnt. I initially thought i would have been comming from the front airbox crank case breather but surely the back of the engine bay would have oil all over it? When i jacked the front of the car up quite a bit of oil ran from the back of the transmition tunnel heat shield.

Im a bit stuck as to what has happened. The road behind me when i stopped was full of white smoke like a fog so it must have been a fair amount of fluid!

Any ideas???

[longbow]

The incline in the road could have caused excess gearbox oil to spill out of the rear gearbox seal, straight onto the hot exhausts. If you've recently filled the gearbox up, then it does tend to shed some until it gets to its 'happy' level - I say this as I recently changed my gearbox oil and did get white smoke coming through the cockpit on stopping for a few times, but doesn't do it now.

This would account for oil ontop og the centre heatshield as well.

[shoggyraminator]

Only time I ever had this type of situation was when the rear crank oil seal popped out and the engine oil was burning of the exhaust giving a good red arrow show down the road But this was on my old Carlton.

[gruffalo]

Does the oil pressure guage work, I have know the tube to the gauge to fracture or melt and leak oil.

[itsallyellow]

Oil Pressuer gauge is fine. Its the first thing i checked hopping i hadnt lost oil pressure!

I have checked all the breather hoses etc and they all seem to be in place. To make the amount of smoke that it did i would assume a lot of oil had to have come out!

[southendpier]

Any loss of coolant water?

[julian64]

I would be very unhappy at that.

If it was oil on a hot surface, it would be more than visible on the hot surface afterwards.

Wouldn't be happy till I'd found that even if it meant trying to reproduce it with someone following me.

[itsallyellow]

julian64 said:

I would be very unhappy at that.

If it was oil on a hot surface, it would be more than visible on the hot surface afterwards.

Wouldn't be happy till I'd found that even if it meant trying to reproduce it with someone following me.

The exhaust is covered in oil from the de-cats back. There was a small amount around the front of the bell housing and the gearbox was also quite oily.

Mike

[itsallyellow]

southendpier said:

Any loss of coolant water?

The temps were fine and there is a lot of oil under the car so i dont believe its coolant related. Suppose i should check though!

[itsallyellow]

longbow said:

The incline in the road could have caused excess gearbox oil to spill out of the rear gearbox seal, straight onto the hot exhausts. If you've recently filled the gearbox up, then it does tend to shed some until it gets to its 'happy' level - I say this as I recently changed my gearbox oil and did get white smoke coming through the cockpit on stopping for a few times, but doesn't do it now.

This would account for oil ontop og the centre heatshield as well.

This is what i want it to be. However it wasnt the first hill i have driven up and probably not the steepest. The gearbox was filled 500 miles ago.

Mike

[Tanguero]

Could it just be the rear oil seal on the gearbox giving up the ghost?

[itsallyellow]

That was new 500 miles ago. Although could it have been the wrong one?

Rear gearbox seal would make sense..

Mike

[southendpier]

itsallyellow said:

southendpier said:

Any loss of coolant water?

The temps were fine and there is a lot of oil under the car so i dont believe its coolant related. Suppose i should check though!

Only major smoke related car incident I had was the head gasket spitting oila and coolant everywaher via a burst rubber water pipe.


It was in a 3.0l Vauxahl Omega very messy! But reminded me a bit of the old Spy Hunter video game as I cruied to a halt looking in my back mirror plumes and plumes of white smoke.

To be fair you'd probably noticed it....

[pikey]

Mine did this. The garage reckoned the oil was overfilled. There was never any damage and it never happened again.... well not few years when it did it to the bloke I sold it to. Again, no damage.

Weird when it happens!

[Tanguero]

I would definately check the gearbox oil level.

[brogenville]

I had this in the cerb once- turned out to be the oil pressure warning light sender leaking. Have a look round the engine valley near the bulk head for any oil pooling.

Best of luck!

[leman600]

Were there any smells which could at least confirm the fluid in question?

[itsallyellow]

Yes actually. Definatly a lubricant and smelt like diff oil. Certainly didnt smell like engine oil. Had quite a "sweet" smell.

Mike

[leman600]

I have really only owned British cars and yes it is sweet you almost get hooked on it.
Hope it is something minor.

[leman600]

Gearbox/diff oil that is.