White Smoke

[hooligan6a]

I got some dirty fuel and had my fuel polished now it is clean but I have a lot of white smoke coming out of my exhaust. Oil pressure good, temp good, not losing antifreeze. My guess is it is the injection pump, what do you think?

[cantxsailor]

White smoke can be a number of things. Engine to hot or to cold, blown head gasket, oil (usually blue but may look white if dense). Which engine and Why would you assume the injector pump?.........m

[lorenzo b]

I had tons of white smoke when I dropped a valve. Does not sound good. Might want to have a good mechanic check it out.

[Stillraining]

White smoke( not Steam) is raw unburned fuel plain and simple...as stated can be from many reasons...Many,many threads on this already a search will sort you out.

[GordMay]

As noted, White Smoke is typically caused by raw, unburnt fuel passing into the exhaust stream.

Common causes include :
Incorrect fuel injection timing
Defective fuel injectors
Low cylinder compression

Low cylinder compression may be caused by leaking valves, sticking piston rings, ring wear, cylinder wear, or cylinder glaze

When white smoke occurs at cold start and then disappears as the engine warms up, the most common causes are fouling deposits around piston rings and/or cylinder glazing.

Continuous evidence of white smoke indicates a mechanical defect, or incorrect fuel timing.

Water entering combustion spaces will also create white smoke. Faulty head gaskets and cracked cylinder heads or blocks are a common cause of water entry.

[Nauticatarcher]

Thought I had a white smoke problem with our Genset, until I figured out it was steam, cleaned rust out of water injection elbow and replaced collapsing exhaust hose, all good. Originally I had injectors serviced etc until one day I figured out it was steam as smoke seemed to disappear once it moved away from boat

[Stillraining]

A quick inhale of the fumes from a cupped hand over the exhaust brought to your nose will tell you if its steam or fuel....If its fuel it will smell like it.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

A quick inhale of the fumes from a cupped hand over the exhaust brought to your nose will tell you if its steam or fuel....If its fuel it will smell like it.

Indeed!

[Christian Van H]

I thought this had something to do with electing a Pope...

[hooligan6a]

Thanks for all your help. I don't think it is anything like a dropped valve or anything of a serious mechanical nature because the engine runs so well. There is no overheating so I don't think it is steam. Must be in the injection pump or the injectors. It only smokes under load.

[Chief Engineer]

Check the bottom, prop for fouling......

How old is the exhaust elbow????

Is there any fuel sheen on the water????

This topic comes up every week....it seems.

[hooligan6a]

The prop may be fouled, Elbow is three years old, no fuel in water.

[hooligan6a]

I had a fouled prop one time that was causing smoke, but the smoke was black.

[Chief Engineer]

I just deep sixed an elbow that was three years old (in the Chesapeake)

The fitting had narrowed down substantially and the instide was partially blocked.

In full saltwater, these are considered to be a regularyly replaced item.

Hot exhaust and salt water speed up rust

[Melling]

Compare temps on exhaust elbows as then white smoke from one of my Perkins, after much money was spent proving what it wasn't, e.g. The head gasket or injectors. My diagnosis proved correct vs the mechanics: the hydraulic pump and cooler for the stabilizers were both on the steaming side and the stabilizer oil cooler installation was incorrect causing the raw ware to partially vaporize at the exhaust elbow.a couple of bucks and it stopped. Unfortunately that was after several hundreds in the shop. Spend thirty bucks to join Boatdiesel and you will find dozens if not hundreds of emails on the smoking exhaust isse