White smoke from diesel tractor

Ollie88D · Apr 17, 2013

I have an engine troubleshooting here. A NH 6610 has been blowing white smoke. So, the head was planed and reinstalled with a new head gasket. After reassembly, the white smoke persists but only when idling. When the tractor is under load, the white smoke goes away, and there isn't any coolant in the oil. My question is, would the white smoke be caused by a bad injector? Would broken piston rings cause this? Any advice is appreciated.

miner09 · Apr 17, 2013

How much coolant are you having to add? The newer coolant will not show up in oil as milky oil. Did you look for crack between cylinders when the head was off? Also was the head checked for cracks? Also I always use Permatex #2 on head bolts threads when replaceing bolts. This keeps water from coming up around bolts. This is always a problem with the Contintenal engines. Don't know if this is a problem with Ford engines. Hope this will help.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 17, 2013

Could be leaking injectors. Do you have excessive diesel knock? Leaky injectors will leak fuel into the cylinder and as it comes up on compression it will fire prematurely on the fuel in the cylinder. After the premature firing the injector will then inject fuel too late to for a complete burn. The white smoke represents unburned fuel.
I'm not a diesel expert, but at least that's my theory.

ohio dick · Apr 17, 2013

late timing will white smoke.

teddy52food · Apr 17, 2013

Could be broken rings & losing compression at idle. Crack the lines & see if you can find which one. Then swap a couple of injectors. If it moves to another cylinder it is the injector. If it stays it is a weak cylinder.

pete 23 · Apr 17, 2013

White smoke is low temp combustions smoke. If timing is late, burning takes place too late to burn completely so is cooler. Poor compression causes low heat, so white smoke. When pulling, more fuel is injected so burns hotter plus, depending on what injection pump you have, the timing may get earlier. All inlet metered pumps like Roosa Master inject earlier in cycle the more fuel they inject because roller contacts cam earlier in cycle.

Texasmark1 · Apr 17, 2013

I was taught white is water
Blue was oil
Black was poor combustion

White didn't tell you where the water came from, leaking head
gasket or running at idle in cold temps, or starting an engine
that has been sitting overnight in very cold temperatures.

Around here, every diesel you started at the trucking company
with any age to it would sit and puff white smoke on a cold
morning till you got out and worked the engine, warming it up
and driving out the condensation.

I can't speak for the other inputs, just what I know which is
posted above.

Mark

guido · Apr 17, 2013

Hello Ollie88D,
White smoke can be either coolant or fuel.
If it is coolant, and you have an antifreeze
mix, it will have a sweet smell. If it is a diesel engine,unburned diesel,( WE CALL IT INCOMPLETE COMBUSTION), will smell like kerosene.

Guido.

RodinNS · Apr 17, 2013

Most likely a bad injector or dead cylinder on that engine. Most 6610's have inline pumps so timing is static unless someone has physically changed it.
While head gasket failures are not entirely uncommon it is fairly rare for a Ford to actually wet the cylinders with coolant...
Poor spray pattern on an injector(s) would be my first guess.

Rod

Frank A · Apr 17, 2013

White smoke can also be caused by a restriction or a leak in the suction line. Even a clogged fuel filter could cause white smoke.

mazemeister · Apr 17, 2013

My experience on late timing (in my case on an 806) was that under load it runs hot and smokes black.

White smoke from diesel tractor

Ollie88D

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miner09

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Anonymous-0

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ohio dick

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teddy52food

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pete 23

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Texasmark1

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guido

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RodinNS

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Frank A

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mazemeister

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