white smoke

[mderlick]

On my last 3 week trip, I noticed white exhaust smoke from my stbd engine, after I ran up the engine to clean it out after running at 1500 rpm for approx 4 hrs. The engines are 653s.

There was no coolant odour, but there was a strong diesel smell.

After 5 minutes or so, the smoke dissipated to practically nil, but there were still traces of the white exhaust. there was no white exhaust at all at low rpm (1500-2000 rpms).

I checked the coolant levels each nite, but there was no coolant loss, other than the loss when I opened up the cap.

Any ideas as to what is causing this smoke?

Regards

md

 

[workingonadream]

im digging deep into my memory bank and I hope someone will correct me if im wrong, but I recall something about white smoke being unburned fuel and black smoke partially burned fuel.

 

[Boatsb]

Blue smoke being oil and orange smoke being real trouble.

 

[Blaine Thorpe]

White smoke issues appear more often when the outside temperatures start to cool off. if you have a strong diesel smell, it is most likely caused by fuel ignition delay due to not enough heat in the combustion chamber to ignite the fuel.

What you are seeing are the fuel vapors and aldehydes left from incomplete combustion.

 

[mderlick]

This smoke is coming out of the exhaust after many hours of running at hull speed, with the temp. gauge showing 175+ degrees.

Could this have something to do with injectors or valve timing?

md

 

[Avenger]

Bad injector(s), incorrect timing or a compression problem.

I'd do a tune-up first. If it doesn't clear up try isolating cylinders, or pull the injectors and have them tested.

 

[mderlick]

A tune-up is definitely on the agenda, but i need to find a good Detroit diesel mechanic in my neck of the woods first. i am in Toronto Ontario anada. By the by, these engines only have approx. 300 hrs on them since a total rebuild, done down in N. Carolina about 3 years ago. This is the first time anything out of the ordinary has occurred.

md

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Start here Detroit Diesel 1575 Queensway Toronto.

 

[saltshaker]

Try changing fuel filters first. My 6V92s would run clean. When the filters needed changing I'd start to see white smoke.

 

[shark 1007]

Agree on filters. I had a Detroit guy tell me "about time for kits" and then another had me change filters and white smoke gone!

 

[rsmith]

This is why it's inportant to have vacum gauges on the filters!

 

[seasalt]

I always thought that white smoke was some sort of condensation like steam. Have your coolers and exchangers been cleaned lately?

 

[drburke]

Try changing fuel filters first. My 6V92s would run clean. When the filters needed changing I'd start to see white smoke.

Thanks Jack! I bought my boat last year knowing the port side had white smoke, but the engine surveyor said maybe steam from raw water injection, turbo issue, etc.

Along the way I rebuilt, then fully replaced the Racors and no more white smoke.

Now I know why...

DAN

 

[mderlick]

I will try that. The racors are absolutely filthy on the stbd engine!!!!! Full of black gunk. Must have gotten a bad load of fuel, because the port side is clean as a whistle, and no smoke at all.

thanks all for the comments

md

 

[Tim Powell]

White smoke issues appear more often when the outside temperatures start to cool off. if you have a strong diesel smell, it is most likely caused by fuel ignition delay due to not enough heat in the combustion chamber to ignite the fuel.

What you are seeing are the fuel vapors and aldehydes left from incomplete combustion.

When I burned the tip end of a valve and it went to the turbo White Smoke at low engine speed speed up no smoke but it was white. Good luck

 

[REBrueckner]

I had 6V53's on a 1961 42ft Matthews and except for the noise, loved them...most of the time.
If you get black smoke, check the handhole gaskets...those cork gaskets come loose and the covers drop affecting engine scavaging...more than I would like and black exhaust smoke ensued.

ANYTIME your RACOR bowls get dirty and you have any kind of smoke on that engine, change a filter. I had vacuum gauges, working properly, and changed one RACOR filter on an 8V71TI even though it read just fine, and that cleared up smoke...I never figured out that one....

Even if a filter change doesn't fix the problem, at least you are squared away when a mechanic arrives!