22R billowing white smoke, sounds like choke won't go off (1 Viewer)

[JohnG]

I just bought a 1987 22r and have been trying to iron out its many problems...

The engine sounds like the choke stays on even once it warms up. I just fixed a couple other problems (alternator and leaky water pump) and was just getting to the choke issues when I noticed the top radiator hose was hissing after the engine was shut off.

So I replaced it.

I filled the coolant back up, sprayed some carb cleaner in the carb, started the engine, and after a few minutes it began spewing white smoke. Lots of it. So much that I tried to ignore it and back out of the driveway but could not see.

Initially I thought head gasket, but I drove the truck for only about a mile yesterday and it was fine....not sure why it would have failed just now. Also, no signs of badness in the oil.

Lastly, when I turned the engine off and looked at the carb, the passenger side plate was wide open, which if I am reading correctly means the choke was disengaged? So while the engine sounds like the choke won't disengage, it appears that it has...

Any ideas? is there hope for this thing yet?

 

[Offroads4x4]

My moneys on a blown head gasket.

 

[KLF]

Two things can cause an engine to belch white smoke: coolant and brake fluid. If you're sure there's no way that it's sucking brake fluid out the back of the master cylinder, thru the booster, then the other choice is... well you know.

Pull the big vacuum line off the brake booster, see if it's wet inside. Plug the hose and start it up, see if the smoking goes away.

If not, then I would look for a way to do a leak-down test on the engine. Much more reliable for diagnosing a bad HG than a compression test.

This isn't an automatic tranny, is it? Sometimes burning ATF will blow white smoke too. But I'm not sure if it could get into the engine somehow...

 

[Offroads4x4]

I just bought a 1987 22r and have been trying to iron out its many problems...

The engine sounds like the choke stays on even once it warms up. I just fixed a couple other problems (alternator and leaky water pump) ...I noticed the top radiator hose was hissing after the engine was shut off.

So I replaced it.

I filled the coolant back up, sprayed some carb cleaner in the carb, started the engine, and after a few minutes it began spewing white smoke. Lots of it. So much that I tried to ignore it and back out of the driveway but could not see.

Initially I thought head gasket, but I drove the truck for only about a mile yesterday and it was fine....not sure why it would have failed just now. Also, no signs of badness in the oil.

This would lead one to a couple of thoughts. The old head gasket finally gave out when being pushed from testing under full pressure. It had a water pump leak and a bad radiator hose. Rough running could be water in cylinders. depending on how bad the gasket is. Water is not always in the oil if the head gasket gives out.
White smoke is almost always water in the cylinders and or exhaust. Black smoke is running to rich (like the choke is stuck). Blue is oil in the cylinders like bad rings.

One more idea, could the thermostat be stuck closed as well?
did you check to see if your coolant has oil in it?
Just food for thought.

 

[bigndn]

My moneys on a blown head gasket.

This would lead one to a couple of thoughts. The old head gasket finally gave out when being pushed from testing under full pressure. It had a water pump leak and a bad radiator hose. Rough running could be water in cylinders. depending on how bad the gasket is. Water is not always in the oil if the head gasket gives out.
White smoke is almost always water in the cylinders and or exhaust. Black smoke is running to rich (like the choke is stuck). Blue is oil in the cylinders like bad rings.

One more idea, could the thermostat be stuck closed as well?
did you check to see if your coolant has oil in it?
Just food for thought.

Yes, I've seen both on my 22R. I was flying down I-90 and the bottom rad hose blew, looked at temp gauge = way redline, pulled over at a station, put in coolant. Head likely warped from the heat. HG was gone shortly afterward with the warped head. Lots of white smoke.

Left work one afternoon, driving home noticed some white smoke, but nothing bad. By the time I got home it was a full on fog behind me. I pulled into my driveway and shut her down. It continued to blow smoke for about 10 minutes. Blown HG.

 

[JohnG]

Head Gasket

So the question is, how bad is it to replace the head gasket on a 22r?

I'm working on getting a leak down gauge to thoroughly diagnose.

 

[cruiser88]

You said you changed water pumps...........did you by change loosen an extra bolt or two that you was not suppose to....like on the passenger side of the timing cover?

If that gasket is bad it will leak coolent straight into the engine

 

[JohnG]

I'm pretty sure I didn't mess with anything other than what was on the water pump, but when the freezing rain stops I'll check it out just to be sure.

If it is the head gasket, I'm kind of debating whether or not to bother replacing it.

The truck has this rattle/knocking sound a little bit at idle and a lot as it comes up through the rpm's... stops at medium to high rpms though, isn't present while running at constant speed.

Any opinions on that one?

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Don't bother building a leak down tester, just get an air nozzle with a rubber tip and stick it in the spark plug hole. Pull the oil and rad caps off, turn the cylinders to TDC one at a time and shoot some air into it. If you hear it coming out the intake, then you have a weak intake valve, if it comes out the exhaust, then you have a bad exhaust valve. If you hear it at the oil cap hole, then bad rings. If it comes bubbling out the radiator... then you have a bad headgasket more than likely. If you don't hear much, then the cylinder is probably in good shape.

A leak down tester tells you how much it's leaking, but the bottom line is if it's leaking at all, then it doesn't matter how much it's leaking... you have to fix it...

 

[Offroads4x4]

Your knock needs to be looked at. Do you have a stethoscope? Harbor Freight has some cheep ones. If not use a long solid bar or broom handle. Put one end by the noise the other to your ear. Check each cylinder for piston slap/rod knock. Is the noise high or low in the bottom or in the front?
Run it by a local shop guy if your not sure you can do it or ask a buddy to look at it.

You may want to re-seal the water pump if there is any question just to be sure. If you re-do it you may want to use a RTV like "The Right Stuff" or "Locktite's Gold". Let it set up before you put the coolant in the block, That will help it seal better.

Just some ideas.

 

[JohnG]

I don't have a stethoscope but I tried to broomhandle thing. I'm not sure if it would be really obvious or not, but I didn't hear too much difference no matter where I could reach on the sides of the block.

I noticed the noise is far more prevalent from under the truck. It is barely audible at idle from above, but under the truck you can hear it loud and clear.

 

[cruiser88]

use a short piece of garden hose..........be sure to check behind the timing cover........I mean with the hose

 

[raydouble]

Don't bother building a leak down tester, just get an air nozzle with a rubber tip and stick it in the spark plug hole. Pull the oil and rad caps off, turn the cylinders to TDC one at a time and shoot some air into it. If you hear it coming out the intake, then you have a weak intake valve, if it comes out the exhaust, then you have a bad exhaust valve. If you hear it at the oil cap hole, then bad rings. If it comes bubbling out the radiator... then you have a bad headgasket more than likely. If you don't hear much, then the cylinder is probably in good shape.

A leak down tester tells you how much it's leaking, but the bottom line is if it's leaking at all, then it doesn't matter how much it's leaking... you have to fix it...

This is awesome advice, thanks

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Thanks Ray!

 

[JohnG]

I'm still trying to get my hands on something to push air into the motor, however I have tried the hose thing to locate the knocking type sound..

First off, I am pretty sure I can see oil in the coolant in that I can see a sheen on the coolant in the radiator...

As far as the knocking, the hose "stethoscope" method didn't lead me anywhere either, I checked around the top of the head and block and behind the timing chain cover and couldn't hear anything obvious.

It definitely sounds like it is coming from low in the engine and towards the back though...

 

[raydouble]

When my 22R blew it's head gasket I left a white steam column forty five ft. wide and two stories tall....knock could be rod knock after leaking coolant into the cylinder.

 

[JohnG]

If this is rod knock from the coolant leak is it something that the head gasket repair may remedy, or something that is going to blow up the motor?

 

[HemiDave]

No, if you have a rod knock, it's rebuild time. Use the stethoscope method to narrow it down. Don't guess.

Dave

 

[JohnG]

Thanks for all of this advice, guys. I am obviously pretty new at this.

Where exactly should I listen with the stethescope? I want to make sure I'm looking in the right spots.

Thanks

 

[cruiser88]

guage the rod before you tear it down..............you may get away with just replacing the bearings and fixing the head gasket? However if its a main........rebuild


or maybe not