Recently added two gallons of Toluene to about nine gallons of 93 octane. I see white smoke from the exhaust but it is inconsistent. Sometimes it's constant at idle, other times it is only a puff after I've revved it but won't smoke at all at idle. I checked my antifreeze level and it's about 3 inches from the top of the radiator when cold (after sitting a week). Problem is, since it was dyno tuned back in November.....I can't remember if I've checked the level since then or what it looked like when I did (other than this last time I'm speaking of). The Toluene is Sherwin Williams and it has not helped the knock retard. In fact, it seems I have more KR with the Toluene so perhaps it's not first run. I can drive it hard and not see any white smoke in the rear view even on a nice day. I also added some Marvel Mysery Oil (about 4 ounces) and a tid bit of "dry gas" ......could that cause white smoke as well? I added the dry gas (gasline antifreeze) because the car had sat most of the winter with the same 1/4 tank of gas in (condensation in the tank). Only about 4 ounces of the dry gas too.

Here's what worries me though: I've noticed a weird smell ever since I got the car back from the dyno tuner in November.....not sure how to describe it, I just assumed it was a rich running smell since he wound up disabling my closed loop and tuning me a little rich in open loop. I'm wondering if the tuner blew a head gasket (had my car for three months and it saw a lot of dyno pulls, had lots of weird problems that were hard to track down) ......and neither he nor I noticed the blown gasket (or cracked head or block) because of dismissing the tailpipe smoke being due to the cold weather. I really don't know if it smoked when I was running straight 93 octane ....now the guessing game begins. I guess the first step is to top off the coolant and see if it goes down any. Also, run this tank out and start over with fresh 93 . I am so sick and tired of not being able to enjoy my car.

 

Charlie,

My car has been parked since Sept and I was working on it last week.

I hit the blower tube under the sway bar and notice it drip?

So I detached the intake tube and poured out about a cup! of rain water. the car is parked outside but is under a car port and does not get (a lot) of direct rain on it.

What I think happend is that fog is entering the air filter, condensing and then pooling in the pipe - as my blower inlet pipe has a soru of U shape to it - from the air filter to the blower, the water just pool there. Since it's been paked for a while, I accumulated a lot of water

So if this only occurs after the car has been parked for a while (week or 2) then it may be condensation coming in the blower.

A daily smoking problem with dropping rad fluid levels is likley something more serious, how is your oil looking, frothy?

 

<<I've noticed a weird smell ever since I got the car back from the dyno tuner in November.....not sure how to describe it>>

If the smell you describe is a "sweet" smell (the only way i can compare it too is I think it smells like is old pepsi/coke) and your oil looks frothy And Or you coolant looks a littly frothy/milky And Or your Coolant Levels keeps droping...Then its something serious. My guess would be (if you have any of these symptoms) that its probably a Blown Head gasket.

Thanks,

 

Charlie, is that car going to be ready for the first Thursday night race on April 3rd? Get with Sean (funina91ss), he and Rob were thinking of buying a 55 GAL barrel of race fuel. Email him for more details on that. If you need some help working on it, get in touch with us.

Later,
Chris

 

with all those additives in it, one of them has to be causing your white smoke. I KNOW marvel mystery oil can cause white smoke but I don't know if 4 ounces is enough. i would start worrying after you go through a full tank of gas and change your oil.

 

Chris, thanks .....I won't be ready on the 28th (2nd to last business day of the month at the bank....super busy) and I won't be racing until I have some real race gas. I think I've located some from a guy in St. Albans. Let me know if you all need any.

I think I've overreacted and the car is fine (I think). The reason my radiator seemed low is that it had sat for a week (3 ~ 4 inches below the cap). I didn't top it off because I now think it's actually full now that I've observed the dipstick in the overflow. I drove it for a bit yesterday and parked it. Checked the fluid level after a couple of hours and it was right up to the cap. It seems the white smoke is happening less and less so it must have been the Toluene and MMO cleaning out carbon. I drove it out to Hawk's Nest Park yesterday and ran it pretty hard on the curvy mountain roads without incident. It is running better and better ....I think it's just been sitting too much and there was water left in the gas tank from condesation. I can't believe how hard this car pulls at interstate speeds, 5th gear feels just as mean as 3rd...you can easily forget you're in 5th and think you're in 3rd if you're not paying attention when cruising around and listening to music or something ....she's got some bottom end . Last week I hit 145 MPH in 5th gear very quickly at maybe 1/2 throttle and 2 PSI or so ....it was about 4:00 AM and no one coming or going but I had no intention of going that fast.....I was watching the tach and scanmaster and before I know it I look over and, "145 MPH" and climbing fast

I drained out the entire gas tank with my trip to Hawk's Nest yesterday and have already started over with a 1/2 tank of 93 .....now a few more checks on the coolant level and oil condition, an oil change, purchase some race gas, and a couple more 1/2 tanks of 93 to run through ......and I'll see you all at KV sometime in April or May