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White smoke from air breather on cold start

jsharp

New member
1981 Hatteras Motor Yacht. Detroit Diesel 6-71Ti. Starboard engine has 3058 hours. Probably low compression and due for a piston, ring, seal kit. Have owned the boat for four years. Starboard always hard cold weather (60 degrees ambient) starts. Came with a block heater. Needs ether when cold to start.

Sometimes during cold starts, white smoke comes out of air breather (turbos). Engine won't light. What does this mean? In past, after leaving sit, it clears and engine will usually start.
 
You say it's a 71 TI. Not TIB? The "B" stands for blower bypass valve. If it IS a B, then you might want to check and clean the bypass valve. If no B then disregard.

"White smoke comes out of breather (tubos)". Trying to decipher that quote. Do you mean that you see smoke coming from turbo air inlet? Or??

If the crankcase is vented to the air inlet then that's probably where the "smoke" is coming from. If you have AIR SEPS for blower box drains, then it could be from there. You would need to uncouple these vents to pinpoint the source.

Or, it could simply be an exhaust leak at the turbo and raw fuel is present when cranking and no start.

As ether is used to aid cold starts, the engine may become "dependent". Ether is damaging to engines even when used with care. Try using WD 40 as a starting aid. It works well and won't "explode" in the cylinders. It should be introduced into the intake AFTER any dry type filter medium though.

I can't argue with a compression check but I think that I would adjust the valves (and bridges) prior to doing so. Since injectors are removed during a compression test, make sure that each one is checked for adequate spray pattern.

Your engine does have plenty of hours on it but they are known to go much farther than 3800 between overhauls. The ether use may be a wildcard though.

Good luck.
 
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