Logo

871 detroit

ra-63

New member
Will high ash content oil make my 871 smoke ? One night my engine started leaking oil and all I had was 15- 40 delo (high ash content) which i know is bad for making the rings stick/gum up... had to use it to get inshore . Would that oil make it smoke after running for 10 hrs ? Or do i have a bad injector maybe ? ron
 
Over time the answer is yes but for a 10 hour run, I wouldn't think so. What "color" is the smoke? What type and viscosity oil do you normally use?

Here is a crude smoke color chart:

Blue.......engine oil getting into cylinder and burning.

Black.....excessive fuel or insufficient air entering cylinder. Rarely it can be a combination of both.

White.....not really smoke. It could be steam from coolant entering combustion chamber. If it is steam, it will readily dissipate to atmosphere.
OR
White could be raw fuel that has failed to ignite at all. It will form a cloud that is heavier than air and smells heavily of diesel. This can be dangerous and unhealthy in an enclosed area.

Gray......this is typically just a different interpretation of engine oil being burned. Differing light conditions are usually the cause of this.
 
Thank you for replying to my post ! Ok , yes it must be burning it because of the bluish smoke .. I use Delo 100 40 in it .
 
Well, high ash oil is known to cause sticking rings and carbonized intake ports. But I'm guessing if you do an oil change back to the Dello 100 40, she should settle back down and the smoke should subside. If she has a lot of hours, a little smoke is not uncommon.

Good luck.
 
Detroits are known for oil leaks, but they can be made leak free. When the rings and sleeves get worn, more blowby can pressurize the crankcase and push oil past the seals. Delo 100 is what I've used for many years.
 
Back
Top