Dean Weston Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Triumph VItesse 1969 2000cc overdrive convertible New head gasket fitted approx 100 miles aga. Engine missing a bit. Found the problem small air leak. leaking small amount of petrol from bottom of 150 cd carbs. Put new o rings all sorted. drove the car and fantastic everything fine. at last 3 years later after seemingly replacing everything the cars perfect. 15 miles down the motorway turned off never going over 3000 revs overdrive on turned off 2 miles later stopped at a junction pulled away looked in the mirror loads of smoke and a knocking noise. i was close to home started missing, coasted into drive. later I tried to start. No go then it started no rattling noise but still smoky.ran for 2/3 mins smoke but no no noise. since then it will not start unless I use easy start, then it revs up no noise but still smoky and will not run. completed compression test all look good or aleast they are the same as before problem. put my spare electric ignition in just in case No change. no water loss no blocked breather pipe anyone know what’s happened this time if it’s piston or something else, how could I test it. thanks for you help Dean l Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Filled up with diesel? Diaphragm gone on the "flying saucer" PCV valve and pulling oil through? Do you have a brake servo? Diaphragm gone on that? Any brake fluid gone missing? Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Weston Posted May 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 (edited) Thanks nick diaphragm all cleaned out. All pipes too and from all working fine no brake servo. Not filled up with diesel Thanks for help but not sorted out problem. Dean Edited May 13, 2018 by Dean Weston Added about diesel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Dean, No offence, but for reliable readings, the compression test must be done with wide open throttle, and a warmed up engine. The second may be difficult for you to do right now, so make sure of the first. About four revolutions until the reading stabilises on each cylinder. If one is down then a teaspoon of oil in each just before you repeat, and the pressure will rise as the rings seal better. A faulty valve will not be better sealed. White smoke that disappears like a rain cloud in sunshine is water. Very white smoke that just disperses, is oil (or brake fluid). Have you checked the gear box? I once thought my engine had exploded, when all that had happened was that the gear box drain plug had fallen out, onto the hot exhaust pipe. Good luck! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Dean, All deference to John, but if there's what appears reasonable compression and they're all about the same it should start, however badly, if the timings right and there's fuel. The nicety's of compression testing can wait till you've got it firing. This sounds like a timing issue. Also check the rotor cover and the rotor arm. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Has thd smoke got a smell oil is quite xifferent to antifreeze any chance of a nose test ? Like johns idea 'captain says make smoke' comes to mind but it wont affect the running As the HG was changed recently I would be looking there first, were the stud threads cleaned , did someone use a load of sealer? Was it retorqued later ? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Weston Posted May 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Thanks John The compression test was completed best I could but seems plenty of compression. the smoke is coming out of exhaust is a white but some some is differently a very light blue. No water missing from radiator. That I can see. doug There could be a timing issue. I was working on that before it went wrong but I was running like a dream before this happened. Have put a new electronic ignition in just in case it was that. no improvement have just changed distributor cap working better but no running, well with easy start injected 2 second start then stop. Peter the smoke clears fairly fast and smells of easy start but I can only start for two seconds before it dies away. head gasket. New studes used lots of money there yes retorqued later no sigh of water leaking from head gasket. im puzzled but even if I get it running this problem has to be solved. anymore ideas how I can track down the problem Guys thanks so much for your help if I was a gambling man I would go for head gasket but why no water loss? Am I going down the wrong route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algy Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 I was told of something like this in the past. I would check your plugs and see what colour they are, it gives a big clue, although now you have used easy start probably not accurate. The problem that was found (with a car that didn’t want to start, only ran for short time on easy start and produced pale blue white smoke), was water in the carb’s and glass bowl of fuel pump. The owner had no idea how the water could have got in, it had had a short (3 month) lay up with a near empty tank and then filled with fresh fuel and had used half the tank. The symptoms almost exactly the same as you said you had. Might be worth checking your carb float chambers for water or dirt also your fuel pump delivery, as water can stop the valves working (a problem I have had with Lotus and electronic pumps and Land Rover mechanical). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Twitchen Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Dean Weston said: There could be a timing issue. I was working on that before it went wrong but I was running like a dream before this happened. Dean, not by any chance the distributor clamp slipping which has upset all your timing work? Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Easy check pull the plugs , is there an oily one .. which one? Or all Ok Rocker box off has a valve guide dropped ....have a peer through the spings at the guide heights Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Algy said: I was told of something like this in the past. I would check your plugs and see what colour they are, it gives a big clue, although now you have used easy start probably not accurate. The problem that was found (with a car that didn’t want to start, only ran for short time on easy start and produced pale blue white smoke), was water in the carb’s and glass bowl of fuel pump. The owner had no idea how the water could have got in, it had had a short (3 month) lay up with a near empty tank and then filled with fresh fuel and had used half the tank. The symptoms almost exactly the same as you said you had. Might be worth checking your carb float chambers for water or dirt also your fuel pump delivery, as water can stop the valves working (a problem I have had with Lotus and electronic pumps and Land Rover mechanical). I reckon he has something here. This might also explain your rattling/knocking. I had an incident in France a few years back where I filled my Vitesse up with petrol at a very rural station (often a mistake as rural French mostly drive diesels, so the petrol can be ancient) and then drove up the Col De Bonnett (highest paved road in the Alps). Car had been absolutely fine (we'd just caned it all the way from the UK overnight) but now rattled horribly at 3000rpm, sounding just like a couple of big-ends had given up. Checked the oil, which was fine, so limped it up to the top using light throttle and less than 2500rpm, which rather spoiled a fine road - fearing Europe's highest breakdown was imminent. Going down the other side was fine as little load, but it still felt a bit flat and hitchy and chewing it over we wondered whether it was watery or just very off fuel that was the issue. As soon as we were down to half we filled up with 98 octane (it's not normally allowed the good stuff) and it cheered up straight away. Later the same day we gave it a proper thrashing up the Col De Turini and it was fine - so it must have been the fuel. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Weston Posted May 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Algy Than you for helping i have already looked at the fuel pump, I took the pipe off turned the car over and plenty of fuel was pumped into the glass jar. it looked fine but I will try light the fuel safely making sure the fuel is good but I believe it to be fresh. The car had been laid up over winter but I drive it about every four weeks during that time. i have just put new o rings in both carbs so I did empty the fuel from both but never looked at it. I did think it was drinking a bit more fuel than normal maybe this is a clue. its interesting to hear what you said but the car was low on fuel and i put £20 of new fuel in. thanks for your help Dick i have checked and it looks like the clamp may have slipped!!! a bit but would this make the car smoke? very thankful for all your help. Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Weston Posted May 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Pete, i have had the rocker cover off. All looked well. No sigh of water anywhere. Did not look at spring height but i will do, Did look at springs but never noticed anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algy Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Just a mad idea. You don't have a stuck float or leaky float needle do you? It might explain a heigher fuel consumption, although so would almost all other engine faults, as you use more throttle. It might not be the fuel now coming out of the pump but what is already in the carbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 14, 2018 Report Share Posted May 14, 2018 Dean, no not the springs look t hrough the coils you can see the valve guide poking up out the head, they are a light press fit But if its loose and has moved up and down then you get lots of engine oil in the wrong place and a good rattle from the valve operation Im just trying to connect a random rattle with white oily smoke All 12 should be same height Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Weston Posted May 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2018 Thank you Pete. I will do this tomorrow and hopefully you are right. Thank you for your continued support, I will post again tomorrow. All the best Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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