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Acceptable white smoking

Frank Dozer · 2012-06-20 20:50

My 1984 John Deere 455D Turbo Track Loader runs like new. It has around 7400 hours on it. I put the key in the ignition and just touch the start button and it starts right up. When it starts up it lets out a decent size puff of white smoke, then no more smoke thru idle. If I go from idle quickly to around 2100 RPM it lets out another puff of white smoke. Under load it white smokes enough to notice. No oil in coolant, no coolant in oil. It's not using engine oil and has plenty of power. The dozer sat for a number of years before I purchased it about a month ago. Everything operates as it should. Should I ingore it, worry about it or is it a sign of old age. Doesn't effect operation, just a little smelly. Thanks, Frank

Replies14
  1. #1SeaMac2012-06-20 20:55

    White smoke can occur when raw diesel comes through the exhaust completely intact and unburned. Some causes of this include… Faulty or damaged injectors Incorrect injection timing (could be a worn timing gear or damaged crankshaft keyway). Low cylinder compression (eg caused by leaking or broken valves, piston ring sticking, cylinder and/or ring wear, or cylinder glaze) When white smoke occurs at cold start, and then disappears as the engine warms up, the most common causes are fouling deposits around piston rings and/or cylinder glazing. Water entering combustion spaces will also create white smoke. Faulty head gaskets and cracked cylinder heads or blocks are a common cause of water entry, and are often to blame.

  2. #2grandpa2012-06-20 21:36

    Sound's like clogged, dirty injectors. You might try a couple dose's of injector cleaner,,,, but if you have the type of luck I have you'll end up pulling them anyways....lol.

  3. #3John C.2012-06-20 22:14

    Usually bad injectors will smoke blue all the time. One of them has to be real bad to smoke white and then you would also have a big miss that you could probably feel. I would also happen all the time. The other issue that might cause white smoke could be a dirty air cleaner. The biggest cause of white smoke that I've seen is water getting in the combustion chamber, usually because of a cracked head or sunken liner. If it is fuel causing the smoke, you should be able to smell it.

  4. #4biodiesel2012-06-21 06:56

    White smoke is never a good thing coming from your machine and you should take steps to eliminate it.If it is caused by water,there should be signs of combustion chamber gases in the coolant.I have a quick test kit with a blue liquid that turns green in the presence of co2.You would run the machine a while and take an air sample from the top of the radiator or remote coolant bottle.You need to make certain you don't suck up any coolant when you do this.Your cooling system is the only place you could get water from,unless you have water in your fuel so I would check that as well.One of the previous posts said if it was fuel you should be able to smell it,and thats correct.Incomplete combustion of diesel fuel will cause your eyes to tear if you get it in your face.

  5. #5Trashman2012-06-21 10:46

    If you have not put many hours on it since you bought the machine, it may clear up. I bought an old grader that set for years before purchase. The only way I had to get it back to town was to drive it down the road. It was blowing white smoke the first 10 miles but as I got closer to town the smoking decreased and over a period of time stopped completely. I attribute the smoke to old diesel and fowled injectors. Never had to do anything to the engine. The old girl finally died because i couldn't get a bearing for the rear axle.

  6. #6Nige2012-06-21 15:35

    If the fuel system has a sediment trap in the line to the pump and/or the tank has a drain line at the bottom for removing water then check for the presence of water in either or both locations, especially as the machine has been stood for a while. Is it using any coolant at all ..?

  7. #7biodiesel2012-06-21 20:42

    One more thought on the fuel......,and that is algee.dieselfuel will grow that slime because of the lack of sunlight in the tank and it is a great thing when the unit has sat a long time inactive.I have seen so many auctioned trucks with this problem since the big down turn in trucking.A 194 bulb on the end of a piece of synflex will light in the fuel and show you the presence of water and or algee in the tank.When you put the wired 194 bulb into the fuel tank you don't power up the bulb until it is under the suface(submerged)of the fuel.It works like a charm.Try it in a bucket first.It will spot water or algee like nothing else you ever used.

  8. #8Frank Dozer2012-06-26 18:06

    OK...........My mistake, It's not white smoke...........It's light, light blueish-white smoke.............Thanks, Frank

  9. #9Frank Dozer2012-06-27 09:18

    Bad Fuel ???..........

  10. #10d9gdon2012-06-27 11:38

    Just a little smelly makes me think it might be somewhat starving for fuel if it's making that light blue smoke. Check the screen and filters.

  11. #11Frank Dozer2012-06-29 06:42

    The dozer had a full tank of 31 gallons old diesel. I talked to the Power Service Representative and he said to drain out 1/2 the tank, add double dose of silver bottle and double dose of their tank cleaner and fill up with new diesel. I did that and I'm going to run it tomorrow. Thanks, Frank

  12. #12akpilot2012-06-29 14:58

    Hi, I'm new to this forum and can't post any new threads. Does anyone know how I can post ne threads? I have a Fiat C14 dozer that the transmission slips in first gear after it warms up (15 minutes). After about an hour it will start slipping in second gear. Reverse is good with no slippage as is 3rd gear. The dozer has a transmission pressure guage and when the slippare occurs the pressure is low in the red zone. As the dozer lurches forward when it is slipping the pressure on the guages goes up and then back down. We checked the trans fluid level and it is overfull with the engine off and still a bit overfull with the engine running. The fluid looks like 5w oil and does not smell or look burnt. Any Ideas? Thanks akpilot

  13. #13Queenslander2012-06-30 23:31

    akpilot, You need three posts before you can start a new thread,one more and you are good to go. I've taken the liberty of quoting and replying to your post in this thread. There are only a handfull of 14C owners on the forum, so by placing it there they should be notified by email if they miss it here. Cheers,Greg

  14. #14Animal2012-07-10 02:31

    Hi akpilot, did you get the replies from Queenslander and myself? If not have a look in the "Fiat-allis14C transpressure regulator" post. Good luck, Nelson.