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View Full Version : help with smoke from side pipe please


wareaglescott
10-17-2016, 03:16 PM
Can someone help me diagnose what is going on here:
I am a total newbie so this may be very basic but I have nothing to compare to.

I have run the motor probably 30 minutes total. 2 go carts about 10 minutes in duration and maybe 10 total minutes of other idle time.

The first time I started the car a couple weeks ago got a little bit of smoke from somewhere around the DS header area that dissipated and did not return.
Today I took it on a short go cart.
It was dry but pulling back into the driveway the rain gutter had a fair amount of running water in it from neighbors sprinkler system runoff. Because of the slope on the driveway entrance I take it at an angle. The DS is the first to cross the water. It splashed up on the pipe and front panel of the DS footbox. Shortly after as I was pulling into the garage I could see smoke rising from the header area. I parked the car and got out and looked and saw the moisture and figured it was just the water turning to steam on the hot pipe.

So a couple hours later I go out to the car after everything had cooled down. I take some towels to dry any remaining moisture. The lower side of the J pipe seems to have some sticky residue on it. I jack up the car and get underneath and cant find anything that is leaking. No residue really anywhere but the bottom of the J pipe. I clean that up and restart the motor. I start seeing some smoke again after it has been running about 30 seconds. I get out and it appears the smoke is coming form the joint of the J pipe and the side pipe at this junction:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59870&d=1476734258

Do I just have a bad gasket?
What would account for the residue?
Is this smoke actually just the exhaust escaping here or what is happening?
Maybe the water had nothing to do with it?? When it smoked the 2nd time a couple hours later when everything was dry it has me doubting that.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Duke
10-17-2016, 04:22 PM
Oh no! Sorry to inform you but you have the dreaded 'smoke' problem. Your going to have to start all over. Start by taking the motor back out, then call Tony Stewart...













J/K. It's most likely just residual water or material burning off. That will happen for the first few times you bring it up to temp. You may also have some coolant or water between the header collectors like I did. I didn't realized I had a small coolant splash when filling the system and it landed in the header collector. No where for it to go but burn off. It's normal.
KDubU
10-17-2016, 04:34 PM
Have you cranked down on those bolts between the j-pipe and side pipes? They should be tight. It's possible you blew the gasket as they have been know to go. Why not take off the side pipe and inspect? Also the water you went through, was there anything in it like oil or some thing that would smoke when contacting your pipes? What about brake fluid? Are your reservoirs right above there?
Railroad
10-17-2016, 04:42 PM
Probably just burn off of residue. Once you get enough heat in all of the exhaust it should stop.
wareaglescott
10-17-2016, 05:38 PM
Have you cranked down on those bolts between the j-pipe and side pipes? They should be tight. It's possible you blew the gasket as they have been know to go. Why not take off the side pipe and inspect? Also the water you went through, was there anything in it like oil or some thing that would smoke when contacting your pipes? What about brake fluid? Are your reservoirs right above there?

Great thought. Thank you! I wasn't thinking about the reservoir. I did find a little residue on the triple reservoir I have installed just above the pipe. I tightened down those hose clamps and fittings. Hopefully that will take care of it. I have to take the side pipe off to get rivets into the side of the drivers footbox panel near the bottom so I will check the gasket then as well.
Another rookie question. If you blow the gasket will it be visually apparent?
KDubU
10-17-2016, 09:08 PM
Yes you will see it.
Jeff Kleiner
10-18-2016, 05:32 AM
If you don't see the gasket itself you will probably find a black soot trail at the flange or mating surface where the leak is.

Jeff
j.miller
10-18-2016, 08:17 AM
Lucas pays big money for "mystery smoke" these days.....might be a good thing!
wareaglescott
10-18-2016, 11:13 AM
Actually tracked it down to leaking power steering rack and the fluid was blowing back onto the exhaust pipe.

So new questions:
1. I had the FFR power steering rack and setup. Wasn't happy with the lines that came with it and got some fittings and braided lines from Breeze. Hard to tell exactly which fitting is leaking. I have the O ring compressed pretty tightly. IS it possible to over tighten this easily or should I just crank down on it and see if that stops the leak?
I am so inexperienced I always like to ask before doing something that causes my problem to worsen.
Jeff Kleiner
10-18-2016, 06:41 PM
...I have the O ring compressed pretty tightly. IS it possible to over tighten this easily or should I just crank down on it and see if that stops the leak?
I am so inexperienced I always like to ask before doing something that causes my problem to worsen.

YES it is possible to cause a leak by overtightening the fitting! I think I may have mentioned this to you when we exchanged PMs regarding the hoses and fittings. You want to make the O ring fitting snug at the port on the rack but DO NOT bear down on it. If you do it can cut &/or displace the O ring resulting in a leak. You'll need to pull the fitting to replace the O ring and when you do examine the port on the rack for any sharp edges that can cut the ring. If you find any just ease them over a bit with emery cloth.

Good luck!

Jeff
wareaglescott
10-18-2016, 07:57 PM
YES it is possible to cause a leak by overtightening the fitting! I think I may have mentioned this to you when we exchanged PMs regarding the hoses and fittings. You want to make the O ring fitting snug at the port on the rack but DO NOT bear down on it. If you do it can cut &/or displace the O ring resulting in a leak. You'll need to pull the fitting to replace the O ring and when you do examine the port on the rack for any sharp edges that can cut the ring. If you find any just ease them over a bit with emery cloth.

Good luck!

Jeff

Thanks Jeff