Stuttering / whiteish smoke

[beanballs]

6.9 NA 4x4 T19
Hello yall, ill cut right to the chase. For the first few minutes after startup, the truck seems to slightly stutter / misfire / lack power and produces a small amount of whiteish smoke on about half+ throttle. The engine also audibly sounds "worse". Once it warms up it sounds smoother and runs excellent. It also acts somewhat similarly after going down a long hill engine breaking, a small amount of throttle will cause stuttering / misfiring and slightly more throttle will produce whiteish smoke, but the engine doesn't sound "worse". Stepping on it after a long downhill will puke out white smoke that smells of diesely oily stuff, cant tell for sure. After a bit it goes back to normal grey black smoke.

- The fuel filter & air filter were just changed, filling the fuel filter with diesel kleen seemed to help for a drive or two.
- Truck starts IMMEDIATELY, even after sitting for a week.
- It drinks a moderate amount of oil
- no coolant loss
- Im operating at 7000 to 8000 feet
- Its about 80 degrees out


Any ideas? My uneducated mind is thinking an injector is being funky, but Im not sure. I know you can send them to be tested but I cant have the truck down that long. Thank yall for any help or pointers.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

My first guess is that your timing's on the slow side. It may be possible, but I don't that that an injector can act bad sometimes and not other times since they are mechanical. If I'm wrong, timing is still the cheapest place to start.

 

[beanballs]

My first guess is that your timing's on the slow side. It may be possible, but I don't that that an injector can act bad sometimes and not other times since they are mechanical. If I'm wrong, timing is still the cheapest place to start.

The only reason I wasnt thinking timing is because it seems to have only started doing this recently, in the last few months or so. But theres a chance I just never notice before lol

Either way, ill take your advice and check timing first, I do have all the tools to do it.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

The only reason I wasnt thinking timing is because it seems to have only started doing this recently, in the last few months or so. But theres a chance I just never notice before lol

It also possible that it's just recently gotten far enough off to act up. And, since you have your own tools, it will now be free to check it. What made me think timing was your mention of whiteish smoke when acting up and gray/black smoke when it's not.

 

[Kdo58]

Different possibilities

 

[Nero]

Oh man, slider diag cards. Haven't seen them in a minute.

 

[Cant Write]

@Kdo58 man that slide guide is cool!! Have any spares?

I was thinking air intrusion as I have similar issues. And I live at 7500’.

Hopefully tomorrow morning I’ll have my fuel system buttoned up and I can take it out for a drive to see if I wasted my time.

I’ll be interested in finding out about your timing.

 

[beanballs]

Different possibilities

K that things pretty cool

 

[Kdo58]

Came with

K that things pretty cool

Came with a factory service manual I bought off of ebay.

 

[Cant Write]

@beanballs and moderators and/or the common core. I’m experiencing the same symptoms as you.

Is it best to have a concurrent thread going? Or to piggyback on this one?

Thanks and I appreciate your input!!

 

[BlindAmbition]

My white smoke issues have all been related to injectors. Swapping them out largely cured it, still have one sticking a bit, but not getting the white clouds of acrid smoke like I was prior. Should be noted I am rebuilding them myself because I'd like to know how to since I'll be running 100% WMO.

Hit up @typ4 at www.russrepair.com for good rebuilds

 

[Cant Write]

@BlindAmbition thanks for the info! Based on the Kdo85’s “diagnostics slider” above, I’m leaning towards IP Timing, or Air intrusion on the suction side.

I just replaced the rubber 3/8 line between the factory steel line and the mechanical fuel pump. And from the fuel pump to the filter and then to the injection pump.

My van does smoke blueish at idle, and need to read if that is timing. My van has low miles, but I’m sure lots of idle time.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

My van does smoke blueish at idle, and need to read if that is timing. My van has low miles, but I’m sure lots of idle time.

It might be timing, but first, I'd try something like the ATF trick, Diesel Kleen, or Diesel Extreme to see if it helps. Unless you've tried it already. Especially since you think that it may have a lot of idle time.

 

[Cant Write]

@IDIBRONCO when I first bought the van I did do the ATF trick. Helped a lot. What I found was that long road trips really helped it. Soon the warm idle stopped smoking and it only smoked on cold startup.

Last November, we road-tripped to the Black Hills and I found a wonderful rest area north of Craig CO somewhere in WY. It was about 20 degrees and the wind was blowing 30mph + sustained. I left it idling with no smoke. After a couple hours asleep, I awoke and the van was smoking again. I assume it was due to engine temperature drop while but I never lost heat in the cabin.

Not sure if this helps at all. Just what I have noticed.

 

[Rdnck84_03]

Probably wouldn't hurt to give it another treatment with something. A long hard pull on a steep hill afterwards would probably also help.

I have noticed on my 7.3 powerstrokes that they run way stronger for a few thousand miles after a hard workout.

James