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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Valve stem oil seals


Big Red One

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when i start the supe up from cold i get a big puff of white smoke so i think its valve stem seals, is changing the stem seals that big of a job and how many stem seals is there to replace and how much are they

 

White smoke is usually associated with condensation in the exhaust...

Stem seals i think is blue smoke = Oil...

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Valve stem is a definate blue smoke at start up. Also when you move off after a red light or so after the engines as been running with vacuum. But alway blue smoke. White is water/vapour

 

Yeh thought so. So its not likely the stem seals. Keep an eye on your oil though...:)

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Guest DaveWilko

I get the puff of blue smoke on startup and check my oil every week. The level has hardly moved in over a month. An its definitely valve stem oil seals. Its not just Supras it happens to. Mk3 escorts were notorious for them going :D

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I thought blue poof on start-up was vss's and blue poof on boost was turbo seals

 

Yes, thats right. My understanding is that a bit of blue smoke on boost can also be due to VSS in conjunction with the blue puff when starting up and moving off after idle. I can't exactly explain it but several people have solved all of the above with fixing the VSS.

If you dont have blue smoke ever on startup or when moving off but only on boost and let off, then its definately the turbo seals.

 

ahh you know what, I can't be bothered to trawl through all the forum.

 

So white smoke (not steam) is not valve stem seals?

 

No way. Think of it this way. If you pour water on a fire it will give off white smoke = moisture. If you pour oil or other fossil fuels on a fire it will give of a big puff of black/blue smoke. When you've got busted VSS'es that does't seal properly, oil is drawn through them when the engine is running on a vacuum, which is fx when you are stopping for a red light. When you move off this gets burned off. More or less the same thing when starting the car up.

 

 

I thought white smoke on start up especially when its very cold, is condensation in the exhaust...no??

 

White smoke will usually be condensation. Like you say in cold or moist weather.

It CAN be water from the cooling system if you've got fx a blown head gasket, but other things would probably have caught your attention as well.

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Yes, thats right. My understanding is that a bit of blue smoke on boost can also be due to VSS in conjunction with the blue puff when starting up and moving off after idle. I can't exactly explain it but several people have solved all of the above with fixing the VSS.

If you dont have blue smoke ever on startup or when moving off but only on boost and let off, then its definately the turbo seals.

 

 

 

No way. Think of it this way. If you pour water on a fire it will give off white smoke = moisture. If you pour oil or other fossil fuels on a fire it will give of a big puff of black/blue smoke. When you've got busted VSS'es that does't seal properly, oil is drawn through them when the engine is running on a vacuum, which is fx when you are stopping for a red light. When you move off this gets burned off. More or less the same thing when starting the car up.

 

 

 

 

White smoke will usually be condensation. Like you say in cold or moist weather.

It CAN be water from the cooling system if you've got fx a blown head gasket, but other things would probably have caught your attention as well.

 

 

Yeh exactly. It doesnt help with a big exhaust exit hole...

My exhaust i think is near 5.5 - 6inches big...so i get quite alot in a very cold morning!

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Guest DaveWilko

I think thats more to do with a fault in the breather system. I need stem seals but i get no oil from the BOV. Maybe one of the more techie guys can confirm that

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How long does the "smoke " last after start up?

 

It is the same amount of smoke after every cold start (i.e. overnight)?

 

Does your cooling system pressurize too quickly, ie pressure in rad before the engine and water is hot?

 

Well when i started the supe yesterday, as it was cold and wet, it lasted until i set off...I usually let the supe warm up a bit - roughly around

4-5 mins before i go and still white smoke was coming out. As soon as i went though, it dissapeared.

Probably heat and the exhaust gases, got rid of the excess vapour in the exhaust...:)

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Will leaking stem seals cause oil mist to spray out the BOV?

 

Hmm.. good question.

I'm guessing no. To my knowledge its completely normal to have a bit of oil from the BOV. If you have more than just a bit (not more that cans simply be wiped off) you might have trouble with your turbo seal and you will also have more that just a thin film of oil in the IC pipes

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