I’ve got an 89 F250 7.3 with an ATS turbo system. It started smoking (grey smoke) really badly, an oil smoke I’m assuming. How do I check things out? Can I do a compression test? If so how? Can the oil be coming from the turbo? What else should I be looking at?

More details: I was flat towing a Jeep to the desert New Years and I also have a Lance cab over camper. While pulling a grade at about 5000 ft, a major change in sound came from the turbo or down pipe area. I called a local Diesel shop that knew the ATS system. He said the down pipe might have come loose, making the exhaust noise. The truck still ran fine and had not lost power. I made the rest of the trip, 60 or so miles. Arriving at the desert I noticed the smoke from the tail pipe was grey and not the normal black I thought this might be related to the down pipe at the time. I now think the turbo or the motor is the cause of the grey smoke. The idle is rough and it’s harder to start. And it smokes ALOT of grey smoke. I’m looking for some advise, cause I have no clue on a diesel..

Thanks Durb

 

Durb, are you loosing any oil?? Lots of grey smoke could also be the sign of a dying IP or a bad injector or air getting into the fuel system...how is it harder to start? long cranking?

 

Smell the exhaust pipe......sweet or diesel fuel smell.......

 

Longer cranking time... rough idle.... need to rev a little (very little) to clear out.... starts like a flooded gas engine... sweet? that I can't say... but NOT diesel smell. and I need to add oil on desert trip so I think it's using oil, added 2 qts.

Thanks again, Durb

 

Checked/serviced/cleaned your CDR lately? Remove your air cleaner and look down inside the manifold with a flashlight. See any significant puddles or anything more than just traces of oil?

If so, remove the CDR (tuna-can shaped thing behind the intake manifold opening). It is held onto the manifold by two 1/2" bolts (1 on either side). After removing the bolts tilt it towards the firewall and then lift straight up on it. It has a pipe on the bottom that goes into a rubber grommet in the manifold gasket.

After you have it off, place it in a pan or bucket (I use an old plastic dishpan) fill it full of gasoline and let it sit a half hour or so. Swish the gasoline around in it and dump it out. Fill it up again, and let it sit another half hour, swish it around and dump it again. Repeat this until the gasoline starts coming out clean.

If there are chunks of rubber coming out (NOT crumbly chunks of hardened oil deposits, actual chunks of rubber) it will need to be replaced. If no chunks of rubber, once the gasoline starts coming out clean, empty it out and set it aside for a half hour or so to dry, then re-install it.

Most folks around here recommend doing this about every other or every third oil change. That way it never gets really gunked up and it's easier to clean. This might cure your oil usage/smoking problem, but it isn't likely to help much with the hard starting/rough running issues.