Lots of white smoke

[FAMOVER]

I just reinstalled my engine and transmission after replacing the water pump and replacing the transmission. I also replaced all the gaskets on the valve covers intake manifold and obviously the engine front cover. I followed the Ford repair manual procedure and the car starts right up on the first try no lights but it's smoking a lot of white smoke. It didn't smoke it all before I took it apart. How often do intake manifolds on these cars go bad? Does anyone have any experience with this? I think it might be the intake manifold since that's the only thing I messed with that has coolant going through it.

2012 Ford Taurus SHO 156K

 

[SHOdded]

Assuming there was no existing coolant in the engine where it's not supposed to be (oil/intercooler/etc), assuming that the exhaust pipes were not full of condensate, it is likely to be the turbos or turbo coolant line gaskets.

The only coolant related thing that I have heard of having an issue is stripped screws at the thermostat housing when changing TStats. Not heard of intake issues, but there is always a first time.

All new parts are OEM?

 

[krewat]

SHOdded already got you covered, but I gotta ask: Did you wash down the engine compartment or anything while you had everything apart? Coolant everywhere, maybe got into the exhaust somehow?

Totally unrelated, but watched a video yesterday of a guy (with a really really thick Southern accent) change a T-stat in an SHO - saying it's 8-9 ft/lbs of torque, and then proceeding to tighten them them with a ratchet until they wouldn't move any more.

 

[FAMOVER]

SHOdded already got you covered, but I gotta ask: Did you wash down the engine compartment or anything while you had everything apart? Coolant everywhere, maybe got into the exhaust somehow?

Totally unrelated, but watched a video yesterday of a guy (with a really really thick Southern accent) change a T-stat in an SHO - saying it's 8-9 ft/lbs of torque, and then proceeding to tighten them them with a ratchet until they wouldn't move any more.

Lol, no I didnt wash down the engine bay or anything like that. I also ran it for long enough it should be all evaporated off by now if that were the case. I'm going to look into the intake manifold tonight to see if maybe I screwed up the gaskets or something. I might get a boroscope and just stick it through the throttle body and see what I can see.

 

[FAMOVER]

Assuming there was no existing coolant in the engine where it's not supposed to be (oil/intercooler/etc), assuming that the exhaust pipes were not full of condensate, it is likely to be the turbos or turbo coolant line gaskets.

The only coolant related thing that I have heard of having an issue is stripped screws at the thermostat housing when changing TStats. Not heard of intake issues, but there is always a first time.

All new parts are OEM?

I've read about the turbo issues but I didn't touch the turbos and this problem is new so I guess I just have a hard time beliveing both turbos have coolant problems all of the sudden. I definitely feel like I ran it long enough for any residual water from condensation shouldve been burned off.

 

[FAMOVER]

Assuming there was no existing coolant in the engine where it's not supposed to be (oil/intercooler/etc), assuming that the exhaust pipes were not full of condensate, it is likely to be the turbos or turbo coolant line gaskets.

The only coolant related thing that I have heard of having an issue is stripped screws at the thermostat housing when changing TStats. Not heard of intake issues, but there is always a first time.

All new parts are OEM?

I stuck a borescope into the intake manifold and didn't really see any smoking gun. There's an oily sheen on the inside of the manifold but I think that's typical. I popped the intake hose off the throttle body and let the car idle for a minute like that to see if maybe anything was coming up from the CAC but it seemed to be just air. I'm thinking more and more it might be the turbos but from what I understand a seal failure for coolant in the turbos would usually result in coolant in the oil, but there's no coolant in my oil. Is it possible for a small amount of coolant to be leaking into the exhaust from the turbo? I've been trying to find a good exploded view of a turbo to confirm there is a possibility but I haven't been able to find one. Other than the white smoke which is unrelenting the engine seems to run very smoothly and doesn't act like its burning any coolant (missing or idling rough).

Tomorrow I will stick a borescope down into a couple cylinders just to look and see if there is any steam cleaning going on in there then I'm going to pull off one of the exhaust pipe flex tubes and see if the smoke is definitely coming from the engine. If it still smokes I will remove the rear turbo and look at that for evidence of coolant leakage.

 

[Johnbigdog]

I havent seen a turbo fail in that it dumps coolant in the exhaust on ford products yet.

What I bet is you have an oil seal failure on one of your turbos if you're not losing coolant. An oil leak in the exhaust will cause white smoke from the exhaust like a smoke screen in a spy movie. It's pretty cool until the turbo fails and now you need a cat, turbo and C.A.C.

Anywho, you'll figure it out. There are only so many causes

 

[6500rpm]

Does it smell like oil burning or antifreeze, it has to be one or the other. If it's "lots of white smoke", oil will leave a residue in the exhaust. If you think it's coolant, a simple pressure test on the system will prove or disprove that.

 

[FAMOVER]

I havent seen a turbo fail in that it dumps coolant in the exhaust on ford products yet.

What I bet is you have an oil seal failure on one of your turbos if you're not losing coolant. An oil leak in the exhaust will cause white smoke from the exhaust like a smoke screen in a spy movie. It's pretty cool until the turbo fails and now you need a cat, turbo and C.A.C.

Anywho, you'll figure it out. There are only so many causes

Well I ran it this morning with no flex pipe on the turbos. Initially no coolant comes out but after a couple seconds of running lots of coolant starts coming out of the RH turbo and eventually turns into white smoke. The LH turbo only has a little condensation come out then it stops.

Today Ive taken down the subframe and im working on getting the RH turbo out. I'm sure the heat shield will come off easily - already snapped 1 bolt.

You could be right about the oil maybe the water coming out is just a byproduct of burning all that oil in the cat. I'm pretty sure the oil or coolant thats making all this smoke is coming from the turbo.

 

[FAMOVER]

Does it smell like oil burning or antifreeze, it has to be one or the other. If it's "lots of white smoke", oil will leave a residue in the exhaust. If you think it's coolant, a simple pressure test on the system will prove or disprove that.

Well I held a rag over the exhaust port and it really seemed to be more water based than oil based. I didn't do a pressure test because I found out this morning all the smoke is coming from the RH turbo so I think its gone bad. I'm taking it out so hopefully I will be able to tell once its out.