Grey smoke after tick-over - what's the problem

[austinchamp]

My 3.0 Se5 runs well, doesn't blow any smoke when cold or hot, pulls like a train, but ....

... when idling and then step on the throttle (even a little) I get a couple of seconds of smoke from both exhausts (seperate side systems right through) and the smoke smells of engine oil? I thought it might be inlet valve oil seals but theres no smoke downhill with the throttle off and back on so it's not sucking oil down the valve stems?

I'm running it on 15W/40 GTX Magnatec.

I want to fix it and thought I'd strip and recon the heads with new seals etc, will this cure it?

[GreenV8S]

Normally blue=oil, black/grey=petrol, white=water. Could just be running rich, or transiently rich when you pump the throttle?

[austinchamp]

It's kind of mid to dark smoke, looks and smells more oil than fuel.

It's running a standard carb and K&N (chrome carb top) filter in place of the old housing/filter. Doesn't do it if I stop for a few seconds, only after about 5 or more with the engine idling.

Maybe I'll elan up the mix on idle and see if it reduces.

Thanx.

[Nick_F]

It's either stem seals or the rings - and stem seals are easier to change first...

You can do it in with the heads on in a couple of hours per side using the Indian Rope Trick - ie pushing a length of soft rope in through the spark plug hole and then turning the engine by hand to bring the piston up and hold the valves in place while you work.

Nick.

[railtracksport]

its stem seals

[austinchamp]

Hmmm, remembered my Landrover used to do this and the trick was to let the oil level run between L and H and not top it up to H all the time .... tried it on the Scim and guess what ... no smoke! So I'll elave it at middle level (as it ises very little indeed).
Thanx!