Old Smokey Kiwi Bongo

[Ian]

Received this morning from New Zealand. Can somebody please help Alan?

I am writing to you from New Zealand having found your web site.

We have purchased a 1992 Mazda Bongo 2000cc petrol van (Japanese assembled) but are having major issues with the engine smoking on start up.
We discovered shortly after purchasing the van at an auction that it was suffering from overheating and possibly a blown head gasket. Along with this it smoked badly ( blue smoke) on startup when cold.
I removed the radiator and was advised that the head gasket was probably blown. Thinking that the blue smoke was probably due to valve stem seals we had a mechanic replace the head gasket and valve seals. The head was taken to an engine reconditioners where it was cleaned up as apparently the head gasket had been blown for some time. The milage is 240,000 km.

On putting the whole thing back together we were dismayed to find that although the van ran OK there was still plumes of blue smoke when it was started after leaving overnight. The smoke clears after a couple of minutes running and is not typical of piston ring problems as it does not smoke under acceleration or after prolonged deceleration after running down a hill then accelerating at the bottom. If the engine is hot and left for a couple of hours and then started the smoke does not appear. Convinced it was an upper head problem they ran the car for a while, drained the oil, put the oil back in to flood the valve stem area and immediately started the engine...no smoke.

Confused, the mechanic of 40 years decided that he needed to pull the head off again to double check everything and fix the problem. The head was returned to the reconditioners who could find no cracks or anything untoward. They filled it with kerosene but found no loss of fluid, rechecked the valve stems and seals. The head was replaced but to the dismay of all still smokes like a bush fire on start up. They have checked breather hoses and vacuum hoses but are now completely stumped.

Is there anything we are missing or has anyone ever heard of a similar problem. Hope you can help.


Best Regards

Alan Gee

[francophile1947]

Still sounds like bores to me. As the engine gets hot the rings expand and make a better seal - has the garage done a compression test?

[teenmal]

This may seem silly, but the only thing that comes to mind is brake fluid being drawn from the servo to the inlet manifold,due to worn master cylinder seals.

Just a thought.

Mal.

[haydn callow]

Brake Fluid ????? Inlet Manifold ???? 'Fraid you've lost me there.

[dandywarhol]

This may seem silly, but the only thing that comes to mind is brake fluid being drawn from the servo to the inlet manifold,due to worn master cylinder seals.

Just a thought.

Mal.

Not on a diesel Mal - seperate vac pump.

[tricky]

Brake Fluid ????? Inlet Manifold ???? 'Fraid you've lost me there.

A bit of research suggests that fluid can leak and be drawn into the inlet manifold via the vacuum hose, though this appears to manifest itself as white smoke. Seems unlikely in this case as the smoke wsn't described as white.

[haydn callow]

...I stand corrected...could be then as everything else has been eliminated..
2 ltr petrol Dandy

[teenmal]

This may seem silly, but the only thing that comes to mind is brake fluid being drawn from the servo to the inlet manifold,due to worn master cylinder seals.

Just a thought.

Mal.

Not on a diesel Mal - seperate vac pump.

Its a 2000cc petrol..

[astrobyker]

I'm sure if it were brake fluid you would very soon see the reservoir empty. With that mileage on a hard worked petrol, piston rings/bores must be favourite at least until a compression check proves otherwise.

[dandywarhol]

Hadn't read the post properly - didn't realise it was a petrol.

I've come across brake fluid getting sucked in to the inlet manifold in a petrol - the smoke is whitish blue and sweet smelling. It will eventually empty the BF reservoir but it doesn't take much fluid to create a lot of smoke.
A diesel won't do it because they haven't got a servo pipe going to the manifold.

[scarlet]

is it turbo or non turbo? if its turbo it could be the turbo shaft leaking oil when cold.

[teenmal]

Any feed back from old smokey?