I'm currently working a 1967 Mini Cooper S (Radford) which until last
winter had been very dependable fun car. But last January, for the
second year in a row, a problem with one of the daily drivers required
the use of the Mini for the drive to work. Luck would have it, the
Mini was buried in snow and ice above the wheels. I dug the car out
and it started right up, but began to fill the back yard with white
smoke. The next day it used 2 quarts of oil to get to work. Since,
I have rebuilt the head, hardened seats, new guides ect, thinking it
was a head gasket. There were no obvious signs of gasket failure
though. Once back together the white smoke screen behind the car
continued for about 10-15 miles then stopped. I initially thought
the exhaust system had been filled with some of the 2+ quarts of
oil I originally pumped out the tail pipe, but engine still produces
the white oil smoke intermittently. The pistons and cylinder walls
looked good when I had the head off. The pistons are 20 over so
the engine has been worked before. Could this be other than a ring
causing the now intermittent thick white smoke? There is not oil
and water mixing in the either the sump or the radiator. Any advice
would be appreciated prior to tearing the engine down.
Zurk
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