Wayne in Plano

...for my latest "issue"
250mi. on the new engine and starting issues etc. have all disappeared. Everything running smoothly until...

after about 20m minutes of driving around town I was on a side street and floored it (just to get the rpms up etc.) Car accelerated fine - RPM's never got near red line and then backed off as I came up to a stop light. Immediately white smoke began to pour from the exhaust pipes - REALLY dense too - not just wisps. White I waited at the light a guy in a pick up came over and asked if I knew what was wrong, Being the mechanical genius that I am I said I had no clue and he proceded to tell me that a gasket around one of the rotors had obviously worn out and I was burning oil - (He seemed knowledgable about rotary engines).
Told him it was a new engine with 250 mi on it and he said I would probably soon get another new one - GREAT Just what I don't want to hear. The light turned green and he moved on.
I was about a mile or two from the house so I thought I might try to get it home. I slowly accelerated away from the light and almost as sbruptly as the smoke appeared - it disappeared. Stopped at two more lights on the way home and engine continued to run normal - no smoke - idled fine etc. and nothing out of the normal as far as oil pressure or water temp per the guages.
Went ahead and drove it - gently - around the block a few times and still continued to run fine. Parked it - re-started it and drove on home. All seems to run perfectly now. Let it sit for awhile - wnet out and checked oil level - (fine) - and restarted again - fine.

Any clues what could have happened? Could the gasket re-seat itself?

Assuming it runs well in the morning, I still plan to take it by TNM and tell Penny what happened and see what they say - but thought I might check with the experts first.

Wayne

Creto

Just a thought: break-in period. 2000 miles, not 250.

Break-in Procedure

deadphoenix52

redlining that new engine is a big no no.

and the oil pressure guage is a dummy guage. it has 2 settings. yes and no. and when it says no, its too late. you're already screwed

Wayne in Plano

[quote=deadphoenix52;3529762]redlining that new engine is a big no no.


I don't know if I would actually call what I did "redlining"
I never took it out of AT mode, so engine was still shifting - actual mph probably didn't exceed 60 - so probaly only 5 or 6 sec of "acceleration??

and

"Just a thought: break-in period. 2000 miles, not 250."
Break-in Procedure

...will certainly keep this in mind.

but what about what now seems to be totally normal operation?

GODFATHER

just based of of your info u provided... it kinda sounds like ur oil metering pump had a brain fart and stayed maxed out during the time u had the smoke and then picked up its brains out of the toilet and put them back in when the smoked stopped... just kinda a guess based of ur description ( of course i considered also ur possible exaggeration by human nature of freaking out and lack of mechanical knowledge in my view) no offense... did u notice if it had a slightly lower or slightly and i mean slightly rougher idle than normal during the smoke event?

Wayne in Plano

YES exactly.

(...and absolutely no offense taken at the "lack of mechanical knowledge" comment. Don't think I exaggerated though, smoking was pretty dense)

I appreciate your comment and help. As the recently annoited "Rotary God" (I do read the other posts...) you've won over another custormer as soon as this warranty expires.

Thanks again.

WTBRotary!

iTrader: (6)

lol nicely done Brian...

Creto

Ask him about synthetics.

GODFATHER

anytime buddy.... but this is point where i become humble and say thanks but by no means is any one in this world a "rotary god" not even DR. Wankel himself... every rotary builder and tuner has gotten it wrong at one point... and we all don't know everything... otherwise we wouldn't try new and different things.... its called experimenting ... and i find it a useful way to learn... even though at times it can be an expensive to learn that way... if u look at my profile and under my "interests" thingy i have this little quip

-Today's scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality.

thanks for the compliment but i just know what i know and do what i do and it works... but anytime u need something i'll try to help as much as i can....

ninjajim4

iTrader: (4)

+1... white smoke = oil...?

GODFATHER

white smoke with a blue tinge to it thats sometimes hard to see from inside the car = oil

plain white smoke = etyl glychol aka coolant

Wayne in Plano

Have driven both city and highway the past three days and have checked both coolant and oil each day as well- all seems fine

I'm believing Speedy was right about the oil pump brain fart...

JoeHawk

iTrader: (1)

Hey Wayne - everything still in working order??

Wayne in Plano

Everything has been fine. No starting issues at all, no oil smoke issues...everything running smoothly!

Hope to catch up with all of you guys soon.

Will be posting another question shortly as I'm looking to replace the tires...

JoeHawk

iTrader: (1)

Round one's work best...

Wayne in Plano

Thanks Joe
I know I'm mechanically challenged , but,,,even I knew that

KWarner04

Not always...

If you're on a bumpy road...square ones might work better!

Creto

Yeah, but then you have to get the tires to line up with the bumps, and that can be such a hassle.