Piles of blue smoke :(

[burn_your_money]

I just got my 91 golf NA up and running (new timing belt) and the car is only half running. It runs super rough and doesn't idle without stalling. It pumps out all kinds of blue smoke and if I rev it high I get some good black smoke too.

When I did the timing belt I felt good compression on all the cylinders so I'm a bit confused as to where all the blue smoke is coming from. It starts up nice and easy but does not stay running without being on the throttle. You can feel a miss on 1 or 2 cylinders when it is running.

The car only has 200k kms on it (120k miles)

I got this car from my uncle and it always ran well for him. It was last plated 3 years ago but he has had it running to move it around the yard, the last time being last spring I think.

[zukgod1]

It could me one or more injectors that just aren't working like there suppose to (the miss).

How much blue smoke? Are you sure it's not white with black mixed in?

[burn_your_money]

I plan on replacing all the injectors tomorrow with rebuilt ones. I'll take a video but I'm pretty sure it is blue smoke. My friend who is not a diesel guy said it was blue as well. There is white and gray at the start as well

[myke_w]

it's definitely not blue smoke like from oil right?

[Vincent Waldon]

Oil in the combustion chamber can come from two places that are engine-related: rings and/or valve seals.

Your compression numbers sound like your rings are pretty darn good... and bad valve seals don't impact compression, so that's a possibility.

The good news is that valve seals are dirt cheap and can be done with the head in the car :roll:   Holler if you need me to send you my superduper homemade valve spring compresser. :wink:

[Op-Ivy]

Sounds like timing could be out a tooth. Double check?

[fatmobile]

Air in the fuel lines?
 Do you have clear fuel lines?
 Crap can get weird in 3 year old fuel.

[burn_your_money]

Everything lines up for timing but I don't know what the pump is set at. I figured it ran fine before, why bother (it was cold and snowy outside)

Absolutely no air bubbles :shock: I'm impressed

I'm planning on running it off of pure ATF to see it that clears the smoke, as well as compression numbers and new injectors. Hopefully one of these things will fix it, otherwise Vince will definitely have an IM (thanks)

I'll check the timing today too

[burn_your_money]

We have a winner

Sounds like timing could be out a tooth. Double check?

Apparently 0.30mm advance isn't enough.

I found out today that if your pump is off one tooth you can move it without loosening the cam bolt or the pump bolt which saves a lot of time.

I did a compression test; 395 all across the board on a cold engine.  

The old injectors looked to be in excellent shape with very little carbon build up. I put in my new ones and now I have white smoke again. I guess they need to settle in a bit. Timing is set at 0.90. It only smokes when I rev it up. I took a video but it seems like it didn't save on my camera for some reason.

You can just see the white smoke with the new injectors at idle

[Vincent Waldon]

Contrats... that's a much easier fix than engine work.

BTW, nice squirrel nest on the timing belt side !!

[shegel]

that car had ac didnt it.

[burn_your_money]

No AC, it's a base model golf. Only PS (which will be out by the end of summer)

There's squirrel nests on both sides (thankfully not inside though)

PS Vince, I have a present for you, but I forgot it at home.