Engine stalled in a cloud of white smoke?

[RadoTD]

I was out driving today, coming through a pretty rough neighbourhood in Vancouver and my engine suddenly started to stumble badly. I pulled over to the side of the road and it stalled on me with a cloud of white smoke coming out of the tail pipe. I tried restarting it a few times and it would catch for a second, rev up to 1000rpm but then die.

This morning I was playing with my timing, advanced it a fair bit (no dial indicator adapter, so I don't know the actual advance) and drove it for probably an hour and a half, everything seemed fine before it quickly died.

I luckily had a 13mm socket on me, so I loosened off the injection pump and started playing with the timing. Every time I tried to start it, same thing... turned over, started for about a second then died. Puking white smoke everywhere as well. I tried pulling the pump really retarded and it made a loud crack as it started that time, but still died. Right after that, the battery died and I gave in and called a tow truck.

Now... the car is about an hour away from me, towed to a shop's parking lot. I'm going to try and get it running. My best guess is that the IP pulley somehow jumped a tooth on the timing belt advancing the pump by a lot? Does that even sound possible? I'll definitely check the timing of all three (I had no breaker bar to turn the engine over with, so I couldn't check that on the side of the road) to see if it did jump a tooth. I'm just wondering if anyone has any other ideas I could try?

[truckinwagen]

check timing, for air leaks, clogged fuel filter, etc...

do you have a section of clear fuel line between the filter and IP?

-Owen

[rabbitman]

Is the white smoke unburnt fuel or, perhaps, coolant? Hope not......

[wdkingery]

Well I don't know whats wrong with your car from here in the south, but my two cents would include:
Possibly jumped a tooth retarded.
1. Remember you advanced it and it ran.
2. Once when I was timin my pump, I timed it real far retarded (in more than the obvious way)  and it would run, but missed a lot and plenty of white smoke.

So goin on your assumption that some how you magically jumped a tooth, I'd say it was back, not forward.
But I think there is something else wrong with it anyway.

[RadoTD]

check timing, for air leaks, clogged fuel filter, etc...

do you have a section of clear fuel line between the filter and IP?

I do have clear line. No bubbles at all. I'll try disconnecting the supply line, that'll let it run even if the filter is clogged

Is the white smoke unburnt fuel or, perhaps, coolant? Hope not......

The white smoke is definitely unburnt fuel. The smell is quite strong from it!

Well I don't know whats wrong with your car from here in the south, but my two cents would include:
Possibly jumped a tooth retarded.
1. Remember you advanced it and it ran.
2. Once when I was timin my pump, I timed it real far retarded (in more than the obvious way)  and it would run, but missed a lot and plenty of white smoke.

So goin on your assumption that some how you magically jumped a tooth, I'd say it was back, not forward.
But I think there is something else wrong with it anyway.

Hmm, interesting. Checking my timing of everything, I'll be able to see if/where it jumped. Pulling the pump retarded it gave me the marbles in a tin can noise, but my battery was dead by then, so I assumed it jumped advanced. I'll check both though

[theman53]

Kind of grabbing at straws but it sounds timing related. I would check the things already mentioned and the dumb stuff like: Make sure the keyway in the pump sproket is there/not broken, check the power wire to the fuel on/off, and most importantly the cam sproket is in the correct spot. I have been torquing mine to 45ft/lbs to be hopefully safe.

[fatmobile]

I'm thinking fuel filter clogged or some other fuel line restriction.
 Even though you say you see no air in the fuel line,..
I guess I don't believe you, ha.

 Air in the fuel will definately cause white smoke.
 If that is the problem;
 a vacuum gauge will let you know there is a fuel line resrtiction way before you are broke down beside the road.

[ORCoaster]

Fats,  I now run a vac gauge after learning of the dreaded high vacuum when filter is plugged deal.  I replaced a fuel filter and had the misfortune to run out of fuel twice in short succession.  Gee you mean I don't have a 14 gallon fuel tank but a 10?  Small wonder I was dry at 450 miles.  Because I ran it down the new filter was plugged and I was getting bubbles at the IP inlet that I never had before.  Looking at this forum I read about the gauge between the filter and the pump and tried it.  3.5 lbs of vacuum on the gauge.  Not real bad by most accounts, I think you mention 7 as the max you have ever seen.  I replaced the filter, dropped to 0 lbs on the gauge and no more bubbles.  And no more rough idle, or white smoke at idle.

Thanks for the tip long ago.
DAS

[fatmobile]

Oh no, 7 isn't the most I've seen.
5psi I get concerned,.. 7 I do something, ha.
 But have seen it go to 10 with no noticeable problems.

 I once took off, switched to vegy and didn't watch the gauge,.. when it started chugging I saw the gauge at 20,.. the PEX fuel line was collapsed.
 
 There is also an adjustable vacuum switch on the vacuum line going to the distributor, on gasser Rabbits,
  that can make a warning switch,
 for when you aren't watching the gauge.

[nathan_b]

went through this with a "friends" 1.6 jetta, told him to follow the line back until he found the restriction, and pulled the fuel line off the tank and fuel barely came out. Tank was full of crudd,

[Quantum TD]

I've seen pumps jump a tooth on the IP and nothing else. Similar symptoms: lots of white smoke, no power, and wanted to stall. Reset the belt timing and everything was fine.

[bajacalal]

If it's air in the system it can come from somewhere on the IP itself, such as the inlet banjo fitting being loose.

[fatmobile]

Right, and even behind the mainshaft seal is a passageway that connects to the pump input.
 So a bad shaft seal...