Generally, white smoke has nothing to do with fuel. White smoke is oil.
Black smoke is fuel. White smoke is telling you you have a ring gone
bad, or a valve guide that is worn beyond limits and is allowing oil
into the combustion chamber on the intake stroke. In my case it was a
piston that has burned on the bottom side and was passing oil. The bad
cylinger/piston was on the left side of the van, and hard right turns
would bring clouds of white smoke. Finally burned a hole in the piston.
When that happened, the pressure in the combustion chamber pressurized
the case, pressurizing the push rod tubes pressurizing the valve cover s
where-upon the valve cover gaskets would blow and oil would go
everywhere. Very interesting and entertaining chain of events.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Bradley Flubacher wrote:
>
> Here's the background-  I was driving home one day with a lifter that
> started tapping the day before. The engine runs a bit sluggish off and on,
> nothing new-  I've always assumed it is the temp II sensor and/or the AFM.
> The sluggishness didn't bother me much.  I was on the gas pedal completely
> and looking out the rear-view mirror (a habbit I got into after dumping all
> the oil out the back end of my diesel a couple times) when I notice a big
> plume of white smoke!  I left off the accellerator and shut off the engine
> immediately.  I was close enough to home that I coasted up the road and into
> my driveway.
>
> A day or so later, I started the engine to see how it behaved.  Simply
> noisey lifter, nothing else seemingly out of the ordinary.  Days passed, and
> eventually I replaced the lifter..  Now, I drive the vehicle and the lifter
> is still noisey now and then. I probably need to readjust the valves now
> that it filled with oil. (I failed to fill the lifter before installing it.
> LIve and learn, right?)  Anyhow,  Tonight while driving to dinner with the
> family, the engine felt very sluggish again. I was on the accelerator fully
> (and looking out the rear-view-mirror) when I say the plume of white smoke
> again!  I let off the pedal a good bit, and the smoke immediately stopped!
>
> What in the world could this be?  The engine is relatively strong. It runs
> evenly. Note, both times it's done this, I was full-throttle (ie, enrichment
> switch was closed).
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Bradley Flubacher
> State College, PA