What is making my car smoke after it sits for awhile and only 10 mpg?

[chips2481]

I have a 90 ford ranger with a 2.9 v6. I have replaced the fuel pressure regulator with a used one and it helped a little but I would assume that that one was going bad also. When I first got it I got around 15 mpg for a few days then it went down to about 10-12 and it does what it did with the old fpr did again. The last fpr had leaked gas out of the side hose and this one doesn't. I replaced the spark plugs today and I saw that on the middle spark plug on both sides the spark plug has oil on it expecially the passanger side one which has alot of burnt oil on it. I know that one or two of the valves are bad because they will tick all the time when I don't have a 40% mixture of lucas oil stabilizer in the oil, it will still tick if I go on the freeway for along time though. The smoke it blows really doesn't look like blue smoke it is more white VIDEO HERE. Here is a picture of the spark plug. http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/674/image00113uo0.jpg Anyone have any ideas what the problem is?

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I have a 90 ford ranger with a 2.9 v6. I have replaced the fuel pressure regulator with a used one and it helped a little but I would assume that that one was going bad also. When I first got it I got around 15 mpg for a few days then it went down to about 10-12 and it does what it did with the old fpr did again. The last fpr had leaked gas out of the side hose and this one doesn't. I replaced the spark plugs today and I saw that on the middle spark plug on both sides the spark plug has oil on it expecially the passanger side one which has alot of burnt oil on it. I know that one or two of the valves are bad because they will tick all the time when I don't have a 40% mixture of lucas oil stabilizer in the oil, it will still tick if I go on the freeway for along time though. The smoke it blows really doesn't look like blue smoke it is more white VIDEO HERE. Here is a picture of the spark plug. http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/674/image00113uo0.jpg Anyone have any ideas what the problem is?

I'm going to guess its a cracked head, but can't be sure based on the info given. My 90 Ranger with a 2.9 overheated slightly one day an cracked a head.

 

[chips2481]

I forgot to add that it will only smoke when you first start it up after letting it sit for atleast 15 minutes and will stop after about 5 minutes.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Is that all the time or only when its cold outside?

 

[chips2481]

it is only when I start it up. when I drive it for awhile it is very little smoke. And it was about 45 degrees that day.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Does it use/loose water?

 

[chips2481]

no it doesn't use any water

 

[ridge903]

umm i would go with a def new fpr....and not a used one if it could possible be going out....that and is it using consuming oil if so i would think it could possibly be that your piston rings are going out??? just my two cents

 

[bisjoe]

When you get startup smoke after sitting it's often due to worn out valve guides/seals. That will also cause compression loss, so loss of power and less gas mileage. The oil will sit in the areas around the valve stems and leak into the top of the combustion chamber so when you start it up that oil burns. Looking at the video, that's what your smoke looks like to me.

 

[chips2481]

Is replacing the valve guides/seals easier than replacing the valves?

 

[Red FX4]

Replacing valve seals is about the same amount of work as replacing valves except you don't have to be concerned about the valve sealing surface. You should lap the valves anyway if you are in there that far. There are ways to replace the valve seals without removing the head and that is much easier but you have to be very careful plus you really need to know what you are doing.

Replacing the valve guides is more work than replacing the valves. They have to be pressed in and in many cases honed to fit the valve stems.

BTW, worn valve valve guides or seals does not cause compression loss. It causes oil consumption. The guides are not in the compression area. Worn rings or poorly seating valves are the main cause for compression loss.