Izuzu Impulse White Smoke Exhaust

branman1971 · Post by **branman1971** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:59 am

Recently picked up a 1988 Izuzu Impulse 4ZCI Turbo with 104,000 miles and it runs and drives great. The only problem that I have found so far is that it blows white smoke from exhaust pipe once it warms up. The smoke has a coolant smell, not an oil burning smell. Anyone know what my problem might be?

piazza-crx · Post by **piazza-crx** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:19 pm

probably in the turbo. Turbos are water and oil cooled.

branman1971 · Post by **branman1971** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 12:18 am

Is there a way to rebuild the turbo, or does it have to be replaced.

Bugle · Post by **Bugle** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:45 pm

Only oil can leak out the turbo shaft. If water were in there you'd have milky oil. Have you done a compression test?

branman1971 · Post by **branman1971** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:12 pm

I considered it though but not sure what the compression should be per cylinder. Last night I drove the car, got it good and warmed up, and the white smoke stopped coming out. The engine ran cool and smooth. The oil is not milky but the last owner said that the coolant is leaking somewhere, i just hope it's not inside the engine.

This morning I started the engine again before going to work and the smoke started again.

branman1971 · Post by **branman1971** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:24 am

I found a compression leak tester, and will try that this afternoon. That should confirm or eliminate the possibility of a bad head gasket or cracked head. Right?

Post by **wedgenut** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:40 am

Is there a way to rebuild the turbo, or does it have to be replaced

Don't know about OZ but overhaul kits for IHI turbos are about NZ$145.00 over here and possibly cheaper ex yankeedoodle land. Easy to do as well with the right gear but get the shaft and wheels balanced.

branman1971 · Post by **branman1971** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:16 am

I let the car warm up to operating temperature today and when I turned it off I heard a faint hissing/gurgling sound on the driver side of the motor under the exhaust manifold. I couldn't see under the manifold but the side of the engine looked wet. Saw coolant dripping under the car too. Considering pulling the head to see if it's the head gasket, even though the oil looks fine.

IZU069 · Post by **IZU069** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:26 pm

If you pull the head off, it will be the head gasket.
Check that it isn't a welsh plug (side of block) or a turbo water-cool pipe (if fitted) first.

Post by **wedgenut** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:38 pm

scuse me for being a bit slow, the fact that you have an "impulse" should have been a kick in the head but the comment that you had hissing under the manifold on the DRIVERS side woke me up. You are a yankee doodle. Not your fault so we won't hold it against you.

Your car may or may not have a the water cooled turbo but the white smoke certainly indicates anything from cross contamination there or from the head gasket or worse like a crack in the head or block. However, if you are investigating the head gasket etc. don't assume the coolant leak is from there, you may have more than one issue and on the Piazza/impulse there is a metal heater pipe that runs behind the manifold along the block from the water pump inlet pipe to the rubber hose, and another that runs behind the block. BOTH are prone to pinholing with age so give them a good look and if possible a pressure test when you have the head off anyway and they are easy to get at. The one behind the manifold is a curse of a thing to fix with the manifold and turbo in place, nearly impossible in fact and i should bloody know as I had one fail 5 days after installing a recon motor, this made me use every swear word i knew and some i didn't know i knew

IZU069 · Post by **IZU069** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:16 pm

Lucky he included "exhaust" else I probably wouldn't have clicked either.
Some of those yanks still don't understand they drive on the wrong side (right-side wrong-side, left-side right-side etc.)

And yeah - WHENEVER refitting/overhauling engine etc, I always replace the welshies - definitely the under-exhaust & rear of head/block (with brass if possible).
It's a bit like doing clutch thrust-bearings when replacing gearboxes or clutches (and flywheel bearing (spigot) with clutch).

There are some $2 plugs & $10 bearings that I think are cheaper than later dismantling!
(And all new hoses after engine rebuilds etc. Alas the guy that sold me his "just-fitted import 4ZC1-t in hot Piazza" didn't.)

branman1971 · Post by **branman1971** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:12 pm

wedgenut wrote:Your car may or may not have a the water cooled turbo but the white smoke certainly indicates anything from cross contamination there or from the head gasket or worse like a crack in the head or block. However, if you are investigating the head gasket etc. don't assume the coolant leak is from there, you may have more than one issue and on the Piazza/impulse there is a metal heater pipe that runs behind the manifold along the block from the water pump inlet pipe to the rubber hose, and another that runs behind the block.

You guys are exactly right, I did see the pipe that runs under the exhaust manifold and my turbo is in fact water cooled, so i will need to check out both potiential problems. If that metal heater pipe is bad, where can i get a replacement for it i wonder?

branman1971 · Post by **branman1971** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:16 pm

IZU069 wrote:Some of those yanks still don't understand they drive on the wrong side (right-side wrong-side, left-side right-side etc.)

Oh, and sorry, i will start driving on the right (left) side of the road from now on...

IZU069 · Post by **IZU069** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:24 pm

Nah - don't worry BranMan,
You are northern hemisphere, we are southern. It turns out your wrong-right side minimises willy-willies, or wirlie-wirlies (mini-cyclones).
Hence we have to have the left as the right-side.

It's the Coriolis Effect etc. (Like out water down a a basin (bison or buffalo) going clockwise. For you it's anti-clockwise.)

Mind you, the Japs are left-sided.

Post by **wedgenut** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 4:41 am

Nah - don't worry BranMan,
You are northern hemisphere, we are southern. It turns out your wrong-right side minimises willy-willies, or wirlie-wirlies (mini-cyclones).
Hence we have to have the left as the right-side.

It's the Coriolis Effect etc. (Like out water down a a basin (bison or buffalo) going clockwise. For you it's anti-clockwise.)

Mind you, the Japs are left-sided.

What all of this means is that ISU069 aint RIGHT in the head (or should that be left? Which begs the question is there anything RIGHT about what is LEFT in his head. Does he have a head? Has it been LEFT somewhere so he doesn't feel RIGHT.

The real burning concern for me is that I understood exactly what he was saying. Is that RIGHT? or should i be LEFT out of the topic? I'll get Right back to you on that if LEFT alone for a while.

Izuzu Impulse White Smoke Exhaust

Izuzu Impulse White Smoke Exhaust

Bad Turbo?

No compression test yet

Found a coolant leak

water cooled turbo