Smoke from valve cover and dip stick

[vibraphone321]

I am getting quite a bit of white smoke from the oil cap on my valve cover and from the dip stick tube when I pull the stick out. Is this something to worry about? Its an 81 rabbit with around 180k on the engine. Starts and runs well, has power - no noticeable issues. Doesn't seem to be burning oil. There is a fair amount of oil leaking from all around the head gasket but its a verrrrryyyyy slow leak-never reaches the ground or needs to have oil added to make up for it.

Thanks

[82vdub]

The white smoke may be condensation in the oil that's burning off when the engine is hot. It's probably ok and just normal. Just watch it for a while to make sure something else isn't going on.

[vibraphone321]

Just realized that I put 10w40 oil for a gas engine in at my last oil change. Do you think this could be causing the smoke? I didn't notice the smoke before the oil change but I wasn't paying attention to it either. Should I expect other issues to arise from putting the wrong oil in? I have driven it about 200 miles with this oil. Should I change the oil for the correct diesel engine oil right away?

[TylerDurden]

10w-40 should be fine, unless you are in a very cold climate. (Please add your location to your profile.)

White smoke might be blow-by. Is there a steady gust out the valve cover (oil-cap removed) when the engine is running?

It wouldn't hurt to check the compression. 180K is not super-early to need rings.

[82vdub]

I've mistakenly run non diesel rated oil in ole 82, it was fine. I doubt that 10W-40 is causing your smoking problems.

[vibraphone321]

White smoke might be blow-by. Is there a steady gust out the valve cover (oil-cap removed) when the engine is running?

Yes there is.

[TylerDurden]

I'd wager you are actually burning crankcase oil, but it's cool - it's fuel.

My 86 TD with bad rings ran great, then nuthin. 200K miles on the odo. Same with my Caddy. Both had lots of blow-by and need rings.

A compression tester is not expensive (you might even find a loaner at a parts-store).
Testing takes about an hour.
You will also need four new injector heat-shields (or a ball bearing to re-form the originals) and the hand tools.

If you are game to dig-in, we can outline the procedure. It is a very good foray into these engines.

[vibraphone321]

That would be great. Thanks for all your input!

[TylerDurden]

Before any work on a VW diesel, a Bentley Service Manual should be acquired. Typical mechanical hand-tools are required, plus occasionally some dedicated tools. Some experience in engine repair/maintenance is an asset.

Working on the injection system requires clean handling of parts: particulate contamination of the IP, injectors or lines can harm parts and cause very poor performance. Nitrile gloves, plastic sandwich bags and shop-towels are advised.

Any steel parts in contact with aluminum should be coated with anti-seize compound to minimize galvanic reaction.

Compression test overview:
Remove the injectors and disconnect the fuel-cutoff wire to the IP (to prevent fuelling). Install the compression tester into an injector boss and crank a few times until the pressure reading stabilizes. Repeat for all four cylinders.

• Removing the injectors requires removing the hard-lines and return hoses. Under each injector is a heatshield designed for one-time-use (~$1 each), but they can be reformed to seal properly.
  
  It may also require rotating the IP for clearance to injector #1 or #2. Rotating the IP will change the injection timing (critical), so the IP must be returned precisely to the original position, by marking the IP and bracket.
  
  While the hard-lines are removed, testing and/or replacement of the glowplugs is advantageous.
  
  Returning the engine to service will require restoring all lines and purging the system of air: a good quality priming-bulb and clear fuel-line are strongly suggested.

If all that sounds manageable, detailed descriptions are around here in the posts and members can answer questions.

[vibraphone321]

Thanks for the input. That sounds doable.