The Ford Barn

bruce3404 · 05-27-2025, 07:44 PM

Sorry if this question has been asked before. I am experiencing white smoke from my oil filler tube. While driving, the vehicle doesn't smoke out the rear exhaust unless I'm accelerating up a hill. I've also noticed that I am using a tad more water from the radiator than usual. Any ideas what this might possibly be? I'm thinking (and hoping) it's only a head gasket issue. I've got 28 years of receipts from the PO, but the only mechanical thing done to the engine was a carb rebuild (and about $15,000 worth of body work, so the car looks PERFECT). I want to have this car running as well as it looks. Thoughts?

JayChicago · 05-27-2025, 08:10 PM

Can you be sure it's white smoke? Kinda hard to tell the color when it's just a little coming out of the filler tube.

Flathead Fever · 05-27-2025, 09:43 PM

Look down in the oil fill tube and see if there is a buildup of white oily stuff in the tube. If there is then the water is probably getting into the crankcase. Check the oil and see if it looks milky colored. Pull the plugs and look at them to see if one of them looks shiny new. a coolant leak will steam clean the plug and make it look bright and shiny. It might just be a small leak. A small leak isn't always noticeable, but it might misfire for just a few seconds when it's first started. until the water in the cylinder burns off and then it runs okay. If you're running a coolant mix which you should be to prevent gaskets from being eaten away by rust, if there is a leak inside the engine, the exhaust might have a sweet smell to it. Thats the coolant burning in one of the cylinders. At work on all engines, I would pull the plugs and inspect them. Then I would put a pressure tester on the radiator and pump it up to the maximum pressure of the system, that's only 4lbs on an early ford, any more than that and you could damage the narrow solder joints on the radiator. Modern cars have much wider joints to hold in the pressure. Let it sit for a while when the engine is cold with the pressure tester on it. Then crank the engine. without the plugs in it and see is it blows coolant out of a plug hole. It may or may not depending on the size of the leak. If you find a cylinder leaking, then remove the head and see if you think a head gasket is leaking or the block is cracked. If you don't have a pressure tester and why would you, then you might just pull the plugs after it cools down and let it sit for a day and then crank it to see if it blows water or coolant out a plug hole. When is an engine just starting to leak sometimes you can't find anything wrong with it, other than you're not sure where your coolant keeps disappearing to???

tcom · 05-27-2025, 10:33 PM

FAiled head gasket will cause the coolant in the radiator to bubble and foam. It will also pressurize the radiator but unless the cap is near new the cap will allow coolant to exit through the overflow tube.

Remove the plugs, if one or two next to each other look like they have been cleaned you have a failed head gasket. THen check compression and if it's low in two adjacent cylinder bores, head gasket is the problem most of the time. cracked or warped head next. Cracked block the least, but it does happen.

ANything over .005" from flat, reface the heads. Don't go cheap on that. Head gaskets on those motors is pretty easy. Clean everything well, Use CopperKote or similar on the gaskets. Chase the threads on the studs and nuts, torque to spec following the pattern in the manual, basically center out in a couple of stages. Retorque the heads after one or two heat cycles. Good to go for another 28 years.

Or you could take it to a shop or a buddy with a test kit and use the blue dye kit where
you can watch the blue turn to yellow

bruce3404 · 05-28-2025, 12:48 PM

To JayChicago , there's definitely enough smoke coming out of the filler tube to discern that it's white. Thanks for the detailed info Flathead Fever and tcom; I just checked the tube and no white gunk. The dipstick oil looked like it should. Getting late here on the Left Coast, but I'll move onto plans B, C, D, etc tomorrow. In fact, it does misfire just a tad when first started, but once warmed up it runs fine. I should have noted that the car runs fine and I had it up to 65 mph the other day with no issues, though I generally prefer not to drive it that fast. One strong issue is that the smoke is entering the cabin and any long drive definitely involves opening windows.

Ggmac · 05-28-2025, 04:13 PM

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Does your car still have the road draft tube ? A blocked or eliminated tube could give a blowby . It could be time for a compression check and some internal work . Its easy to remove the intake , thats a good look into your motor . Some will have a half inch of sludge .

05-27-2025, 07:44 PM	#1
bruce3404 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Eugene, Oregon Posts: 6	49 Ford White Smoke Oil Filler Tube Sorry if this question has been asked before. I am experiencing white smoke from my oil filler tube. While driving, the vehicle doesn't smoke out the rear exhaust unless I'm accelerating up a hill. I've also noticed that I am using a tad more water from the radiator than usual. Any ideas what this might possibly be? I'm thinking (and hoping) it's only a head gasket issue. I've got 28 years of receipts from the PO, but the only mechanical thing done to the engine was a carb rebuild (and about $15,000 worth of body work, so the car looks PERFECT). I want to have this car running as well as it looks. Thoughts?

05-27-2025, 08:10 PM	#2
JayChicago Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Chicago Posts: 926	Re: 49 Ford White Smoke Oil Filler Tube Can you be sure it's white smoke? Kinda hard to tell the color when it's just a little coming out of the filler tube.

05-27-2025, 09:43 PM	#3
Flathead Fever Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Yucaipa, CA Posts: 1,358	Re: 49 Ford White Smoke Oil Filler Tube Look down in the oil fill tube and see if there is a buildup of white oily stuff in the tube. If there is then the water is probably getting into the crankcase. Check the oil and see if it looks milky colored. Pull the plugs and look at them to see if one of them looks shiny new. a coolant leak will steam clean the plug and make it look bright and shiny. It might just be a small leak. A small leak isn't always noticeable, but it might misfire for just a few seconds when it's first started. until the water in the cylinder burns off and then it runs okay. If you're running a coolant mix which you should be to prevent gaskets from being eaten away by rust, if there is a leak inside the engine, the exhaust might have a sweet smell to it. Thats the coolant burning in one of the cylinders. At work on all engines, I would pull the plugs and inspect them. Then I would put a pressure tester on the radiator and pump it up to the maximum pressure of the system, that's only 4lbs on an early ford, any more than that and you could damage the narrow solder joints on the radiator. Modern cars have much wider joints to hold in the pressure. Let it sit for a while when the engine is cold with the pressure tester on it. Then crank the engine. without the plugs in it and see is it blows coolant out of a plug hole. It may or may not depending on the size of the leak. If you find a cylinder leaking, then remove the head and see if you think a head gasket is leaking or the block is cracked. If you don't have a pressure tester and why would you, then you might just pull the plugs after it cools down and let it sit for a day and then crank it to see if it blows water or coolant out a plug hole. When is an engine just starting to leak sometimes you can't find anything wrong with it, other than you're not sure where your coolant keeps disappearing to??? Last edited by Flathead Fever; 05-27-2025 at 09:49 PM.

05-27-2025, 10:33 PM	#4
tcom Member Join Date: Apr 2025 Location: Behind the redwood ccurtain NorCal Posts: 32	Re: 49 Ford White Smoke Oil Filler Tube FAiled head gasket will cause the coolant in the radiator to bubble and foam. It will also pressurize the radiator but unless the cap is near new the cap will allow coolant to exit through the overflow tube. Remove the plugs, if one or two next to each other look like they have been cleaned you have a failed head gasket. THen check compression and if it's low in two adjacent cylinder bores, head gasket is the problem most of the time. cracked or warped head next. Cracked block the least, but it does happen. ANything over .005" from flat, reface the heads. Don't go cheap on that. Head gaskets on those motors is pretty easy. Clean everything well, Use CopperKote or similar on the gaskets. Chase the threads on the studs and nuts, torque to spec following the pattern in the manual, basically center out in a couple of stages. Retorque the heads after one or two heat cycles. Good to go for another 28 years. Or you could take it to a shop or a buddy with a test kit and use the blue dye kit where you can watch the blue turn to yellow

05-28-2025, 12:48 PM	#5
bruce3404 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Eugene, Oregon Posts: 6	Re: 49 Ford White Smoke Oil Filler Tube To JayChicago , there's definitely enough smoke coming out of the filler tube to discern that it's white. Thanks for the detailed info Flathead Fever and tcom; I just checked the tube and no white gunk. The dipstick oil looked like it should. Getting late here on the Left Coast, but I'll move onto plans B, C, D, etc tomorrow. In fact, it does misfire just a tad when first started, but once warmed up it runs fine. I should have noted that the car runs fine and I had it up to 65 mph the other day with no issues, though I generally prefer not to drive it that fast. One strong issue is that the smoke is entering the cabin and any long drive definitely involves opening windows.

05-28-2025, 04:13 PM	#6
Ggmac Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Lake worth Florida Posts: 1,373	Re: 49 Ford White Smoke Oil Filler Tube Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Does your car still have the road draft tube ? A blocked or eliminated tube could give a blowby . It could be time for a compression check and some internal work . Its easy to remove the intake , thats a good look into your motor . Some will have a half inch of sludge .