1994 22re, 146,987 miles, timing chain done, recent tune up all yota parts, never burned a drop of oil, never gets hot. LCE header, NEW FLOWMASTER MUFFLER one week old. Manual trans.
So,
a week ago I was out wheeling. After all day of up and down rough dirt roads I was on my way back out of the mountains and as I was going up this medium steep long grade (about 2 miles) I looked in my rear view mirror and saw all this smoking coming out. First it was blue then puffs of white with a strange smell. I immediately stop and shuter down. I check out everything - no coolant loss, no coolant in the crankcase, no temp rise, oil pressure good. I get back in start it up and no more smoke. I head home.
Here is where it gets interesting. A week later (this weekend) I head back up the mountain. I drive for three days up and down wheeling beating the brush. On my way back out I come to the medium steep grade where this smoke issue first happened and low and behold it happens in the EXACT SAME SPOT. I keep driving a little further and the "check engine" light comes on. I get out check it all out and nothing. On the way home a few miles later the "check engine" light goes off. I go home. I just recently put on a new flowmaster muffler a week before this happend.
What on earth is going on?

This truck..

 

auto trans? last time I had a similar issue always in the same spot on the highway up a mountain with my bronco II, it was the auto trans overheating up and dumping trans fluid on the exhaust.

 

CEL is your O2 sensor I bet as it was moved with your header install and winding out the gears, especially if I stay in one like 5th a long time, threw a CEL. Down shift it went away.

Terrible thread title ya newbie!

 

Nope, it's manual.

 

You are right! That is a terrible title. I wasn't sure how to be specific with it. Sorry about that.
I figured it was the 02 sensor
Why the smoke? and WHITE smoke to boot?

 

Might just be condensation burning off a new exhaust system but weird how only at an incline. Coolant smoke is white but sweet smelling. Oil is dark and smells burnt.

 

YES! The first smoke coming out was blue and oil burned smelling and as it started to dissipate the white smoke started and then stopped. The condensation would not cause the "check engine" light to come on. At least I don't think it would.

 

High amount of coolant and or oil in exaust would give the O2 a faulty reading and possible Set the MIL.

Tis odd at only certain incline... How much of an incline are we talking?

You sure it was "blue and white" smoke at the same time?

Unless theres a leak in the valve cover gasket and at a steep enough incline the oil could pour out onto the exhaust manifold.....

Same thing with valve seals... flooding one of the back valves with oil could send a bit down the valve guide(s) at a steap enough incline....

Theres plenty of places coolant and leak out as well.....

Did you smell a sweet smell with the white smoke?

IF the manual trans was leaking gear oil onto the exhaust as well...

Need to inspect more

 

Pcv?.... Intake sucking oil in?

 

^^^also what i forgot to type cause the pcv is located toward the rear of the valve cover

 

Did you pull codes? There can be codes even if the CEL isn't lit. That may point to the trouble.

 

My carb truck did the same thing on steep inclines. It was the valve guides on cylinder 4 sucking oil. Not enough to blow smoke when you are normally driving it but when the oil built up in the back of the head, it would get into the valve guides and blow blue smoke.

James

 

My vote.

 

I would check the PCV. Also, that's a sweet looking truck.

 

when then dang it, I am outta ideas then.

 

PCV is a quick, cheap, and easy fix, so I'd do that first

if that fails, I'd lean towards the O2 sensor as well

it may be because of the header, but maybe it's just that under a load going up hill, the EGT's start going up and throw the O2 sensor out of whack and cause it to read wrong and send the wrong signals to the ECU, which is maybe screwing up the fuel trim? just guessing...

 

Someone needs to call mythbusters on this one, make sure you ask for Jesse though, I heard she's yota friendly.

 

I was/am perplexed as much as anyone. When it happened I thought, oh no I am way the hell in the middle of nowhere and what I saw coming out the exhaust can mean hours of madness or a tow truck. Luckily it is a yota and got me home with no worries.
Strange I know. Strangest thing is it happened in the same EXACT spot a week later.

 

maybe that spot is like the Bermuda Triangle and the yota is the only one strong enough to make it out alive.

 

you may be onto something