Topic: White smoke

[Soaring]

I have a 351 Windsor in my old truck, and it does not burn oil.  However, only when I drive it for a few miles, then shut it off and start it again after 10 minutes or so, I get a puff of white smoke that stinks like rotten eggs coming from the exhaust.  Now, this doesn't happen every time, but just once in awhile.  It doesn't do it at all when the engine is cold. We all know that white smoke spells a head gasket problem and it is leaking coolant into the firing chamber, but I am baffled at why it doesn't do it at cold start-up and consistently after warming up the engine to operating temperature.  I lose some bit of coolant (maybe a cup) about once a month, so it is not a real issue, but just curious as to what may be going on.  Thanks for all input. 

[Jeff73Mach1]

I'd almost bet money you have a leak at the intake manifold gasket and that when you only run it a short time it leaks, but when run longer it heats up, expands and seals.

Throw a can of pepper into the radiator, it works as well as stop leak and won't muck up anything like the other stop leak products.

You could drain the water and coolant and use waterglass to try and seal a small leak and if done properly might easily buy you a few more years.  As long as water isn't getting in the oil and it runs well otherwise, I'd just run it til it gets bad enough that you have to fix it, but I wouldn't take any road trips!

I assume it is a vehicle with a catalytic converter?

[Soaring]

Thanks Jeff.  I figured it would be a small leak at the manifold gasket, but have never heard of using pepper.  Thanks for the tip. 

[Jeff73Mach1]

pepper is a really old trick taught to me by my grandfather back in the 70's and he learned it back in the 30's I imagine.  Apparently the pepper floats to a point and when it gets in a leak it will both accumulate and swell enough to seal it.