NEED HELP 01 740i White Smoke issues but NOT CCV

[jeffriehunter]

Hello All,
Here is our delimma. Have been restoring this e38 and have come to a real snag. During resto we pretty much replaced from valley pan up including CCV (have changed again just to be sure this was not the problem) and all gaskets.

Symptoms:
1 smokes hard at start up, but once you start moving it blows out/burns off and runs great.
2 smokes if you set and idle, like a traffic light, t hen when you take off it blows out/burns off and runs fine
3 if you run on interstate or long road in high road gear and then accelerate it will smoke but only a little and then fine
4 85% of the time when your just driving it doesnt smoke, only at certain times

Took it to a local shop, then after 75 days i finally started complaining about it getting in. Called me 2 days later and tell me my trans is leaking, need control arms, blah blah and im looking at near 10,000. Tell them to focus on the smoke, then we can worry about the other items. Then call me a couple of days later and tell me they are going to do a compression and leak down test. They never did, took some boroscope pics that you cannot see and said I had cylinder damage and needed a new motor. Place was full of exotics, but my experience there was horrendous.

So, now after much more research I was really leaning towards valve stem seals because they symptoms seem almost identical to them going bad. But in this forum y'all go on and on about that just not being an issue on the M62 motor. **NOTE - would you think differently if the motor had frozen at some point?? When we rescued her she had been sitting a while and pretty sure it froze as the accumulator was shattered and the freeze plugs in the head were popped.

Could it possibly be the OSV??

Last thoughts - if there were cylinder damage wouldnt it smoke all the time, and not at darn near predictible times?

[georgebest]

I know nothing, but probably would also guess OSV if CCV was replaced. I have replaced both at the same time and that solved exactly the same issue. If you decided to replace the OSV it probably makes sense doing the timing chain guides as well, you are there anyway.
Do you get any errors on the engine?

[jeffriehunter]

I know nothing, but probably would also guess OSV if CCV was replaced. I have replaced both at the same time and that solved exactly the same issue. If you decided to replace the OSV it probably makes sense doing the timing chain guides as well, you are there anyway.
Do you get any errors on the engine?

I have two sets of codes, one from a week or so ago, cleared them, and read again this morning.

Old codes:
P0011
P0102
P0112
49

This morning:
P0102
P0011
P0112
P0500
P1343 No DTC definition found. See service manual
56 Symptom GLUE

I also pulled off timing chain covers on my spare shop motor to see how difficult swapping the OSV will be and it looks like you have to pull at least the upper left timing cover and the center timing cover as the guide rail looks like it ha to be removed to get the OSV canister out. Please let me know if I am missing something!

[georgebest]

I
I also pulled off timing chain covers on my spare shop motor to see how difficult swapping the OSV will be and it looks like you have to pull at least the upper left timing cover and the center timing cover as the guide rail looks like it ha to be removed to get the OSV canister out. Please let me know if I am missing something!

I think you need to pull the bottom cover as well, but maybe some Macgyver here managed to do it without that.

[acspecialists]

You can certainly check and see if the OSV is working by pulling the dipstick. In my experience a bad OSV just gives you smoke at start up. You should hear a sucking and gurgling sound and it should effect the engine smoothness.
Your problem sounds like rings and pistons based on my general experience. If they are broken you would get smoking at all times. If they are stuck or scored you may just get smoke at idle when the vacuum is high. If you do a dry compression test and then a wet compression test it would tell you if the pistons and rings are a problem. Valve stem seals are normally at start up and if the smoke persists when the engine is warm it also points to the cylinders.

[jeffriehunter]

I called it the center, but I am thinking the lower is the same. The large cover in the center of block below the 2 uppers?

Yes, agreed, it has to come off so the guide can be removed to get osv canister out.

We on same page?

[georgebest]

I called it the center, but I am thinking the lower is the same. The large cover in the center of block below the 2 uppers?

Yes, agreed, it has to come off so the guide can be removed to get osv canister out.

We on same page?

Yes, that one. I think some genius here managed to clear the OSV with kerozin(?) from underneath, just removing the upper oil pan. Not sure if it would help in your case.
I was doing the timing chain guides anyway, so just replaced it at the same time.

[jeffriehunter]

Thanks for the input so far, seriously!!! We are going to do a wet and dry compression test in the next day or so and see if we can narrow it down and not do unnecessary work. But, PLEASE keep the comment, input, and advice coming. Absolutely love this car and am dying to get it right. Already have more in it than I can get out so may as well keep it for life, lol.

I will re-post with the outcome of the compression and leak down test. That should point us in one direction or another I would hope!

[Johns01E38]

Take apart the CCVV on the back of the intake and plug the hole in the center of it. I left the diaphragm out afterwards.
Also plug the metal OSV pipe where it connects to the CCVV on the drivers side.
Drill out the unused/plugged 5/8" hose barb protruding from the valve cover on the drivers side. Its directly under the brake booster line.
Run a piece of heater hose or similar from the hose barb to a catch can or vent it to atmosphere like I did.
Drive it a while and clear the oil out of the intake. If it continues to smoke, the PCV/OSV system is not your problem.
On my car, the OSV was cracked, so the CCVV (PCV) was sucking in oil into the intake even after I replaced it.

[racer2086]

Could be many things causing that smoke. First, what kind of part did you use to replace it? OEM or aftermarket? Look forward to the compression and leak down results. Lot of unknowns when the block freezes like that...

[oldroller]

You haven't mentioned history on the beast, mileage and maintenance. Your symptoms relate to valve stem seals, but other issues
may exist. If sludge from poor oil change schedules has built up around the seals/spring towers, oil will be ingested per your symptoms.
Pull a valve cover and examine the galleries for buildup.

If not that scenario, the OSV could be blocked, or the connection to the cross pipe could be split, as mine was, just behind the front bulkhead.
The symptoms are not consistent with cylinder scoring/damage.

Interested to hear what you find.