Hello

i have a 1989 ford ranger xlt 2.9l v6 that starts and runs beautifully, I can rev it in place and let it idel and not worry about smoke, but when I start to drive it up and down the street it starts to smoke like it’s burning fuel. Me and my dad think it needs new valve seals, but it could also be a bad distributor or spark plugs. I really need to know I have until August to fix it and I really need help.

if anyone has had the same problem and fixed it let me know, I’m also open to suggestions or ideas of what it could be.

thanks
joshua

 

Does it over heat or lose coolant without an apparent leak point?

It would lack power if is was running too rich or burning enough oil to smoke, so "runs beautifully" doesn't fit with either of these

 

Hello,

no, it does not leak or burn coolant, by runs beautifully I mean it seems to run as if nothing is wrong with but but there is smoke coming out of the exhaust. Spark plugs and distributor where changed and no difference.

what are the symptoms of bad valve seal? If it has bad valve seals would it smoke when it starts up then not smoke when it idles and then smoke again when you drive it down the road?

thanks
josh

 

White smoke in the exhaust usually means a blown head gasket and you're leaking coolant into the cylinders.

 

Found out there is oil in the coolant, I have now concluded it needs new head gaskets.

thanks