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The Dreaded MOTLike all older cars, my Capri finds it ever more stressful to get through the dreaded MOT. This year she failed the test due to excessive smoking. I knew that the puffs of white smoke were gradually getting worse and worse to the point that every time I started her, she filled the street with a plume of white smoke. I also knew that it looked more serious than it was, and it was the valve stem oil seals that had gone. This is a very common problem with Pinto engines, and it is relatively easy to fix. The job doesn’t require the removal of the cylinder head. At worst the inlet manifold may have to be removed for better access. The MOT garage did the work and charged me two hours labour – total cost with parts and VAT was £74 which wasn’t too bad. And of course, the car passed the emissions test with flying colours. What a difference it has made to my car. Please don’t suffer in silence like I did. My Capri is much smoother and responsive than before and most importantly, she never ‘pinks’ anymore where prior to the operation she was starting to ‘pink’ a lot. Miss the white smoke a bit though. For those people who don’t know what I’m talking about, the stem of each valve rises vertically to the top of the engine where it is controlled by the cam shaft, lobes and valve springs. As there is lots of oil at the top of the engine, the stems are fitted with a rubber / metal oil seal that prevents engine oil passing down the sides of the stems and into the cylinder. Over time, the seals harden and fail which is exactly happened to my car. The white cloud of smoke results from the oil resting at the top of the engine working its way down the valve stem during the night and filling the cylinder ready for the morning display ! |
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