Smoke from exhaust: what's normal?

[General Lee]

I understand a puff a black or dark smoke on start up is normal on diesels. Here is what I have been noticing on my tractor: I get a puff of smoke which is a real light white when I in crease the rpm's quickly. The puff dissipates quickly but when I drop rpm's and raise them again, the exhaust spits out the smoke. Kinda like if you were revving a motor with a gas pedal.

Also the other night I was operating my tractor at night and could see a hint of exhaust smoke being illuminated from the tractors headlights. I was simply traveling down the road at about 2000 rpm. The smoke appeared to very light in color and I thought maybe it was visible because hot exhaust mixing the cool outside air? I'm not noticing smoke continually coming from the exhaust while operating, just when you goose the throttle or like I said at night with the headlights on. Tractor only has 36 hours on it. What do you all think? Normal diesel just being a diesel?

 

[kuboman]

I understand a puff a black or dark smoke on start up is normal on diesels. Here is what I have been noticing on my tractor: I get a puff of smoke which is a real light white when I in crease the rpm's quickly. The puff dissipates quickly but when I drop rpm's and raise them again, the exhaust spits out the smoke. Kinda like if you were revving a motor with a gas pedal.

Also the other night I was operating my tractor at night and could see a hint of exhaust smoke being illuminated from the tractors headlights. I was simply traveling down the road at about 2000 rpm. The smoke appeared to very light in color and I thought maybe it was visible because hot exhaust mixing the cool outside air? I'm not noticing smoke continually coming from the exhaust while operating, just when you goose the throttle or like I said at night with the headlights on. Tractor only has 36 hours on it. What do you all think? Normal diesel just being a diesel?

Sounds normal, are you sure it is smoke and not vapor?
A cold engine will put out a blue/white smoke but once it is warmed up that should stop.

 

[DK35vince]

I think your fine.
Sounds normal to me, my tractors do the same thing.

 

[whistlepig]

I don't know where you live but if it's in a cold climate a little puff of blue smoke on start up is a healthy sign for a diesel. Just a little unburned fuel. Among other things I take care of the shipping at work. The diesel trucks will smoke in real cold weather if not on fast idle. Diesels have to be hot to burn the fuel.

 

[General Lee]

Sounds normal, are you sure it is smoke and not vapor?
A cold engine will put out a blue/white smoke but once it is warmed up that should stop.

Vapor is what I could have been seeing passing in front of the headlights. I was getting the white puff when Goosin' the throttle. Engine was thoroughly warmed up, I just finished moving a tractor trailer load of asphalt millings.

 

[whistlepig]

What kind of temps are you operating the tractor at? There are no clues as to your location.

 

[General Lee]

What kind of temps are you operating the tractor at? There are no clues as to your location.

Mid Atlantic. Yesterdays temps were mild. 50ish and the night time stroll when I could see smoke (appeared thicker than vapor) was mid 40's. Faranhiet.

 

[namesray]

i am not an expert but most all diesels i have seen and operated will put out some smoke right when they are rev'd up. i run dump trucks, front end loaders, backhoes, and my own kubota equipment. sounds normal to me.

 

[TripleR]

Same as others, nothing unusual.

 

[Thomas]

Working tractor at low rpm's can cause black smoke also build up..rolling along plus rev's 2000 rpms could loosen build up etc. what your seeing.

How fresh diesel?