Lessons learned from over 20 yearsof working on farm machinery. Cold is not a friend of a diesel. If the engine temperature is not brought up to operating tempersture it will produce smoke mainly unburned fuel. Ever watch a highway in the winter? You will often see turns churning out clouds of a whitish blue smoke. Or watch an episode of ice road truckers. If left idleing too long you can cause unburned fuel past the rings and dilute the crankcase oil. It can also cause slobbering as the engine is not hot enough to burn the fuel.
Have you tried a curtain in front of the radiator, adjusting it to keep the engine warm, often seen on otr truckks.
I know there are arguments both ways buth the best way I have beeb taught is to fire off the engine, a minute or two later slowly start moving.
Other things that can cause smoke:
Bad injectors, out of time.
Different blend of fuel
Keep that diesel working--- Make it labor -- no easy rides.
Way back when the White 4-150 was new (Cat 3208) we had one on the lot. Out of couriosity the boss was courios if it would statrt, It was very cold still night, He climbed up in the cab turned the key smf the engine started easily. H e then suggestedwe leave it run awhile to recharge the batteries. Over 1/2 later we went back outside to shut it down. Going just as high as could see was this collumn of white smoke, from that exhaust pipe to just as far as you could see into the heavens.
Diesels do not like cold----different engineers have different ideas for proper combustion and some just don't work well when cold.
