What causes excessive white smoke 7.3 ford diesel non-turbo?

Answer 1

Revised:

Thick excessive white smoke from the diesel engine exhaust can be caused by coolant getting into cylinder heads and is commonly known as a blown head gasket, but this is often not the case in fact during winter months. When you have a blown head gasket the diesel engine will vibrate more aggressively and not subside even in long duration of time the engine is in operation for hours with increases core temperature and white smoke should subside, but does not and dissipates. If the core temperature is at normal heat level and engine still operates in an aggressive vibration with white smoke, hence the probability of blown head gasket is evident.

In the cold weather months of winter related temperature ranging from 32F/0C to 20F/6.6C or colder will result in more white smoke from a diesel engine, but may not indicate you have a blown head gasket since this is common diesel engine behavior in colder winter environments bellowing white smoke. Once a diesel engine heats up, and fuel warms up to normal parameters then white smoke should mostly cease, but not always the case in in older diesels that do not have electronic timing adjustment computer sensing. The electronic ones will adjust the timing to prevent the big white cloud of bellowing smoke.

This also can be caused in some rare cases by a bad fuel line leaking, clogged fuel filter, faulty injector system and or ejectors, fuel pump leaking, water freezing fuel lines and most of the time it is just the cold weather in the older diesel engines. This happen often with older diesel engines and you should not be worried about this at all. Remember - White smoke is unburned fuel. The other white smoke is Steam that would be coolant from a head gasket. Steam dissipates quickly, smoke does not.

Always use recommended oil for the winter season, and you can let the diesel warm up in the morning, leave the heater on and when the snow melts to water off your windshield and sides windows then the diesel is ready to drive. It is what most us do up here in the far American Northern Country along Canadian Border.

When parking a diesel over night or for days at a time in the winter snow and not in a shed/vehicle garage is advised to install a oil-pan heater plat element and plug it in for 1-3 hours before driving.