Hello All! Now that it is snowy here I am noticing a trail of black muck that comes out of my tailpipe when the car is warming up. It is a 92 loyale ea82 wagon that just had "new" lifters, heads and gaskets installed. I think it did this beforehand also. Is this just blow by on the rings with a cold engine, or should I be more concerned?

 

-Richard

... ... when the car is warming up. ...

 

This makes me Think about Dirty injectors or Clogged openings on the Fuel Injection System... (a Very Rich Fuel / Air Mixture), but it also can be due to a Sticky P.C.V. ... I Suggest to Check & Clean those Parts.

Good Luck!

cold engine

 

even happens at +10f with ea71 and a weber

heppens here to BTW did i sell the heads and lifters to you ? i cant remember for the life of me and have been wanting to ask how its going thanks Rob.

All cars are capable of doing this.

The combustion process produces water vapor. When you first start the car up, the exhaust system is cold, and the hot water vapor condenses on the inside of the exhaust. This water is blown down the exhaust pipes, and along the way it picks up carbon soot that had been left on the inside of the exhaust by running the engine before. When the exhaust system temperature comes up to the same temp as the exhaust gas, the water doesn't condense and the carbon dries out and re-ahere's to the walls of the exhaust system.

 

It's normal.