Smoke after oil change

[cfergu22]

Every year during our spring commissioning our engine smokes out of the exhaust pipe and a little from the manifold gasket area. It's a white smoke and usually lasts for the first 1-2 hours of engine operation. I always thought it was the mystery oil burning off that I spray in the spark plug holes.

I did an oil change 3 weeks ago because I thought I was winterizing the engine for good. I decided to go out sailing this weekend so I started the engine back up this evening and got a lot of the same white smoke. I didn't spray the mystery oil so the only thing it could be is the oil change I did.

Any reason why a oil change would cause the engine to smoke when it wasn't smoking before?

[JOHN COOKSON]

Originally Posted by cfergu22

I decided to go out sailing this weekend so I started the engine back up this evening and got a lot of the same white smoke. I didn't spray the mystery oil so the only thing it could be is the oil change I did.
?

Maybe a combination of cooler weather and running the engine in the evening made what was really steam look like smoke.

TRUE GRIT

[cfergu22]

I'll try to take a video in the daylight and see what everyone thinks

[edwardc]

My guess is that the smoke was more related to the fact that the engine sat for three weeks without being run rather than to the oil change.

[hanleyclifford]

Originally Posted by edwardc

My guess is that the smoke was more related to the fact that the engine sat for three weeks without being run rather than to the oil change.

Exactly. Moisture accumulates in the passages of a dormant engine and even penetrates the porous iron castings. Upon start up it dissipates quickly.