Misfire/backfire/white smoke...where to start...
 

So I spent over a month on replacing head gaskets/clutch flywheel/headers and other exhaust parts and I go to start the car an it runs fine. I tale it off the stands and rev the engine a little, everything sounds good. I clean everything up letting the car idle. The car starts to misfire. Sounds like an STI. The car goes back to a normal idle. I give it a little more gas to see what's up and it starts misfiring again. This time white smoke starts to come out the exhaust, a good amount. I instantly think "****, headgaskets AGAIN" but there isn't any coolant on the dip stick at all, just clean new oil. The fuel injector harness is all hooked up right and my head starts to throb at the idea of ripping it all apart again...any ideas are appreciated. Anyone know a good shop in San Diego that I can limp my car to who won't rape me and know what they're doing?

So I just spent like an hour tooling around with my car. Found out cylinder #1 is the one missing. Tested the coil, good. Pulled the spark plug, looked black but was still sparking...so...goodish? Put it back together and it was done missing. Smoke/steam was still present. Drove it around the lot a few times and the temp spiked, then the car couldnt idle well enough to stay on...over heated. I think I have to bleed the system some more possibly. May be an air bubble? Any ideas?

sheww someone help this dude!

Cancel all recent purchases. Collect coupons from neighbors discarded newspapers. Cut back on cable and cell phone services. Take a sandwich to work. Take shorter showers. Break up with GF.

all of this was easily accomplished (except the breaking up with my GF part [she couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that i was dumping her strictly because some random person on a 350z forum said to]), but it didn't fix the issue. any other ideas?

Thread necromancer
 

As a few threads have been dead over the years and no one ever answers questions even though us noobs use the search button and fine threads like this that are very similar to what's going on with me nobody answer the question has anybody come up with the answer?mine has white smoke and backfiring but does not overheat even after three hour runs.Maybe my mishimoto radiator and thermostat is keeping it too cool to overheat but what would be the cause of all the backfiring and I'm not getting an engine code/CEL? I might also need to add it's not a big cloud of white smoke it's just wisps and also my car is test pipes with resonators and full exhaust and mods just trying to see if this is normal or maybe a problem coming in the future.

The white exhaust is caused when cooling liquid leaks into the engine. This usually happens when the head gasket is leaking. The cause might be a warped head or at least a head gasket requiring replacement. Your camshaft and lifters are very vulnerable to damage in this situation. The repair costs are typically quite high.

A failing head gasket is usually accompanied by engine overheating because you are losing engine coolant. In the early stage of this problem, you may not see obvious overheating, but even minimal leakage of coolant into the engine can cause significant damage.

The back-firing may or not be related. The cause could be many things. If you have a modified exhaust on the car, you might not get codes.

Thanks for the info
 

Thank you for the great answer. I had my flame suit ready. I was kind of afraid of that. Can't cost too high when you do all your own work if that sucker is going to go I'm going to head and slapping forged pistons in it rods and all at least now I know my toy is a ticking time bomb I just pray when she goes I don't drop a valve and destroy my block. Thanks again

I might add - many people hook coil pack 6 and coil pack 4 backwards. Always best to overly-label and take pictures!!!

Always smart to buy a repair manual to can't trust everything online but I can trust the book and my local tuner royalty performance and z1. They are really good at answering questions. My biggest issue I'm gonna have is sizing my crank bearing since they're color-coded and I've never had to gauge with that wax stick before might have a shop drop my pistons and crank and block guard. The only issue I can't figure out with my car is why does my camshaft sensor after being replaced 3 times now keep throwing a code even had royalty performance put it in and 5 miles down the road the cel comes in. Maybe a few more drag weekends and she will pop and 14k later and hella headaches I will have my TT z. It's already fully build bolt-ons Na just missing cams was gonna do that when I replace the timing chain but if she's gonna blow then I'm gonna just leave it and start saving up.

What code are you getting?

All parts and components in a car will eventually fail when they reach the terminus of their life cycle. It sounds as though you are replacing your Camshaft Position Sensor long before this. The problem may not be the sensor itself, but rather a failing related component.

Same issue
 

4/6 coil packs were mixed