Help Needed On Smoke Issues

I would use the MTH smoke fluid, it's what your engine came with. About filling the engine with smoke fluid, add about 6 drops. Never completely fill the smoke unit as it may spit or pop fluid out.

Lee Fritz

If its a twin stack diesel those can have problems usually related to the oil not wanting to get into the smoke chamber via the plastic manifold that connects the smoke chamber to the stacks. If you search the forum there are lots of threads on different tricks that can help. My approach is to remove the shell, make sure the wick is arranged right around the resistor then add smoke directly to the chamber. Not for everybody but I've cured several engines of no smoke or weak smoke output in that way.

Of all the plug-and-play digital features that your modern engine comes with, the smoke unit is still very much analog and sensitive to how the wick is arranged and how smoke is added to the chamber. I think Megasteam sells a bottle with a dogleg feed tube specifically for twin stack diesels with the troublesome manifold.

I agree with Scott regarding the plastic funnels making it difficult for the fluid to ever really reach the wick. It tends to adhere to various surfaces along the way.

when possible, using a syringe to shoot the fluid directly into the batting is best. 

Don't you just love problem child locos...  Have you tried filling the smoke fluid the night before you run and blowing down the stack?

Mike Reagan has a great tutorial on his YouTube channel on this.  I find that adding One Full Dropper to fan driven units about five minutes after shutting down for the evening delivers best results.

Jon ��