This is the answer to the 86 245DL that died in a giant puff of white smoke yesterday.

Inga is back on the road and running better than ever thank you. I paid, yes I paid (Praise the Lord and pass the checkbook) my mechanic buddy to get me back on the road in a hurry this morning.

Everyone who voted for the Fuel Pressure Regulator was right on the money. How Inga did not blow up or catch fire, I don't know. There was gas everywhere even after sitting up all night. The white smoke was from all the unburned gas going through the exhast system. There was gas backed up into one of the Vacuum lines!

He had it running 5 minutes after the part arrived. Purred like a kitten right off the bat but belched white smoke and it smelled like gas (what a surprise). The smoke lasted a few seconds and cleared. Fuel pressure checked out in great shape. My mechanic thinks this happened all of a sudden during my drive home yesterday. I have not smelled any gas. Gas mileage and everthing else was normal until the ugly "toll both" incident yesterday.

He insisted on changing the oil which was only three weeks old and it hit the drain pan with a woosh. There was at least a pint of gas in it. The dipstick has never been cleaner. My mechanic buddy says that this was not a bad thing because it loosened up gunk. Looking in the pan, he may be right. I can think of safer ways to clean your crankcase. The O2 sensor seems to be ok for now by the way, but good tip.

The issue with the bogging down on take offs after the engine warms up is gone! Now I did fix a vacuum leak yesterday, but I think the FPR was also part of the problem. Still going to change all the vacuum hoses this weekend.

Looking forward to blasting down Beltway 8 in the morning (going with the flow of traffice in a safe manner of course). Thanking the Big Guy for not letting me or Inga go out in a blaze of glory. Going to see how much the AAA thing costs.

Good Bricking and thanks for all your input!